Selected Poems of W. H. Auden

I purchased this set of poems after seeing the film "4 Weddings and a Funeral". One of the poems was part of the eulogy for the character that died during one of the receptions. It left it's mark on me and I wanted to read the complete poem to find out a bit more about the author. I was pleasantly surprised by some of his other works, although a lot of them have a somewhat somber edge to them. I haven't read all of them yet, but will given time. This book caused me to take a look inward at myself, something we might all do well to do at some point in our lives.

The first edition of Auden's Selected Poems was a welcome publication for Auden fans everywhere. Never before had Auden's earlier, pre-revision poems been published side-by-side with his best mature work. Now, in this second, expanded edition of the Selected Poems, Auden's literary executor Edward Mendelson has given us a comprehensive selection of Auden's most memorable work.Highlights include full, unrevised texts of such poems as "September 1, 1939" and "Lay your sleeping head, my love" alongside poignant lyrics like "As I walked out one evening" and "In Praise of Limestone," as well as genuinely funny verses like "Under Which Lyre" and "On the Circuit." The volume also includes the full text of Auden's greatest long poem "The Sea and the Mirror" and the later "Horae Canonicae" sequence of poems based on the canonical hours. New to this edition are several poems, including the popular "Funeral Blues," as well as a few explanatory notes (in the back) that identify obscure names and other references in the poems. These are very welcome updates to the original volume. Add to that an engaging, insightful introduction written by Mendelson, and it all adds up to a superb introduction to Auden's poetry.Of course no "selected" edition will satisfy everybody, and I find that a few of my favorites have been left out. So on the off-chance that Professor Mendelson reads this when he is ready to do a third edition, I would have cut the excerpts from The Age of Anxiety (the only memorable thing about that poem is the title) and replaced them with excerpts from For the Time Being, specifically "The Temptation of St. Joseph" and the epilogue. And how on earth could anyone have left out "The Love Feast," one of Auden's saddest funny poems?If this is your first time reading Auden, a word of caution: the first 30 pages or so contain some of the densest, most obscure poetry Auden ever wrote. When he began publishing poems, he was widely regarded as the natural heir of Eliot and the Modernists, and in some ways he is. Auden is obsessed with form and self-indulgent when it comes to allusions. His approach is often indirect, though he is often very funny--but the humor is easy to miss if you're taking everything seriously. He loves putting everything into grand schemas, and some of his best poems reflect on people as types rather than as individuals. His great themes are romantic love, personal anxiety, and the necessity of rejoicing. At his best, he is a keen observer of the inner life of the modern, anxious man, and he has much to teach us about introspection, love, and praise.

The media could not be loaded. There are three speakers in this poem: The observant "I" of the first line and of the last stanza, the lover, and, the longest part, the personified chimes of the modern city clock, rebuking the Romantic lover. The chimes have the most famous and affecting lines, but, importantly, not the last word. What is the "deep river" in the last line that seems to encompass both chimes and lover? This question is for the reader to ponder on his/her own. Like all great poetry, particularly Auden's, the poem is nuanced and ambiguous.

UPDATE: It appears there are later expanded or revised editions which contain different selections of poems -- and do include "Funeral Blues". Many of the reviews Amazon attaches here, including mine, are of the earlier 1989 edition. Thanks to commenter John Lederman for the clarification.ORIGINAL 2003 REVIEWI can do little more than echo the other reviewers here. This is all a 'selected poems' shoud be: introductory and selective. Yes, "Funeral Blues" is missing. But no one can complain about what is here, which includes "In Time of War", the great sonnet sequence; "The Quest", another long sequence; and the entirety of THE SEA AND THE MIRROR, which is based on Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST. If you are, however, only interested in his love poems, I'd have to steer you toward TELL ME THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE, a nice little chapbook containing only those.My own personal experience with this book may be relevant. It has served to introduce me to one of the finest poets of the last century and sparked a desire to read THE COLLECTED POEMS, also edited by Mendelson, to see how Auden re-wrote thirty of the brilliant poems here included. I'm continuing on my voyage; hope you are starting on yours.

If I ever get another horse, I'm going to name him Wystan.I've always loved Auden's poems, of course starting with his most famous, Funeral Blues. Just recently I decided to dig a little deeper into his works, and I've been pleased so far. Some of his works are nebulous, some are esoteric, and some are stellar, but all have a flowing, moving quality to them.One thing I absolutely love about Auden's poems is that I'm constantly reaching for the dictionary. I love it when authors challenge my vocabulary.Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone, poetry lover or no. If you're not a poetry lover, read with an open mind, and you might learn something.

Without doubt, the best poet of the 20th century.

Product arrived quickly and was exactly as described.

Some of these poems (Musee de Beaux-Artes, the Elegy for W.B. Yeats) are indelible and indispensable.Others are graceful occasional poems.

Perhaps the best collection of WH Auden poems. Well organized!

Auden is an amazing poet. He deals with issues that are relevant today, and though his poems are for the most part abstract, the deeper meanings and themes throughout the body of his work are interesting, thought-provoking and, most importantly, expertly written. Auden's language is brilliant.Gotta b my favourite poet. I'm only 18, doin my A levels, but cmon, Auden for the win.

Shipping was swift and the book is exactly as advertised

If you like Auden's work, you'll likely rate this book very highly - expanded collection, intro, etc. and service was perfect.If you're otherwise new to Auden, i suspect rating wont be as high. Auden was very talented and versatile but also very much contemporary, rooted in the events of his time. Many poems have political, current events and WW2 background that might be difficult for current readers to connect with. They tend to be structured and formal carrying 19th century poetic conventions. For academic purposes, including Auden is a must; for recreational reading not sure this will meet the expectation.

Very pleased with this second hand book of Auden poems. Quality good, delivery excellent.