Unrhymed, unrhythmical, the chatter goes: Yet no one hears his own remarks as prose. Beneath each topic tunelessly discussed The ground-bass is reciprocal mistrust. The names in fashion shuttling to and fro Yield, when deciphered, messages of woe. You cannot read me like an open book. I'm more myself than you will ever look. Will no one listen to my little song? Perhaps I shan't be with you very long. A howl for recognition, shrill with fear, Shakes the jam-packed apartment, but each ear Is listening to its hearing, so none hear.
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Authorship:
- by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973), "At the party" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Kees Schoonenbeek , "At the party", 1991, from Eight English poems, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-18
Line count: 13
Word count: 92