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absorbed countless homeopathic doses of Freudianism; his system was
soaked in it at an early age. But there is not much evidence that he
ever tried to think out its relation to other views of the psyche's life, or
to ask himself in cold blood whether he was living by that philosophy.
Freudianism appears in the verse of his Freudian period like the semi–
ironic echoes of other poets-with light quotation marks, and with a
witty and briefly illuminating effect. As for his Marxism, that comes
through chiefly as enthusiasm and sloganizing, all half-disowned by
the prevailing tone of parody.
Auden's Christian themes are more difficult to assess, because we
don't know the relation between "new styles of architecture" and "a
change of heart." Auden has announced the change of heart, and Mr.
Hoggart very properly assumes it, making the important point that
"there has not been a sudden reversal of outlook, but rather a con–
tinuous development in a mind of great honesty and subtlety applying
itself fruitfully to its own field of experience." And certainly this change,
or development, is reflected in the gradual change in his themes. His
style, on the other hand, has come through apt and fluent as ever,
reflecting Christian writers as it once did Freud or Groddeck, and
snobbishly classifying the sons of God with the old omniscient non–
chalance:
Blessed Woman,
Excellent Man,
Redeem for the dull the
Average Way,
That common ungifted
Natur;es may
Believe that their normal
Vision can
Walk to perfection.
So he murmurs to Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary in his
Christmas
Oratorio,
leaning out of heaven with them, sure that they will under–
stand his tender concern for the common ungifted natures below. There
is no doubt that the intention is Christian; but what is the effect?
Somewhat uncommitted, I think; too close to the ironic invocation in
The Dance of Death:
Vital young man
Do what you can
For our dust
We who are weak
Want a splendid physique.
