Childhood W. H. Auden

auden s birthplace in york

auden born in york, england, george augustus auden (1872–1957), physician, , constance rosalie auden (née bicknell; 1869–1941), had trained (but never served) missionary nurse. third of 3 sons; eldest, george bernard auden (1900–1978), became farmer, while second, john bicknell auden (1903–1991), became geologist.

auden, grandfathers both church of england clergymen, grew in anglo-catholic household followed high form of anglicanism doctrine , ritual resembling of roman catholicism. traced love of music , language partly church services of childhood. believed of icelandic descent, , lifelong fascination icelandic legends , old norse sagas evident in work.

in 1908 family moved homer road, solihull, near birmingham, father had been appointed school medical officer , lecturer (later professor) of public health. auden s lifelong psychoanalytic interests began in father s library. age of 8 attended boarding schools, returning home holidays. visits pennine landscape , declining lead-mining industry figure in many of poems; remote decaying mining village of rookhope him sacred landscape , evoked in late poem, amor loci . until fifteen expected become mining engineer, passion words had begun. wrote later: words excite me pornographic story, example, excites me sexually more living person can do.