The More Loving One
By W. H. Auden
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
Meanings of The More Loving One
The poem “The More Loving One” by W. H. Auden presents a first-person speaker who shows the significance of love through the stars. Unrequited and equal love is the main idea of this poem.
Meanings of Stanza -1
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
The speaker states that when he looks up at the stars, he is surprised to see that they do not care about human beings at all. He thinks that even if they care, they have total indifference to the situation of mankind. However, if this same indifference comes on this earth from somebody else, we really feel dread. The speaker believes that this is an awful thing when a person or beast shows indifference to the love of another person. The stanza shows the main idea of indifference toward love through the metaphor of stars.
Meanings of Stanza -2
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
The speaker presents the reverse situation in this stanza. He poses a question about the situation of the stars if they love intensely and get nothing in return. Then he answers that if there is no equal effect, at least he could be the one who would love the stars more in return. He means that we should remove indifference in our love for others and love them equally or more. This stanza adds to the main idea of loving more in return for love.
Meanings of Stanza -3
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
The speaker states further that although he is a great admirer of stars, he does not pay them any attention. However, when he is unable to see them, he misses one of them terribly. It means that he has been in love with one of the stars though he has never been an admirer of that star. This stanza shows the speaker’s feelings toward that one star he misses. This is in addition to the feelings of love the speaker shows toward a star.
Meanings of Stanza -4
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
The speaker states that when there are no stars, they disappear or die somehow. Then the speaker will have an empty sky to look at. He would feel the dark sublime. But the speaker will take a little time to become accustomed to this type of situation. He is of the view that despite all of their brightness, the disappearance of the stars makes us feel their presence for a little while, and afterwards, we become accustomed to the darkness that prevails in their absence. This stanza completes the main idea of love.
Summary of The More Loving One
- Popularity of “The More Loving One”: The poem “The More Loving One” by W. H. Auden, a great English poet, and writer, is a metaphorical poem. It first appeared in 1957. The poem deals with the experiences of unfulfilled love. The speaker explains how it feels when one fails to receive the expected treatment from the one he loves from the bottom of his heart. The poem gained immense popularity on account of its unique representation of unrequited love.
- “The More Loving One” As a Representative of Unrequited Love: The poem explores the speaker’s thoughts about the love that fails to reach its expected end. It begins as he compares his beloved with stars and explains how she is least bothered about his infinite love. To her, the speaker’s feelings have no value, but for him, she seems really important that even her denial cannot stop him from loving her. Despite knowing he will never get equal affection, he loves her unconditionally. He knows that his love will not bring any change on the other side, yet he misses his stars all day. However, the last stanza shifts the narrative; the speaker realizes that his feelings will change with time. Thus, he accepts the dismal situation, but this acceptance takes time.
- Major Themes in “The More Loving. One”: Unrequited love, desires, and reality are the major themes of the poem. The poem centers on the speaker. It details how a person feels when he fails to win the heart of his lady. Throughout the poem, he narrates that he is the only one giving his blood and sweat to his love. While on the other hand, there is no response. Despite knowing that his efforts will bear no fruits, he never stops chasing his dreams. Yet, after realizing the transience of the world, he accepts that his fate will never change. Instead, he needs to change his outlook; he must understand that things will never run according to his will.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “The More Loving One”
literary devices help writers make their poetic output stylish, unique, and meaningful. The analysis of the devices used in this beautiful poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ and /o/ in “How should we like it were stars to burn” and again the sound of /e/ in “We have to dread from man or beast.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound /th/ in “Though this might take.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “Were all stars to disappear or die” and the sound of /t/ in “But on earth indifference is the least.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example:
“Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. W. H. Auden has used imagery in this poem such as “How should we like it were stars to burn”, “Were all stars to disappear or die,” and “We have to dread from man or beast.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet has used stars as an extended metaphor just to show how one-sided love makes the man stand at a point where he faces disappointments.
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. W. H Auden has posed rhetorical questions in the poem’s second stanza to emphasize his point such as; “With a passion for us we could not return?”
- Symbolism: Symbolism uses symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal ones. The poem shows symbols like love, disappointment, and one-sided joy to show the careless attitude of his beloved.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “The More Loving One”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows simple diction but a serious tone.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem shows the AABB rhyme scheme in all of its four stanzas.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem with each having four lines.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines from the poem “The More Loving One” are useful to quote while talking about the cold response of one’s beloved.
“Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.”
