O Where are you going

W.H. Auden

Wystan Hugh Auden (W.H. Auden) was an English-American poet, playwright, and essayist who lived from 1907 to 1973. He is considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. His work reflects a wide range of themes including politics, religion, love, and the human condition. Auden was born in York, England, and attended Oxford University. Here he became associated with a group of poets known as the ‘Oxford Group’ or the ‘Auden Circle’. His poetry is particularly known for its intellectual and formal complexity, but he later moved towards a simpler and more accessible style.

“O Where Are You Going?” is a poem by W.H. Auden, first published in 1931. The poem is structured as a dialogue between a cautious, fearful voice and a determined, adventurous traveler. Through this contrast, Auden explores themes of fear, courage, and the human impulse to explore the unknown despite the dangers and uncertainties that lie ahead. The poem reflects the tension between safety and risk, highlighting the need for boldness in the face of life’s challenges. Auden’s use of rhythm and repetition enhances the sense of urgency and the clash of perspectives.

“O where are you going?” said reader to rider,
“That valley is fatal when furnaces burn,
Yonder’s the midden whose odors will madden,
That gap is the grave where the tall return.”

“O do you imagine,” said fearer to farer,
“That dusk will delay on your path to the pass,
Your diligent looking discover the lacking
Your footsteps feel from granite to grass?”

“O what was that bird,” said horror to hearer,
“Did you see that shape in the twisted trees?
Behind you swiftly the figure comes softly,
The spot on your skin is a shocking disease?”

“Out of this house” ‚ said rider to reader,
“Yours never will” ‚ said farer to fearer,
“They’re looking for you” ‚ said hearer to horror,
As he left them there, as he left them there.

The poem is in the form of ballad which predicts the fate the humanity suffers due indecisiveness and not taking action. It pays tribute to the human spirit and courage. The poem consists of four stanzas all of which are quatrains alternating between two voices. The first is a reader who is a symbol of cowardice while the other person is a rider who is a symbol of bravery and courage. The bold rider wants to go out and conquer the world through his will-power and determination. But, the reader, who is a timid fellow, stops him from going out by saying that his way would be full of ups and downs. But the bold rider does not get discouraged and terrified. He ventures out to get success and glory. The poem thus teaches the moral lesson that the way to glory and success may be uncertain but it can be paved through courage and perseverance.

First Stanza

The poem begins with a question, which is also the title of the poem “O Where Are You Going?’ The question is addressed from the reader to the rider. The rider is getting ready to leave on a journey, however, it is not at first clear what is meant by the reader. It is further down the line that we come to know that the reader refers to a person who is only a man of words and not action. His excessive reflection over the possible outcomes makes him timid and he is frightened by the possible dangers. The reader fears that anything can go wrong out there. He warns that the valley is fatal if it were to set on fire, the stench of the midden, or garbage dump, will be unbearable and the unpaved valley is deadly is deadly if you lose your footing.

Adding an old-fashioned spin to the poem shows us that he wants his words to resonate throughout the ages and that this is not just a physical journey of a rider being prevented by a reader, but rather this is an inner journey. Some people will always be readers and stop you from going forward in life but you must be the rider and ignore their words in order to attain success.

Second Stanza

In the second stanza the reader and rider now being addressed as fearer and farer. This elaborates on their personalities and verifies that a reader does indeed refer to someone who thinks too much before performing an action, for now, he is being referred to as fearer. The rider is now being referred to as farer, once again fortifying that he is going on an actual journey. The reader, or the fearer now warns of how the fall of dusk will cause him delays in his journey as there will be no lighting in the wild. He also warns of how his diligent and respectable lifestyle of having a warm house will change completely and he will have to live with bare minimum. The fear of shifting from granite to grass clearly shows the fear of losing comfort and moving from machinic areas to areas that are still undiscovered.

Third Stanza

In the third stanza the reader is addressed as horror and the rider as hearer. The horror warns the hearer of the creatures he will encounter in his journey. The horror describes the creatures as swift, scary beings whose touch will be contaminated. Hear the fears of the horror are slightly exaggerated. The reader is now being referred to as horror because of how discouraging his words are, and how excessively he tries to frighten and is frightened. His paranoid has reached its height as he exaggerates the birds to be deadly creatures and how every animal is contaminated with dangerous diseases.

Fourth Stanza

In the last stanza, there is a shift of attention from the reader to the rider. In the first three stanzas, the reader questions the rider and tries to stop him from taking on the journey by frightening him from the obstacles and miseries he may have to undergo on the way. In the last stanza, the rider responds to the reader. He shrugs off all the worries of the reader and tells him that he will never succeed in life. Before taking off, the rider tells the reader that the creatures that he says will haunt him on his way, are actually looking for the reader. After saying this, the rider goes on his way leaving behind the reader and all his fears. Here, the poet seems to suggest that all your troubles and fears exist only till you decide to face them. Moreover, these things trouble only the people who think more of them.