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    The poem discusses the role of poetry in modern society and commemorates Irish poet WB Yeats. It explores how Yeats' work commented on political suppression of Irish culture during Ireland's independence movement. It also examines how the meaning of poems can change over time as more people interpret them differently.

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    The poem discusses the role of poetry in modern society and commemorates Irish poet WB Yeats. It explores how Yeats' work commented on political suppression of Irish culture during Ireland's independence movement. It also examines how the meaning of poems can change over time as more people interpret them differently.

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    The poem discusses the role of poetry in modern society and commemorates Irish poet WB Yeats. It explores how Yeats' work commented on political suppression of Irish culture during Ireland's independence movement. It also examines how the meaning of poems can change over time as more people interpret them differently.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    3 views1 page

    Document

    Uploaded by

    hcv7cptvs6
    The poem discusses the role of poetry in modern society and commemorates Irish poet WB Yeats. It explores how Yeats' work commented on political suppression of Irish culture during Ireland's independence movement. It also examines how the meaning of poems can change over time as more people interpret them differently.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Aaron

    Through times of political tension, individuals who publicly challenge social discourse prompt society
    to evolve. As Auden is a literary vanguard, he comments on how political powers suppress Irish
    culture whilst valuing the contributions of Yeats. The poem, In Memory of WB Yeats, is about the role
    and place of poetry in the modern world. Auden harnesses the first stanza, written in free verse to
    denote how the weather symbolises the coldness when describing ‘the dead’ in ‘winter’. This further,
    reflects the the political climate within Ireland during its campaign for independence. As Yeats
    ‘became his admirers’, the intentional fallacy arises as the meaning of the poem is ‘modified in the
    guts of the living’ which affects the poets ‘immortality’. Auden harnesses first POV to postulate the
    erosion of meaning as the poem is ‘scattered’. Auden publicly praising Yeats brings humility into the
    poem. However despite the loss of a poet, daily life goes on. This is seen as ‘the brokers are roaring
    like beasts’. The simile suggests that a ‘few thousand’ people will mark the importance of the day.
    This understatement reflects the nature of poetry as a career. As a modern poet, Auden
    acknowledges the complex world and discusses the different views on the meaning of poetry
    through self reflection. He challenges that that the primary role of poetry is to be a medium in which
    individuals articulate their opinions on society and human experiences rather than changing the
    world in an utilitarian sense. The allusion in ‘teaches a free man how to praise’ suggests how
    individuals should appreciate poetry as it broadens perspectives. Auden highlights how poetry will
    only become a catalyst for change if it is read. As Yeats contributed to literature during times of
    political tension, Auden commemorates the works of the Irish poet as In Memory of WB Yeats frames
    societies regard for human life through the everlasting value of literature.

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