If I Could Tell You Auden Analysis

Over the past centuries, poetry has been one of the most influential forms of literature. It has been used to tell stories, convey emotions, and add rhythm to a story. One aspect that makes poetry unique is that it’s very diverse because there are many ways to write a poem. One of the least known forms of poetry are villanelles. Originally developed by French courtiers during the Middle ages, villanelles are poems that include two lines that repeat and six rhymed stanzas in order to show a deeper message, usually of returning (which is why the lines repeat). Written in 1945, “If I Could Tell You,” by W.H Auden is a poem that uses the villanelle form. Just like most other writers, Auden writes this poem in villanelle form in order to reveal a deeper message that adds to the overall meaning of the poem. The strict rhyme, meter, metaphor, and repetition of, “If I Could Tell You” blend …show more content…
In the poem, the lines “Time will say nothing but I told you so” (line 1) and “If I could tell you I would let you know” (line 3) are the two lines that are repeated throughout the poem. Breaking these lines down, the line “If I could tell you I would let you know” reveals that the author lost someone. Clearly, he wants to tell them something but there’s a force that won't allow it. The line “Time will say nothing but I told you so” reveals that this “force” is actually time. Time is the reason why Auden is currently suffering because it didn’t allow him to say what he wanted to say his dead friend. What this reveals is that no one can control Time. Auden didn’t realize the importance of Time until his friend died. He eventually learns that Time isn’t something that should be ignored like he used to do, but rather something that has to be respected because Time can take whatever it wants from anyone and nothing can stop