'The More Loving One' by Auden

Knowing the character I am talking about will give you an added appreciation of this introductory anecdote, Potter and Narey, but I hope the sheer imagination and wisdom of 'Sambo' Duckworth will also shine like the brightest of night skies to the rest of my audience.

 Anyway, one night me and Sambo were walking back from the pub on a massive clear winter night, putting the world to rights, when he paused, looked up at the cosmic display, utterly transfixed: 'You know Des..... it is times like this.... when I look up and contemplate all that universe, all that space.... the enormity of it all... it just makes me realise..... just how tiny.... how minute.... trivial .... how meaningless..... how insignificant it all is compared to me...'

 Maybe this is what Auden is getting at?

 Or maybe something else.


The More Loving One

 Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

 How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

 Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

 Were all stars to disappear or die
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.







Comments

  1. Yarnspinners29 July 2017 at 00:46

    Sambo knew a lot about the stars - then he usually finished up on his back after chucking out time!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown30 July 2017 at 04:07

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

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