|
Seminar 2:
|
|
W. H. Auden is one of the greatest English & American poets, though after 1940 he called himself a New York poet. When he died in 1973, Auden left an incredible literature of essays, criticism, libretti, plays, and poetry. He has been called a "walking civilization". This seminar will introduce Auden in all of his complexity and contradictoriness, and in many moods. Auden was interested in the uniqueness of being human and an individual person, a concern that he celebrated as quintessentially Anglican. The seminar will also focus on what the presenters believe to be a neglected area in Auden studies and in the Church, his religion and more especially his Anglicanism. In 1941, Auden 'rediscovered' the Christianity of his upbringing. This ethical and spiritual worldview became a mainstay of Auden's life, writing and thinking. Anglican liturgical tradition became a key to meaning, influencing and inspiring his work. In anticipation of the upcoming NGV Show on "Vienna 1900", it seems timely also to explore Auden's attraction to Austria and its theatre. The evening will be lively and various, with poetry and prose readings, discussion, recordings of Auden reading his work, and more. Will and Philip will lead the conversation, and you can join in, whether a novice or an aficionado.
|