September 1, 1939

The poem takes place in Auden’s then-home of New York City, which he saw as a land of possibilities. The setting is established in the opening lines: “I sit in one of the dives / On Fifty-second Street” (Lines 1-2). The landscape of the city is referenced throughout the poem, giving the scene a visual framework; however, it also serves as a microcosm of the wider, changing world. The city represents the social authority and power held by certain individuals, and the impact they have on the everyday person. For example, the speaker remarks on the way “blind skyscrapers use / Their full height to proclaim” an image of unity and strength (Line 35-36). However, the city is “blind” to the real struggles taking place on the ground. Later, this idea is reiterated with “the lie of Authority / Whose buildings grope the sky” (Line 82-83). The city is a symbol of power, but a power that has become distant and uncompromising—much like America itself, prior to joining the British and French in the war.

The cityscape is also referenced when the speaker says:

Faces along the bar

Cling to their average day:

The lights must never go out,

The music must always play (Lines 45-48).

This brings the more intimate face of the city to life, suggesting a comfort and solidarity within these smaller settings. However, the patrons “cling” (Line 46) to this fragile reality even as it falls apart around them. Thus, the city becomes a façade of lost promises and ideals.