WH Auden recites "Doggerel by a Senior Citizen" 1969

Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 - 29 September 1973), who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet, born in England, later an American citizen, regarded by many critics as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. His work is noted for its stylistic and technical achievements, its engagement with moral and political issues, and its variety of tone, form and content. The central themes of his poetry are love, politics and citizenship, religion and morals, and the relationship between unique human beings and the anonymous, impersonal world of nature. (Wikipedia)
From Dutch Television: VPRO
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[@randolphscott3361]

I think Auden is the greatest port of the twentieth century. A true genius.

[@skeletordanzig4999]

Private faces in public places are wiser and nicer than Public faces in private places- W.H Auden

[@robbingcars9140]

My favorite poet =)

[@mannyvasquez3733]

Doggerel a form of Rap. This is hip hop.

[@darkmatter...369]

@Peter Kelner XD pls take your meds

[@davidmehnert9641]

Irritating, I know, but it's only the first line of the poem missing from the reading: DOGGEREL BY A SENIOR CITIZEN (for Robert Lederer) Our earth in 1969 Is not the planet I call mine, The world I mean, that gives me strength To hold off chaos at arm's length. , , , * * * SECRETS That we are always glad When the Ugly Princess, parting the bushes To find out why the woodcutter's children are happy, Disturbs a hornets' nest, that we feel no pity When the informer is trapped by the gang in a steam-room, That we howl with joy When the short-sighted Professor of Icelandic Pronounces the Greek inscription A Runic riddle which he then translates: Denouncing by proxy our commonest fault as our worst; That, waiting in his room for a friend, We start so soon to turn over his letters, That with such assurance we repeat as our own Another's story, that, dear me, how often We kiss in order to tell, Defines precisely what we mean by love:--- To share a secret. The joke, which we seldom see, is on us; For only true hearts know how little it matters What the secret is they keep: An old, a new, a blue, a borrowed something, Anything will do for children Made in God's image and therefore Not like the others, not like our dear dumb friends Who, poor things, have nothing to hide, Not thank God, like our Father either From whom no secrets are hid. --- W. H. Auden, 1949

[@betapicts]

David Mehnert surprise, just turn your cc's on, and there the missing link...

[@cathhall3922]

David Mehnert Cheers David.♡

[@FHIPrincePeter]

I turned to this when my daugther announced they were learning Maya Angelou in School !

[@mexikunt]

This sounds like some sort of spell and I love it.

[@georgealderson4424]

It was nteresting to hear WHA reading the poem, which I will investigate further. Thank you

[@betapicts]

It is a great privilege for me that I was able to arouse your interest with this video.

[@georgealderson4424]

@@betapicts Thank you. Poetry interests me very much and II write what I call poems,, but I am not sure whether it would be accepted as such in serious circles. I have yet to find a definition that I understand so enjoy listening to see if anything resonates with my efforts!

[@HughFromAlice]

Real? Nice one ……Hᴜɢʜ….Lɪᴋᴇᴅ…..ツ

[@cathhall3922]

Aaaw ♡ ♡ ♡ this man! Sent from the Gods xxxxxc

[@julianwoodcock4309]

This is a real poem by a true poet unlike a lot of stuff that passes itself off as such. My only criticism is his reading of it, but a lot of great writers do the same, or ,rather, don't do it justice. However, I sense Auden may have suffered from shyness in front of the camera here.

[@shookishooki1296]

I'm related to him

[@ivgnes]

Genius

[@sallycarroll1913]

it's absolutely perfect❤

[@rob693]

i prefer the platonic blow

[@inuface6530]

Which is arguably his magnum opus .

[@BlantonDelbert]

Excellent. Auden has the same cadence/meter as James Whitcomb Riley, but with "better" words, less homespun. Never understood what Auden saw in Joseph Brodsky, whom I see as greatly overrated. Regardless...

[@Cleisthenes2]

approve/love

[@jakescott2969]

An intentional pararhyme.

[@kqueller]

In Shakespeare's time, they very nearly did rhyme, as in the final couplet of his sonnet 116: "…If this be error, and upon me proved / I never writ, nor no man ever loved." (International Phonetic Alphabet: [pruvd] / [lʊvd] -- [u] being the high-back-tense vowel of Modern English "proved" [ʊ] being the high-back-lax vowel of Modern English "looked." It's as if today we used "look" [lʊk] as a rhyme for "spook" [spuk].)

[@Cleisthenes2]

@@kqueller Good knowledge

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

Love this poem!!! Thanks for posting it 'betapicts'!!!

[@mandiiroy8696]

MY NAME IS AUDEN MICHEAL MILLER

[@pippetto888]

No other footage??

[@betapicts]

sorry.... only: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIKkeqN5asmHidk

[@christophergerety5577]

Terrific.

[@PandaGirl9000]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS

[@stellaengel1338]

Ok boomer

[@Ruxie666]

you unlucky rapper

[@louisnewton4292]

He’s two generations older than the baby boomers.

[@stellaengel1338]

@@louisnewton4292 yes. and this was a joke.

[@stellaengel1338]

@@louisnewton4292 but thank you for replying to my comment from a FULL YEAR AGO to tell me i’m not funny. it really keeps me humble, you know??

[@louisnewton4292]

@@stellaengel1338 Didn’t know it was a joke sorry! But that’s on me. I thought you were being serious. I got into Auden recently, so I was checking out his stuff, hence why I stumbled on this video and your comment.

[@josephmooney2583]

Wonderful! 🙏