Through readings and discussion, the course will explore selected poetry by W. H. Auden, from his early years in England to his emigration to the United States in 1939, where he later became a U.S. citizen. Participants will examine how Auden’s work responds to the political, social, and personal forces of his time. Reflecting on Auden's legacy, including his receipt of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1948 for The Age of Anxiety, readers will gain a deeper appreciation of this influential twentieth‑century poet.

Presenter: Jerry Burnsteel (BA, English, Penn State; MA & PhD, Bowling Green State University) is a former assistant professor of English who taught composition and honors courses. He has taught at community colleges and undergraduate institutions in Michigan and Pennsylvania (including Penn State Abington) and served as a Lecturer in Management Communication at Harvard Business School.