Allusion Of War By Gwen Auden Essay

Besides metaphors, Auden also uses historical allusion to show how society is stuck in an authoritarian and conformist mindset. September 1, 1939 is not just the day Auden sat feeling depressed in a bar, but the day Germany invaded Poland, ultimately sparking world war two. The U.S. was in shock and fear as they could only watch as Hitler and the nazi army invaded the Slavs in an attempt to expand Germany's territory. (History.com) Auden used this current event as a way to draw people to his poem, and gain more attention to a theme he felt strongly about. The war was Auden's door to sneak his society advancing thoughts into dull conservative minds. The first historical allusion Auden uses is a reference to Martin Luther King Jr and Adolf Hitler.

In stanza 6 Auden says, “What mad Nijinsky wrote/About Diaghilev/Is true of the normal heart.” Nijinsky was an extremely famous Russian figure skater who also, like Auden, was a closeted homosexual. Auden can easily reference to Nijinsky as both men were in the spotlight of their countries, but had to live in secrecy as they were unable to show their true colors (Levine). Auden goes onto say, “For the error bred in the bone/Of each women and each man/Craves what it cannot have.” Carl Zeiss interprets this line saying, “ The “error” can be seen as homosexual nature and the “crav[ing] what it cannot have” would be referring to members of the same sex.” Auden is screaming out a cry for help, using the allusion to the Russian skaters as an example of the torture homosexuals in society must go through. He’s getting across how not being able to publicly show love and affection for the one a heart desires is an unbearable pain (Levine). By using a historical allusion like Nijinsky and Diagjilev Auden is ablr to bring realness to the struggles homosexuals face in society. Authoritan minds, stuck listening to their conservative government and unwilling to change make life hell for the “light” of souls like Nijinsky and