September 1, 1939

“Funeral Blues” by W. H. Auden (1938)

Also known as “Stop all the clocks,” this is one of Auden’s most famous and prevailing poems. It brought new audiences to his work after its appearance in the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

“September 2, 1939” by M. Jean Prussing (1939)

Sharing a near-identical title, this poem is another artistic response to the events of the German invasion of Poland in 1939.

“On a Photograph of a German Soldier Dead in Poland” by John Ciardi (1940)

This poem offers another look at the escalating events of World War II, highlighting the humanity within these cataclysmic events.

“The Right Poem for the Wrong Time: WH Auden’s September 1, 1939” by Ian Sansom (2019)

This article uses a contemporary lens to examine the prevailing relevance of Auden’s poem, drawing from the sociohistorical context of the time as well as relevant current events.

“W H Auden’s Journal Entry for 1 September 1939” at the British Library

This excerpt of Auden’s personal journal, covering the period of August to November 1939, details the poet’s new life in America and the political changes happening prior to the attack of September 1.