W. H. 오든의 문화적 영향 ―대중 매체를 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to collect and analyze the cultural contents which include the poems of W. H. Auden(1907-73). In the 21st century the cultural contents such as films and popular music are more appealing to the public than literary texts. This trend is not desirable because literature has owned such values as nurturing empathy, imagination and creativity. If literary texts are included in the cultural contents, they can reach the wider public. This paper argues that the poetic work of Auden has been included in many sectors of cultural contents; as a result his poems could trespass the borders of the academic ivory tower. Four BBC documentaries: “The Auden Landscape” (1982), “The Addictions of Sin: W. H. Auden in His Own Words” (2007),󰡒Tell me the Truth about Love” (2012) and “Stop All the Clocks” (2017) dealt with the life and poems of Auden. Meanwhile a famous film, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994) ignited the popularity of Auden's poems. Several poems including “Stop all the Clocks,” “Lullaby,” “Lady Weeping at the Crossroads” are set to music from classical to popular songs. Lastly lines from his poem “In Memory of W. B. Yeats” and “September 1, 1939” have been included in the addresses of Madonna and presidential candidates of America. The notable fact in the cultural contents including Auden's poems is that the most prevalent theme is love. Auden has started his literary career as the leader of Auden Generation in the 1930s and finished it as a great poet whose poems become a memorable speech.