In a century of the symbolist, surreal, and absurd, W. H. Auden is essentially a poet of the reasonable. "Coming out of me living is always thinking," a line from one of his early poems, is perceptive comment indeed by a poet whose difficult passages, while innovative in syntax and diction, usually yield a logical resolution. (p. 3)

All readers of Auden note a change in his work after 1939, a change some critics interpret as a retreat from the liberal commitment of his poetry in the thirties. The change in style is undeniable—from stressed ellipsis not unlike Hopkins' sprung rhythm to a more relaxed discursiveness. (p. 5)

Auden's recognition of complexity in all things is the basis of his analytical moderation and accounts for other important characteristics of his poetry: his humility and defense of the privacy of others, a great interest in the variety of form and genre...