"In Memory of WB Yeats" by W H Auden (read by Tom O'Bedlam)

This poem is now in its original form without Auden's later modifications. It was one of the first poems I posted in August 2008, but then in the edited form.
Although Auden admired Yeats as a poet, the poem is not really a eulogy. It contains criticisms of Yeats' life and political views. It is important to remember that Yeats died just before WWII and that is when this original version was written.

Paul Claudel (1868-1955), was a French poet, his views were extremely right-wing - but not fascist. Yeats did at one time admire Mussolini and approved of dictatorship, being influenced by Ezra Pound, although later he turned away from fascism. Auden removed three stanzas and the reason was, no doubt, that he later decided they were too critical - presumably because of what happened after 1939.
www.wwnorton.co...
In the photograph, Auden is at about the age when he wrote this poem.

[@johnb6264]

Thank you for this and your other posts.

[@dvid171]

In regards to the reader's comments, it may not be a eulogy but it certainly is an elegy, even with the deleted stanzas restored. A modern elegy, more realistic and restrained than, e.g., Adonais, and therefore, more poweful. I am glad you kept the stanzas that Auden later deleted. I guess we should respect a poet's decision to alter his poem, but those stanzaas have great historic significance. Yeats was a great poet and had some nutty ideas and toyed with fascism and anti-semitism.

[@emilyscloset2648]

Thank you for this. I needed this

[@SpokenVerse]

Analytics shows only one hit from Schmoop - maybe you're it. The poem's embedded is about 30 websites, some of them educational. Most external hits come from the Chicago SunTimes..

[@Terenceish]

Mystical, as was he.