September 1, 1939:
Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the
Just Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
Full Auden masterpiece here. Something about this stanza felt relevant today.
(Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty.)
2006-2011 archives for The Daily Dish, featuring Andrew Sullivan