"Looking up at the stars, I know quite well That, for all they care, I can go to hell, But on earth indifference is the least We have to dread from man or beast."
"If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me."
"The polished informality gives the impression of a decidedly cerebral speaker someone who's looking at love philosophically, thinking about how it works and what it means."
"To write a poem requires effort, art, inspiration. To speak in verse is to tease, to cajole, to seduce, all actions that suggest an excess of desire."
W.H. Auden's poem, The More Loving One, begins with existential dread but quickly shifts focus to love. The speaker contemplates the nature of affection, expressing a desire for mutual love. The poem employs a polished informality and four-beat lines, reminiscent of historical poetic traditions. It balances earnestness with whimsy, reflecting on the speaker's role as the more loving one. The poem adheres to conventional themes of love poetry, where the speaker embodies desire and artistic expression.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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