'As I Walked Out One Evening' by W.H. Auden


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As I walked out one evening,
Walking down Bristol Street,
The crowds upon the pavement
Were fields of harvest wheat.

And down by the brimming river
I heard a lover sing
Under an arch of the railway:
"Love has no ending.

"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,

"I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.

"The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world."

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
"O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.

"In the burrows of the Nightmare
Where Justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss.

"In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away,
And Time will have his fancy
To-morrow or to-day.

"Into many a green valley
Drifts the appalling snow;
Time breaks the threaded dances
And the diver's brilliant bow.

"O plunge your hands in water,
Plunge them in up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you've missed.

"The glacier knocks in the cupboard,
The desert sighs in the bed,
And the crack in the tea-cup opens
A lane to the land of the dead.

"Where the beggars raffle the banknotes
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,
And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,
And Jill goes down on her back.

"O look, look in the mirror?
O look in your distress:
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.

"O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart."

It was late, late in the evening,
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming,
And the deep river ran on.

Editor 1 Interpretation

As I Walked Out One Evening: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation by W.H. Auden

As I walked out one evening, I stumbled upon a poem that speaks to the heart of the human experience. W.H. Auden's "As I Walked Out One Evening" is a masterful work of literature that delves into the themes of time, love, and mortality. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the nuances of the poem and uncover the hidden meanings behind its words.

The Poem

"As I Walked Out One Evening" is a narrative poem that tells the story of a lover walking through the city, where he overhears the conversation between a clock and a lover. The clock warns the lover that time is fleeting and that love is doomed to end in heartache and sorrow. However, the lover remains optimistic, declaring that his love will live on forever, even after death.

The poem is divided into two stanzas, each with nine lines. The rhyme scheme is ABABCCDEE, with the final two lines of each stanza serving as a refrain. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which gives it a musical quality and helps to create a sense of movement and rhythm.

The Themes

One of the central themes of the poem is the fleeting nature of time. The clock serves as a reminder that time is constantly moving forward and that everything is subject to change. The lover, however, remains hopeful, believing that his love is strong enough to withstand the passage of time. This theme is particularly relevant in today's society, where people are often consumed by the pressures of time and the fear of missing out.

Another important theme in the poem is the power of love. The lover's unwavering commitment to his beloved serves as a testament to the enduring nature of love. Despite the clock's warnings, the lover remains steadfast in his belief that love can conquer all. This theme is particularly resonant in today's world, where love is often commodified and reduced to a mere transaction.

Finally, the poem also explores the inevitability of death. The clock's warning serves as a reminder that everything must come to an end, including love. However, the lover's declaration that love will live on even after death suggests that there is something eternal and transcendent about love that transcends the physical realm.

The Symbols

One of the most striking symbols in the poem is the clock. The clock represents the relentless march of time and the inevitability of change. In the poem, the clock is personified, speaking directly to the lover and warning him of the fleeting nature of love. The clock's presence creates a sense of foreboding and serves as a reminder that nothing lasts forever.

Another important symbol in the poem is the Thames River. The river serves as a metaphor for the passage of time, with its flowing waters representing the relentless movement of time. The river also serves as a symbol of life, with its banks representing the fleeting moments that make up our existence.

Finally, the lover's declaration that his love will live on even after death serves as a powerful symbol of the enduring nature of love. The lover's belief in the transcendent power of love suggests that there is something eternal and timeless about human connection.

The Interpretation

"As I Walked Out One Evening" is a poem that speaks to the human experience in profound ways. Its exploration of the themes of time, love, and mortality is timeless and resonant, even in today's world. The poem's use of symbols creates a rich tapestry of meaning that invites us to delve deeper into its layers of significance.

At its core, the poem is a meditation on the human condition. It reminds us that we are all subject to the relentless march of time, and that everything is subject to change. However, it also reminds us that there is something eternal and enduring about the human experience, particularly when it comes to love.

Ultimately, "As I Walked Out One Evening" is a poem that invites us to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and the transcendent power of love. It is a masterpiece of literature that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and it is a work that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

As I Walked Out One Evening: A Timeless Poem by W.H. Auden

W.H. Auden's "As I Walked Out One Evening" is a timeless poem that has captivated readers for decades. The poem is a beautiful blend of love, time, and mortality, and it is a perfect example of Auden's mastery of language and poetic form. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, structure, and literary devices.

Themes

The poem is centered around the themes of love, time, and mortality. The speaker of the poem is walking out on a summer evening, and he hears a lover singing a song of love. The lover's song is full of passion and promises of eternal love, but the speaker knows that time is fleeting, and love cannot last forever. The poem explores the tension between the lover's idealistic view of love and the speaker's more realistic understanding of the limitations of time and mortality.

Structure

The poem is written in a simple and straightforward structure, with four stanzas of varying lengths. The first and third stanzas are eight lines long, while the second and fourth stanzas are six lines long. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which means that each line has four iambs, or metrical feet, with each foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The poem also has a consistent rhyme scheme, with the first and third lines of each stanza rhyming with each other, and the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth lines rhyming with each other.

Literary Devices

Auden uses a variety of literary devices to enhance the poem's themes and structure. One of the most prominent devices is personification, which is used to give human qualities to abstract concepts such as time and love. In the first stanza, time is personified as a "foolish lover" who believes that he can conquer everything. This personification sets up the tension between the lover's idealistic view of love and the speaker's more realistic understanding of the limitations of time and mortality.

Another literary device used in the poem is repetition, which is used to emphasize certain words and phrases. The phrase "I'll love you till" is repeated throughout the lover's song, emphasizing the idea of eternal love. However, the repetition also highlights the speaker's skepticism about the lover's promises, as he knows that time will eventually make those promises impossible to keep.

The poem also makes use of imagery, particularly in the third stanza, where the speaker describes the "clocks" and "streets" as "an insidious mastery" that will eventually "crumble" and "fall." This imagery emphasizes the idea of mortality and the inevitability of time's passage.

Analysis

The poem begins with the speaker walking out on a summer evening and hearing a lover singing a song of love. The lover's song is full of promises of eternal love, but the speaker knows that time is fleeting, and love cannot last forever. The speaker warns the lover that time will eventually make his promises impossible to keep, and that love is subject to the limitations of mortality.

The second stanza is a description of the lover's song, which is full of idealistic promises of eternal love. The lover promises to love his beloved until "China and Africa meet," until "the stars go out," and until "the seas are dried up." However, the speaker knows that these promises are impossible to keep, as time will eventually make them irrelevant.

The third stanza is a description of the passage of time and the inevitability of mortality. The speaker describes the "clocks" and "streets" as "an insidious mastery" that will eventually "crumble" and "fall." This imagery emphasizes the idea of mortality and the inevitability of time's passage.

The final stanza is a warning to the lover that his promises of eternal love are unrealistic and that he should enjoy the present moment while he can. The speaker tells the lover to "pack up the moon and dismantle the sun," emphasizing the idea that the lover's promises are impossible to keep. The speaker concludes by warning the lover that time is fleeting and that he should enjoy the present moment while he can.

Conclusion

"As I Walked Out One Evening" is a timeless poem that explores the themes of love, time, and mortality. The poem is written in a simple and straightforward structure, with four stanzas of varying lengths. Auden uses a variety of literary devices, including personification, repetition, and imagery, to enhance the poem's themes and structure. The poem is a beautiful blend of love, time, and mortality, and it is a perfect example of Auden's mastery of language and poetic form.

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