Auden's Apologies for Poetry

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The book explores the transformation of Auden's poetry after his move to New York in 1939, challenging the notion that he abandoned serious themes. Lucy McDiarmid argues that freed from societal critique, Auden redirected his focus to art, ultimately questioning its significance. Through analysis of his major works, revisions, and unpublished pieces, the text reveals a shift from viewing poetry as redemptive to seeing it as frivolous and self-reflective. Auden's later work embodies a poetics of apology, emphasizing the insignificance of poetry itself.