SEPTEMBER 1, 1939′

Unit-8: Lesson-2

SEPTEMBER 1, 1939′

W. H. Auden

I sit on one of the dives

On Fifty-second Street

Uncertain and afraid

As the clever hopes expire.

Of a low dishonest decade:

Waves of anger and fear

Circulate over the bright

And darkened lands of the earth,

Obsessing our private lives;

The unmentionable odour of death

Offends the September night.

 

অনুবাদ:

আমি পানশালার একটিতে বসে আছি

বায়ান্ন নং স্ট্রিটে

অনিশ্চিত এবং শঙ্কিত

যেহেতু চতুর আশাগুলোর মেয়াদকাল নি:শেষিত।

একটি হীন অসৎ  দশকের:

ক্রোধ এবং আতঙ্কের ঢেউগুলোর

এবং অন্ধকার করছে পৃথিবীর ভুমিকে,

আমাদের ব্যক্তিগত জীবনকে আচ্ছন্ন করছে;

মৃত্যুর আনুচ্চারিত গন্ধ

সেপ্টম্বরের রাতকে অপরাধী করছে।

 

Theme: The theme of the poem is the decline of the humanity and the feelings of uncertainty and fear for the future. This poem is a historical moment in time as it marks the beginning of the Second World War.  The speaker is sitting in a pub or bar in New York City. He feels threatened as he sees the coming another war. Many so called policies adopted by then policy makers throughout the last ten years could not improve the lot of the working class except making it worse. They could not stop the growth of capitalist economy. Now there is anger in the air over shadowing the lands of the earth. It is bringing distress in people’s personal life. The speaker can smell the “unmentionable odour” of death upsetting the month of September because he can foresee this war will take away innumerable lives. Here the poet expresses his feelings and fear for death which are causing through war resulting bloodshed.

or,

Theme: The poem ‘September 1, 1939’, written by W.H. Auden at the beginning of World War ІІ, describes the poet’s speculation over the factors of war. Uncertainty and fear abolished the good hopes from the world. The dishonest decade of war (1930-39) created anger and hatred and washed away the bright light. Due to the darkness of war, private lives were hampered. The September night was upset with the unmentionable smell of death and destruction. In the poem the poet sketched the real picture of contemporary happiness as well as ensuing dangers.

Summary: This poem is a historical moment in time as it marks the beginning of the Second World War. The poet is sitting in a dive bar in New York City. He feels threatened as he sees the approaching of another war. Many so called polices adopted by then policy makers (the British intellectuals) throughout the last 10 years could not improve the lot of the working class except making it worse. They could not stop the growth of capitalist economy. Now there is anger in the air overshadowing the lands of the earth. It is bringing distress in people’s personal life. The speaker  can smell the “Unmentionable odour” of death upsetting the month of September because he can foresee this war will take away innumerable lives.