Academic Graffiti
Academic Graffiti - meaning Summary
Brief Ironic Character Sketches
Auden presents four brisk, witty portraits of writers that compress reputations into teasing aphorisms. Each stanza names a literary figure and gives a little ironic verdict: Adams as timid in domestic social scenes, Mallarmé as obsessively verbal and unable to leave blank space, Thomas the Rhymer as an aspirant thwarted by the supernatural, and Valéry as a reflective walker consumed by his observing self. The tone mixes affection and satirical distance.
Read Complete AnalysesHenry Adams Was mortally afraid of Madams: In a disorderly house He sat quiet as a mouse. Mallarmé Had too much to say: He could never quite Leave the paper white. Thomas the Rymer Was probably a social climber: He should have known Fairy Queens Were beyond his means. Paul Valéry Earned a meagre salary Walking through the Bois, Observing his Moi.
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