W. H. Auden

British-American poet (1907–1973)

Source-basedStable

Lived 1907–1973, aged 66United Kingdom

United Kingdom WritersWriter / Author

Fame42.2
Momentum10.6
United Kingdom rank#138
Writers rank#81
Wikipedia27.5K

Wikipedia
67 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United Kingdom
#138
Writers
Era
1907–1973
Aged 66

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

British-American poet who moved between high modernism and accessible verse, anchoring his reputation on politically charged work like "September 1, 1939" and intimate pieces like "Funeral Blues." A restless formal innovator across love, politics, and religion.

Biography

About

Wystan Hugh Auden was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, form, and content. Some of his best known poems are about love, such as "Funeral Blues"; on political and social themes, such as "September 1, 1939" and "The Shield of Achilles"; on cultural and psychological themes, such as The Age of Anxiety; and on religious themes, such as "For the Time Being" and "Horae Canonicae".

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