El arte de leer

Very few poets of the 20th century managed to reach the level of extreme demand and popular acceptance that W. H. Auden achieved, a success that is undoubtedly explained by his virtuosity, by his mastery of language and technique, by his unmistakable phrasing, but also by the intelligence and reflective quality of his poems; in short, for his critical talent. This volume includes a comprehensive anthology of the best literary essays that Auden wrote while he was composing the bulk of his mature poetic work, between the 1940s and early 1970s. At all times, whether talking about a contemporary like Marianne Moore, a master like Paul Valéry, a classic like Shakespeare or the legacy of Greek civilization, the poet demonstrates an illuminating insight as a reader, never taking anything for granted, challenging academic and historical topics, with a great sense of humor and an infectious interpretative freedom.