W. H. Auden

NAME Wystan Hugh Auden

WHAT FAMOUS FOR W.H. Auden was one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. Known for his stylistic and technical achievement, his engagement with political and moral issues, and his broad range of subject matter.

BIRTH Auden was born on February 21, 1907, in York, England.

FAMILY BACKGROUND He was the third and youngest son of George Augustus Auden (1872–1957), a physician, and Constance Rosalie Auden (née Bicknell; 1869–1941), who had trained as a missionary nurse but never served in the role. His upbringing was strongly influenced by his father’s scientific interests and his mother’s Anglican faith.  The family was upper-middle-class and intellectually inclined.

W.H. Auden had two older brothers: George Bernard Auden, who became a farmer and John Bicknell Auden, who was an English geologist and explorer, and later worked as an official with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

CHILDHOOD The family moved from York to Solihull in 1908 when W.H. Auden was just a year old. As a child, he was fascinated by Norse mythology, Icelandic sagas, and science—interests that would later surface in his poetry. He originally aspired to become a mining engineer before discovering his passion for poetry. He had a somewhat solitary childhood, which fostered his introspective nature.

EDUCATION Auden's formal education began at the age of eight when he was sent to St. Edmund's preparatory school in Surrey. At this school, he met Christopher Isherwood, who would later become a famous novelist in his own right.

At the age of thirteen, Auden moved on to Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk. It was during his time at Gresham's that Auden first realized his vocation as a poet, specifically in 1922 when a friend asked if he wrote poetry1. His first published poems appeared in the school magazine in 1923.

In 1925, Auden entered Christ Church, Oxford University. Initially, he began with a scholarship in biology, reflecting his early interest in science. However, by his second year, he had switched to studying English. At Oxford, Auden was introduced to Old English poetry through the lectures of J.R.R. Tolkien.

During his time at Oxford, Auden formed connections with other notable literary figures, including Cecil Day-Lewis, Louis MacNeice, and Stephen Spender1. These relationships would later lead to the formation of the so-called "Auden Group," known for their shared left-wing views.

Auden's academic performance at Oxford was not particularly distinguished. He graduated in 1928 with a third-class degree in English. Despite this, his reputation as a poet and intellectual had already begun to grow during his university years.

CAREER RECORD 1930-1932 Schoolmaster at Larchfield Academy, Helensburgh, Scotland

1932-1935 Schoolmaster at The Downs School, Malvern Hills: 1932-19352

1935-1939 Freelance writer and journalist

1939 Moved to the United States

1941-1942 Taught at University of Michigan

1942-1945  Taught at Swarthmore College

1946 Became an American citizen

1956-1961 Professor of Poetry at Oxford University

APPEARANCE Auden was known for his striking and unconventional looks. In later life, his face was deeply lined and weathered, a result of heavy smoking, adding to his distinctive and craggy appearance.

Auden in 1956

FASHION He dressed in a somewhat disheveled manner, often wearing baggy, ill-fitting clothes. Comfort seemed to take precedence over style in his wardrobe choices.

CHARACTER Auden was highly intellectual and witty but could also be eccentric and contradictory. He was deeply religious but not dogmatic, politically engaged yet skeptical of ideologies. Friends described him as warm and generous, though occasionally gruff and impatient.

SPEAKING VOICE Auden’s voice was distinctive—resonant and slightly nasal, with an English accent that had acquired a slight American inflection after his move to the U.S. He was a skilled orator and reader of his own poetry.

SENSE OF HUMOUR W.H. Auden possessed a sharp wit and a keen sense of humour, often using irony and satire in both his poetry and personal interactions. His playful side was evident in his fondness for light verse and limericks, and he could be self-deprecating about his own work.  Auden wrote various forms of light verse, including 

(a) Clerihews, such as this one from "Academic Graffiti":

"Charles Dickens

Could find nothing to say to chickens,

But gossipping with rabbits

Became one of his habits."

(b) Short, aphoristic poems:

"Man would be happy, loving and sage

If he didn't keep lying about his age."

(c) Self-Deprecating Humor

"My first name, Wystan,

Rhymes with Tristan,

But – O dear! – I do hope

I'm not quite such a dope."

(d) Satirical Poetry

"Under Which Lyre" is a satirical poem that humorously critiques academic and bureaucratic culture:

"Thou shalt not do as the dean pleases,

Thou shalt not write thy doctor's thesis

On education"

RELATIONSHIPS Auden had a complex personal life, particularly regarding his romantic relationships. He was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain. One of the most significant relationships in his life was with the poet Chester Kallman, whom he met in 1939. Though Kallman was not as devoted to Auden as Auden was to him, their relationship endured in various forms for decades. Auden also formed close friendships with many literary figures, including Christopher Isherwood and Stephen Spender.

Christopher Isherwood (left) and W. H. Auden (right) photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939

MONEY AND FAME Auden was both fascinated by and skeptical of wealth. He once wrote, "Of all novelists in any country, Trollope best understands the role of money. Compared with him even Balzac is a romantic." 

Auden’s views on money were pragmatic—he valued financial stability but was never overly concerned with material wealth. Though he achieved fame as a poet, he often lived modestly, relying on fellowships, teaching positions, and book royalties to sustain himself.

Auden achieved considerable fame during his lifetime. By the early 1930s, some critics were already hailing Auden as the foremost poet writing in English, surpassing even T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats.  His work had a global impact on English poetry, with critic Bergonzi noting it was "the last time that any British poet was to have such a global influence on poetry in English

FOOD AND DRINK W.H. Auden was a man of distinct and often self-managed habits, particularly regarding his consumption of alcohol and stimulants. He was a heavy drinker, famously distinguishing himself as "a drunk, not an alcoholic," and his daily routine included a ritualistic 6 PM martini, taken seriously. He also favored scotch and soda, and kept vodka by his bedside. For twenty years, beginning in 1938, he relied on amphetamines, specifically Benzedrine, each morning, and used Seconal to ensure sleep. 

His dietary habits, while less meticulously recorded, included beer or a "plain martini" at lunchtime. He also occasionally served scrambled eggs to guests, suggesting this as a possible staple. Despite the appearance of unhealthy practices, Auden adhered to a rigorous daily schedule. He typically rose around 6 AM, began working by 7 AM, and continued until 11:30 AM, when he felt his mind was at its sharpest. He would then resume work after lunch, continuing into the late afternoon. This strict routine, coupled with his disciplined work ethic and punctuality, belied his reliance on stimulants. Auden viewed his use of amphetamines as a "labor-saving device" for his writing, though he was not blind to their potential dangers. (2)

POETRY W.H. Auden’s poetry career spanned over four decades, during which he was astonishingly productive, endlessly experimental, and sometimes a little bewildering. He could shift from sharp political commentary to tender love poetry to playful linguistic gymnastics with such ease that one had to wonder whether he ever actually stopped to sleep. His journey as a poet unfolded as follows:

EARLY CAREER (1928-1932)

Auden decided to become a poet in 1922, at the tender age of 15, which is an age at which most people are still struggling to remember their locker combinations. His first book, Poems, appeared in 1928, though “book” might be a generous term—it was privately printed in an edition so small (about 30 copies) that it makes modern limited-edition vinyl pressings look positively excessive. This was all thanks to his friend Stephen Spender, who, in addition to having a keen eye for poetic talent, also clearly had access to a printing press.

RISE TO FAME (1930-1939)

Auden’s real debut came in 1930 when Poems was properly published by Faber & Faber, thanks to the intervention of none other than T.S. Eliot, who, in addition to being a Nobel Prize-winning poet, also had an editorial job and could greenlight promising young writers. This book, which included the play Paid on Both Sides, helped cement Auden’s reputation as the voice of his generation. The Orators (1932) followed and confirmed that this young man in round glasses had an unsettling amount of talent.

POLITICAL POETRY AND COLLABORATION (1933-1938)

Auden spent much of this period being enthusiastically left-wing, at least in his poetry. In reality, he was less of a revolutionary and more of an observer, keenly aware that political slogans didn’t always translate into real-world solutions. He collaborated with Christopher Isherwood on three plays, proving that his talents extended beyond poetry to the world of theatre, though his political fervor remained, let’s say, flexible.

AMERICAN PERIOD AND RELIGIOUS THEMES (1939-1956)

In 1939, Auden shocked Britain by moving to the United States, which was akin to announcing that he was quitting his day job just as things were getting interesting. This was partly to escape his reputation as a political poet, partly to reinvent himself, and possibly because New York had better parties. Over the next two decades, his poetry took on more religious and philosophical themes, as seen in "For the Time Being" and "The Sea and the Mirror," suggesting that he had swapped political manifestos for theological debates.

LATER CAREER (1956-1973)

Auden’s later years were marked by an ever-growing interest in form and structure, as well as an increasing fascination with haiku and tanka—because, really, why not? From 1956 to 1961, he was Oxford’s Professor of Poetry, which mostly involved giving lectures every now and then in exchange for a prestigious title. His later collections, such as Homage to Clio (1960) and About the House (1965), reflected his continued desire to experiment, proving that even in his sixties, he had more poetic energy than most people half his age.

POETIC STYLE AND THEMES

Auden’s poetry is hard to categorize because he never seemed content to stay in one place for too long—intellectually, at least. He wrote about politics, love, history, religion, and the slow but inevitable decline of Western civilization, often with a wry, knowing tone. He had an uncanny ability to make serious subjects feel light, and light subjects feel profound. Bernard Bergonzi once noted that Auden was the last British poet to have a truly global influence on English-language poetry, which is both an impressive achievement and a slightly worrying indictment of what came after.

MUSIC AND ARTS After graduating from Oxford, Auden spent a year in Berlin. This experience exposed him to German language, poetry, cabaret songs, and plays, particularly those of Bertolt Brecht. (1)

Auden had a deep appreciation for music, particularly opera. He collaborated with the composer Benjamin Britten on works such as Paul Bunyan and Hymn to St. Cecilia. His love for music extended to his poetic rhythms, which often had a musical quality to them. 

He also enjoyed visual art and had a particular admiration for Renaissance paintings.

In the 1930s, Auden worked briefly with documentary filmmakers, writing verse commentary for films like Night Mail.

LITERATURE Auden was a voracious reader and an insightful literary critic. His influences ranged from the English Romantic poets to modernist figures like T.S. Eliot. Interestingly, Eliot, as an editor at Faber and Faber, was responsible for publishing Auden’s poetry. 

He maintained a large personal library with many books of poetry from around the world

He had a special fondness for detective fiction and once declared that The Complete Sherlock Holmes was one of his essential books.

NATURE Auden had a lifelong fascination with landscapes and the natural world, which often appeared in his poetry. He was particularly drawn to the rugged scenery of Iceland and the limestone country of England, both of which he visited and wrote about. His deep love for nature was not purely aesthetic—he also saw in it a reflection of human psychology and society.

PETS Auden's relationship with his pets influenced his writing: He wrote poems about animals, including "Talking to Dogs," which reflects on the nature of human-dog relationships. 

Auden's attitude towards pets was affectionate and philosophical. He believed that pets, especially dogs, provided companionship and emotional support to humans. In "Talking to Dogs," he writes that dogs are "quicker to sense unhappiness" and that "in dark hours your silence may be of more help than many two-legged comforters"

Auden owned dogs. In "Talking to Dogs," he mentions a dog named Rolfi Strobl who was run over on June 9, 1970. 

He was also fond of cats and was amused by their independent nature. 

HOBBIES AND SPORTS  Auden was not particularly athletic, but he did enjoy walking, especially in natural landscapes that inspired his poetry. 

He was also a devoted crossword puzzle enthusiast, often working on them as a form of relaxation. Auden often started his day by "taking a first pass at the crossword." (2)

His intellectual hobbies included collecting obscure books and studying theological and philosophical texts.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Auden had a strong interest in science, particularly geology, which he often referenced in his work. He admired the scientific method and believed that poetry and science were not opposing forces but rather complementary ways of understanding the world. His curiosity extended to mathematics, though he was not formally trained in the subject. He once remarked that the structure and precision of mathematics fascinated him, much like the formality of poetry.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Auden’s work was deeply influenced by his engagement with philosophy and theology. He was particularly drawn to the works of Søren Kierkegaard and St. Augustine, and his poetry frequently explored themes of sin, redemption, and human fallibility. 

Though raised in a religious household, Auden drifted away from faith in his youth, only to return to Christianity in the 1940s. His later work reflects a preoccupation with the moral responsibilities of individuals in a complex world.

POLITICS Auden was politically engaged, particularly in his early career. In the 1930s, he was sympathetic to socialist ideals and traveled to Spain during the Spanish Civil War to support the Republican cause, though he did not engage in combat. Over time, his political views became more skeptical and nuanced. While he remained critical of authoritarianism and totalitarianism, he distanced himself from overtly political poetry, believing that art should not serve as mere propaganda.

SCANDAL Auden’s personal and professional life was not without controversy. His move to the United States in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, led to accusations that he had abandoned Britain in its time of need. Some critics never forgave him for this, despite his insistence that he was following his personal and artistic instincts. 

Additionally, his open homosexuality—illegal in Britain at the time—was a source of scandal, though he never made a public issue of it.

MILITARY RECORD In August 1942, Auden was called for the draft in the United States Army but was rejected on medical grounds. Despite his rejection, he contributed to the war effort in other ways, including working for the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey and writing patriotic verse.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Auden was never particularly robust and had various health concerns throughout his life. He was a heavy smoker and relied on amphetamines to maintain his energy levels. His wrinkled face, even in middle age, became one of his most recognizable features, earning him the nickname “the wrinkled rock.” His later years were marked by declining health, exacerbated by his long-term habits of smoking and drinking.

HOMES Auden lived in several countries throughout his life, including England, the United States, and Austria. After moving to the U.S. in 1939, he eventually became a citizen in 1946. He spent his winters in New York City and his summers in Kirchstetten, Austria, where he found the peace and solitude necessary for writing. His various homes reflected his personality—often cluttered, filled with books, and welcoming to friends and guests.

TRAVEL Auden was a keen traveler, and his journeys deeply influenced his poetry. He visited Iceland in the 1930s, an experience that resulted in the travel book Letters from Iceland, co-written with Louis MacNeice. His travels also took him to China, Spain, and Germany, among other places. He had a particular fondness for Italy and Austria, where he spent much of his later life.

DEATH W.H. Auden died on September 29, 1973, in Vienna, Austria. He was 66 years old at the time of his death, which was caused by a heart attack in his sleep. Auden's passing occurred at the Altenburgerhof Hotel in Vienna, just hours after he had given a poetry reading for the Austrian Society for Literature at the Palais Pálffy.

Auden's funeral took place on October 4, 1973, in Kirchstetten, Austria, where he was laid to rest in the local cemetery. He had spent his summers in Kirchstetten since 1958, where he owned a farmhouse purchased with prize money from the Premio Feltrinelli award he received in 1957.

The poet's grave can be found in the Cemetery at Kirchstetten, Sankt Pölten-Land Bezirk, Lower Austria, Austria. His gravestone bears the simple inscription "POET : AND : MAN OF : LETTERS", reflecting his lifelong dedication to literature.

A year after his death, on October 2, 1974, a memorial stone for Auden was unveiled in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey in London. The stone, which adjoins the grave of John Masefield and memorials to George Eliot and Gerard Manley Hopkins, was unveiled by Sir John Betjeman. The ceremony included readings by Sir John Gielgud and an address by Auden's friend Stephen Spender.

The inscription on Auden's memorial stone in Westminster Abbey reads:

WYSTAN HUGH AUDEN 1907-1973

In the prison of his days

Teach the free man how to praise.

Buried at Kirchstetten Lower Austria

The quote on the stone is taken from Auden's poem "In Memory of W.B. Yeats", a fitting tribute to a poet who had such a profound impact on 20th-century literature

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA W.H. Auden’s appearances in the media were as eclectic as his poetry—sometimes serious, sometimes eccentric, and occasionally bordering on the downright shambolic.

Auden’s deep, sonorous voice and professorial air made him a natural for radio and television, though he had a habit of mumbling and chain-smoking through interviews, which probably made some producers nervous. He appeared on the BBC from the 1930s onwards, offering poetic reflections on war, culture, and the general state of the world.

In 1936, the British documentary Night Mail (produced by the General Post Office Film Unit) featured his famous verse narration, turning an otherwise mundane account of postal trains into a lyrical masterpiece. If you ever wanted proof that poetry could make even mail sorting seem profound, this was it.

He also turned up on American television, including an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1969, which must have been quite the scene—one of the 20th century’s greatest poets casually chatting on a late-night variety show.

Auden’s poetry has been quoted, referenced, and recited in numerous films and TV series. Perhaps most famously, his poem "Funeral Blues" ("Stop all the clocks...") was recited in the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral, which introduced an entirely new generation to his work—many of whom may have previously assumed poetry was something best left to school textbooks.

His influence also stretched into unexpected places, from Doctor Who references to discussions in academic documentaries.

Bob Dylan, a master of poetic lyrics himself, was once said to have been influenced by Auden’s work, though one imagines Auden might have raised an eyebrow at Dylan’s more abstract phrasing.

In addition to all the highbrow appearances, Auden’s distinctive face—marked by deep furrows that made him look about 300 years old by the time he hit 60—became the subject of fascination in the press. When asked about these striking wrinkles, he joked that they came from too much smoking and living in New York.

ACHIEVEMENTS Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1948).

National Medal for Literature (1967).

Professor of Poetry at Oxford University.

Significant and lasting influence on 20th-century poetry.

Sources (1) Britannica (2) Humanities