Justice and Humanity: W. H. Auden’s War Writing

Abstract

As one of the outstanding representatives of English poetry in the 20th century, W.H. Auden is famous for his profound war poems and his reflection of the context of The Times. This deeply discusses Auden’s literary creation during the Spanish Civil War and the Chinese War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and analyzes how his poems reveal the cruelty of war, the complexity of human nature, and the course of history. Through a textual analysis of Auden’s masterpieces Spain1937 and Journey to a War, this paper reveals how Auden reflected the far-reaching impact of war on individuals and society through literature.

This article synthesizes the research of domestic and foreign scholars on W.H. Auden’s poetry. It deeply analyzes the commonalities between war and human nature in Auden’s war poems and the impact of war on human nature, revealing the shared vulnerability of war and human nature. Through the portrayal of soldiers’ images, it showcases the fear and suffering of ordinary people, expressing sympathy for those affected by war. Auden emphasizes the radiance in human nature. For example, in the In Time of War poem cycle, he depicts the images of Chinese soldiers, and in Spain 1937, his attitude of supporting the anti-fascist war is evident. He pays attention to the sacrifices in war and calls for the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, reflecting on the cruelty of war. The section on Auden’s personality display, especially the influence of his trip to China and Journey to a War on his poetic style, is reflected in the stylistic transformation of the In Time of War poem cycle. In Journey to a War, Auden’s personal ideology shifted from Marxism to Christian belief, and this transformation is the result of multiple factors. In addition, Auden’s unique portrayal of the Spanish Civil War demonstrates the combination of his political stance and detached attitude. Spain 1937 manifests the influence of his early Marxism and the transformation of his ideology and writing style toward a detached attitude.