Auden Remembered

Being the culture-vulture that I am (it impresses the chicks, see), I went along to the 'Celebration of Auden' poetry reading at Westminster Abbey last night.

Today sees the centenary of Auden's birth and last night the actor Sam Dastor read 21 of Auden's poems, including Night Mail and Funeral Blues. Funnily enough, the spiel on the event leaflet mentioned Sam's roles in I, Claudius and Julius Caesar (and his one man show Shakespeare's Sonnnets) but callously omitted mention of his appearances in Blake's 7 and Space 1999. Such modesty in an actor is quite refreshing...

As in other areas of life, I was generally ignorant of much of Auden's work but I did appreciate the timing of the centenary, and the setting of the poetry reading, given the poet's homosexuality and the current discussions of Anglican leaders in Tanzania. I also spotted Lord Hurd at the poetry reading. Given his political career, I'd thought this part-time poet would have been more up Lord Hurd's alley.

Back to the poetry, I liked Roman Wall Blues (1937), which I hadn't heard before:

Over the heather the wet wind blows,
I've lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose.

The rain comes pattering out of the sky,
I'm a Wall soldier, I don't know why.

The mist creeps over the hard grey stone,
My girl's in Tungria; I sleep alone.

Aulus goes hanging around her place,
I don't like his manners, I don't like his face.

Piso's a Christian, he worships a fish;
There'd be no kissing if he had his wish.

She gave me a ring but I diced it away;
I want my girl and I want my pay.

When I'm a veteran with only one eye
I shall do nothing but look at the sky.