Member-only story

Study Guide for W.H. Auden's "As I Walked Out One Evening" Poetry for Students

Paul Reed

·8.7k Followers· Follow

Published in A Study Guide For W H Auden S As I Walked Out One Evening (Poetry For Students)

5 min read

442 View Claps

26 Respond

Save

Listen

"As I Walked Out One Evening" is one of the most well-known and beloved poems by W.H. Auden, an English poet who is considered one of the most important figures in 20th-century literature. The poem was written in 1940 during World War II and was first published in the collection Another Time. The poem explores the themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in a world that is often chaotic and difficult to understand.

A Study Guide for W. H. Auden's "As I Walked Out One Evening" (Poetry for Students)

by Amanda Deibert

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	547 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	18 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

Themes

One of the central themes of "As I Walked Out One Evening" is the theme of love. The poem is addressed to a loved one, and the speaker expresses his deep affection and admiration for this person. The speaker describes the loved one as "lovely" and "fair," and he says that he "loves" and "fears" them. The poem also explores the theme of loss. The speaker is aware that the loved one is mortal, and he knows that one day they will have to part. This knowledge fills the speaker with a sense of sadness and regret.

Another important theme in the poem is the theme of the search for meaning. The speaker is living in a world that is often chaotic and difficult to understand. He is surrounded by violence and suffering, and he is struggling to find a sense of purpose and belonging. The speaker's search for meaning leads him to nature, and he finds comfort and solace in the beauty of the natural world.

Structure

"As I Walked Out One Evening" is written in six stanzas of four lines each. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, which is a metrical pattern that consists of four iambs, or pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables. The poem's rhyme scheme is ABAB, which means that the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme. This rhyme scheme creates a sense of rhythm and flow, and it helps to emphasize the poem's emotional impact.

Language

Auden uses a variety of literary devices in "As I Walked Out One Evening" to create a vivid and memorable image of the loved one. He uses metaphors to compare the loved one to a "moon" and a "star," and he uses similes to compare the loved one's eyes to "pools" and their hair to "gold." Auden also uses personification to give human qualities to the natural world. He describes the trees as "kind" and the wind as "gentle." This use of figurative language helps to create a sense of intimacy and connection between the speaker and the loved one.

Symbolism

The poem is rich in symbolism. The moon is a symbol of the loved one's beauty and unattainability. The stars are a symbol of the loved one's mortality. The trees are a symbol of the speaker's search for meaning. The wind is a symbol of the speaker's own mortality. The poem's title, "As I Walked Out One Evening," is also symbolic. The word "walked" suggests a journey, and the word "evening" suggests the end of the day. The title hints at the speaker's journey through life and his search for meaning.

"As I Walked Out One Evening" is a complex and beautiful poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning. The poem is written in a clear and concise style, and it uses a variety of literary devices to create a vivid and memorable image of the loved one. The poem's themes and symbols are universal, and they have resonated with readers for generations.

A Study Guide for W. H. Auden's "As I Walked Out One Evening" (Poetry for Students)

by Amanda Deibert

4.5 out of 5