W. H. Auden
Contents
Country
Great Britain
Birth - Death
1907 - 1973
Occupation
Poet
Notable Achievements
Pulitzer Prize
Description
W. H. Auden is regarded as one of the greatest English poets of the 20th century. He attended the University of Oxford to study English, and his acquaintances and relationships there greatly influenced his writing. Most notable was his romantic ties to fellow writer Christopher Isherwood, who Auden describes as a mentor and with whom he collaborated on three plays and a travel book.
Both Auden and Isherwood travelled together to America just prior to the outbreak of war, never to return. Prior to his departure, his notable works included The Orators (1934), Poems (1930), and The Dance of Death (1933). His greatest works were written in America, including Another Time (1940), The Age of Anxiety (1946, and which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948), and Homage to Clio (1960).
Auden has had a tremendous influence on the output of many other poets, musicians, and artists of his generation. Much of his poetry is concerned with moral and political issues and encompasses a vast range of styles. He was awarded the National Medal for Literature in 1967.
Partner was fellow poet Chester Kallman.
