Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Academic Graffiti" is a series of epigrammatic stanzas by W.H. Auden, each focusing on a different cultural or literary figure. The lines are quite humorous and, as the title suggests, playfully satirical, poking fun at the idiosyncrasies or defining characteristics of each individual. The brevity and wit of these lines are reminiscent of the pithy comments one might find scrawled on a wall (hence the term "graffiti").

"Henry Adams / Was mortally afraid of Madams": This stanza refers to Henry Adams, a prominent American historian and writer. The "Madams" may be a reference to powerful women or it may imply something more salacious, such as the madams of a brothel.

"Mallarm? / Had too much to say": This stanza refers to St?phane Mallarm?, a French poet and critic known for his complex, dense, and highly symbolic style. Auden jokes that Mallarm? was so verbose he couldn't "leave the paper white," filling up every inch with his words.

"Thomas the Rymer / Was probably a social climber": Thomas the Rhymer, also known as Thomas of Erceldoune, was a Scottish poet and prophet in the late 13th century, famous for a legend that he was carried off by the Queen of Elfland and returned with the gift of prophecy. Auden humorously implies that Thomas' ambitions to consort with fairy royalty suggest a desire for social advancement.

"Paul Val?ry / Earned a meagre salary / Walking through the Bois, / Observing his Moi.": Paul Val?ry was a French poet, philosopher, and critic known for his meditative approach to poetry. "Bois" refers to the Bois de Boulogne, a large park in Paris, and "Moi" is French for "myself." This stanza humorously caricatures Val?ry's introspective style, suggesting that he was paid little to wander around and ruminate on himself.

Overall, Auden's stanzas demonstrate a playful approach to literary criticism. While based on the lives and works of the figures they refer to, they shouldn't be read as serious critical analysis, but rather as playful jests.

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