Auden asserts in "The Memory of W.B. Yeats" that poetry is a purely aesthetic and not an ethical or religious practice. Discuss.

Auden’s Assertion: Poetry as Pure Form

Auden’s argument isn’t a blanket dismissal of ethics or religion, but rather a specific claim about the *nature* of poetry. He suggests that poetry achieves its power precisely by refusing to be didactic or propagandistic. The lines “Poetry is not a getting rid of / Fact; it is a getting rid of / Insistence on fact” are crucial. Auden isn’t saying poetry ignores reality, but that it transcends the limitations of factual representation. He believes that imposing ethical or religious frameworks onto poetry diminishes its artistic integrity, reducing it to a tool for persuasion rather than a source of aesthetic experience.

The Historical and Philosophical Context

This assertion is deeply rooted in the intellectual climate of the early 20th century. The horrors of World War I had shattered faith in traditional values and institutions. Modernist poets like T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound experimented with form and fragmentation, rejecting Victorian sentimentality and moral certainty. Auden, influenced by this movement, saw poetry as a refuge from the chaos of the external world – a space where meaning is created through language itself, rather than imposed from outside.

Reasons for Auden’s Position

• Autonomy of Art: Auden believed that art should be judged by its own standards, not by its ability to serve external purposes. To demand that poetry be “good” in a moral sense is to misunderstand its fundamental nature.
• The Failure of Ideologies: The rise of totalitarian ideologies in the 1930s (Fascism, Stalinism) demonstrated the dangers of art being used as a tool for political propaganda. Auden likely saw a separation of art from politics as a safeguard against such manipulation.
• The Power of Ambiguity: Auden valued ambiguity and complexity in poetry. Ethical or religious pronouncements tend to be definitive and unambiguous, which he saw as antithetical to the artistic process.

Counter-Arguments and Alternative Perspectives

Auden’s position is not without its critics. Many argue that all art, consciously or unconsciously, reflects the values and beliefs of its creator and its society. To claim that poetry is purely aesthetic ignores the inherent ethical implications of language and representation. For example, the very act of choosing certain words and images over others carries ethical weight.

Furthermore, poets like Shelley, Wordsworth, and Tennyson explicitly saw poetry as a vehicle for moral and social reform. Their work demonstrates that poetry *can* be both aesthetically pleasing and ethically engaged. The Romantic tradition, in particular, emphasized the power of poetry to inspire empathy, promote justice, and challenge oppressive structures.

The Role of the Poet in Times of Crisis

A central tension in Auden’s poem is the question of the poet’s responsibility during times of crisis. Auden suggests that the poet’s role is not to offer solutions or provide moral guidance, but to bear witness to the human condition. The poet, like Yeats, creates a world of art that exists alongside, but is separate from, the world of political and social conflict. This separation, however, can be seen as a form of complicity, a withdrawal from engagement.

Auden’s View	Counter-Argument
Poetry’s value lies in its aesthetic qualities.	Poetry inevitably reflects ethical and political values.
Poetry should not be used for propaganda.	Poetry can be a powerful tool for social change.
The poet’s role is to create art, not to solve problems.	The poet has a responsibility to engage with the world.