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Love in Poetry
Admittedly, love has always been one of the major themes in poetry. Poets have always expressed their feelings in their works. More so, many people state that poets write their greatest masterpieces when they are in love (Arana 33). It is also possible to state that poems concerning unhappy love (parting, beloved’s death) are really sincere, touching and appealing.
Works of such poets as Lord Byron and Auden can prove this standpoint. Lord Byron’s poem “When We Two Parted” and Auden’s poem “Two Songs for Hedli Anderson” can be regarded as the greatest examples of the great power of poetry. These two poems make the readers feel the sorrow of the poet as the poems are really intimate. The two poems reveal feelings of those who are in love.
Byron and Secret Love
It goes without saying that love is one of the greatest feelings. Numerous poets have written about their love. For instance, Lord Byron created numerous outstanding poems about love. However, his poem “When We Two Parted” is one of the most intimate ones. The poet does not simply tell a story of two people in love. He manages to recreate the atmosphere of their parting. The poet reveals that special atmosphere from the very first lines: “When we two parted / In silence and tears” (Lord Byron 807).
Of course, it is important to note that Lord Byron writes about a secret love which is doomed to end in a way it did. Nonetheless, this fact cannot make the sorrow of those in love less painful. Admittedly, there are millions of people who have to endure the same sufferings when two beloved should silently grieve. In lines 29-32, the poet asks and answers the question which comes across minds of such secret lovers: “If I should meet thee / After long years, / How should I greet thee? – / With silence and tears” (Lord Byron 808). Of course, these lines appeal to any person who loved secretly.
Auden’s ideas on love and death
Nonetheless, not only secret love can cause a lot of pain. Death can make people suffer even more. Auden describes feelings of people who lost their beloved in his renowned poem. Admittedly, each word of the poem echoes in hearts of those who is suffering. The most expressive lines are lines 13-16:
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good. (Auden 31)
These lines depict despair of those who lost their darlings. Unlike Lord Byron, Auden is more concerned with the inner world of the suffering person. Auden reveals the universal truth that love can easily turn into hatred. In this case, love to one person turned into hate towards the entire world. This is why the poem is so appealing. It reveals secrets of human being.
The great power of Poetry
On balance, it is possible to claim that the two poems reveal the greatest secrets of unhappy love. Despite being different, the two poems are equally brilliant. Lord Byron reveals the very atmosphere of parting, whereas Auden unveils the deepest emotions, feelings and thoughts of those who lost their beloved. The two poems also reveal the great power of poetry which can help people live through their bad times. Admittedly, poetry does inspire hope no matter what.
Works Cited
Arana, R. Victoria. W.H. Auden’s Poetry: Mythos, Theory, and Practice. Amherst: Cambria Press, 2009. Print.
Auden, Wystan Hugh. “The Two Songs for Hedli Anderson.” Selected poetry of W. H. Auden. Ed. Wystan Hugh Auden. New York: Vintage Books, 1971. 31-33. Print.
Lord Byron, George Gordon. “When We Two Parted.” English Poetry 2: Collins to Fitzgerald. Ed. Charles W. Eliot. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2010. 807. Print.
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