Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | ||||||||
"A Wheeze for Wystan" is a poem by Theodore Roethke that pays tribute to the poet W.H. Auden. The title itself is a play on words, as "wheeze" can refer to both a sound made by someone struggling to breathe and a clever or witty remark. The poem begins with Roethke describing his admiration for Auden's poetry and his own desire to emulate it: "I too, have praised the public man;/Hoping, after some sweet banquet,/To nod my head and say, as the lights grow dim,/That was my thought." However, he soon acknowledges that Auden's influence on him goes beyond mere imitation, and that he has been transformed by the other poet's work: "But all I see, familiar as the pond,/The careless trees, the palings, the well-known house,/Is, in the weird light of another world,/A queer, fantastic blur, beyond my reach." Throughout the poem, Roethke employs vivid imagery and whimsical language to convey his admiration for Auden, describing him as a "voice of life" and a "laughing father," and portraying him as a figure of both wisdom and humor. He also reflects on the fleeting nature of human life and the enduring power of art: "For Time, a thief that slyly steals our treasure,/Leaves us, at last, a half-remembered joke,/Or verse that flies, like birds about the bough." Overall, "A Wheeze for Wystan" is a playful and heartfelt tribute to the enduring influence of poetry, and to the connections that can be forged between writers across generations Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN MEMORY OF W.H. AUDEN by WILLIAM MATTHEWS THE WORD (2) by CHARLES BUKOWSKI THE MAGNETIC MOUNTAIN: 16 by CECIL DAY LEWIS ABOUT SUFFERING THEY WERE NEVER WRONG by LISEL MUELLER ADVISING AN ADULT by KENNETH REXROTH IN MEMORY OF W.H. AUDEN by GERALD STERN EULOGY TO W. H. AUDEN by DEREK WALCOTT IN MEMORY OF W.H. AUDEN by RACHEL WETZSTEON SEEING AUDEN OFF by PHILIP BOOTH |
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