Convergences: Reflections on Auden and Brodsky

Abstract

This paper explores the poetic and intellectual convergences between W. H. Auden and Joseph Brodsky, two of the most influential poetic voices of the twentieth century. Through a close reading of their works and literary philosophies, the article investigates how both poets engaged with questions of morality, exile, faith, and the responsibilities of the artist in modern society. The study highlights Brodsky’s deep admiration for Auden and examines how Auden’s ethical framework, stylistic discipline, and contemplative worldview shaped Brodsky’s poetic sensibility. By situating both poets within the broader evolution of modernist and postmodernist poetics, the article illuminates their shared concerns about the decline of artistic seriousness, the fragmentation of cultural consciousness, and the place of poetry in an age of moral uncertainty. Ultimately, the paper illustrates how Auden and Brodsky, despite differences in national identity and historical circumstance, converge in their commitment to poetry as a vehicle of ethical reflection and humanistic insight.