Stylistic Analysis of the Poem “The More Loving One” by

W.H. Auden
Jascha Mae B. Hernandez
Bachelor of Secondary Education - Major in English
Introduction to Stylistics
Supervisor: Mrs. Amabella Gamara
University of Batangas, Hilltop Rd., Batangas City, Philippines

Abstract
The constraints on language use may be only temporary features of our spoken or written
language, but this relates and defines the features of Stylistics. Interestingly, since a writing style
can result from an author’s appropriate range of language, the choice of content of a preferred
message he ought to clutter in his work is, by his own means, is a message he can execute in a
work effectively one his own. However, one cannot assume exactly by his understanding of what
the author is trying to imply in his work. Thus, stylistic analysis is a venue for this understanding
to be best acquired.
The purpose of this study is to explore the depth of both literal and hidden meanings of the poem
and to enhance the understanding of it by identifying the factors that contribute to the form of the
poem. Stylistic devices such as antithesis, metaphor, alliteration, etc., will be discussed in this
research. However, this does not solely focus on the structure of texts but also in favor of
exploiting theory in its contextual depth, since stylistics is interested in what writers do with and
also through language.
Thus, this paper aims to analyze the text of a poem, in this matter, “The more loving one” by
W.H. Auden, on four different levels of stylistics: Graphological, Phonological, Morphological
and Thematic level. This researcher is also going to use a theory from Erich Fromm to base and
deepen Auden’s feelings about the poem in a more scientific level.
Keywords: Auden, Thematic level, Graphological level, and Stylistics Devices.
1.0 Introduction
For a man to express himself and to communicate his thoughts with his fellow beings, language
is the distinctive quality of man and through this me can interact what he feels and what he
experiences freely. As stated by Fromkin et al (2007) “…language is the source of human life
and power”. They suggests that, we use language to convey information to others…,ask
questions…,give command…,and express wishes. There are two specific types of medium in
using language: oral, which is by words of mouth; and writer—which is a graphic representation
of words on paper.
To illustrate the literary texts in the poem in the English language as a context, this paper adopts
a methodological approach in a practical stylistics approach. This is defined as a process of
literary text analysis which starts from a basic assumption that the primary interpretative
procedures used in the reading of literary text are linguistic procedures by Carter (1995). In
addition, this methodological approach focuses on learning about the workings, development,
and the language itself to work systematically in interpreting the literary texts. Thus, practical
stylistics suggests that is a suitable introductory mode of analysis. Moreover, practical criticism
in this methodology also practice of making use of language as a ‘way in’ to the meaning of
texts, which is the basic practice of stylistics (Widdowson, 1975).
Style is the function of the textual features of literature and also the discipline of stylistics. The
effect created by the linguistic structures used by the writer and sensed by the reader, that of
which the style of the writer himself. Furthermore, this style will yield interesting facts about the
writer and through the analysis of its formal features of the text, linguistic then helps to analyze
stylistic approach. One needs to have a description of the system itself to understand what a
writer is doing with language and by reference of an individual’s use of language. Thus,
linguistics provides stylistics with the theoretical framework and analytical tools it needs for
studying a writer’s style.
Wystan Hugh Auden’s poem “The more loving one” is well known as one of the most touching
yet heartbreaking poems in his time. Although much of his poetry was reflected and influenced
from the is political conflicts he encountered in various areas of the world that he traveled—
which later, lead him to further reflect his poetry on religious spiritual elements and his depiction
of feelings towards romance as well. Thus, if looked at very closely at the words in the poem, we
will better understand the themes of love, religion, human relationship, and nature depicted
throughout the piece. As an English poet, playwright, critic, and librettist, Wystan Hugh (W.H.)
Auden exerted a major influence on the poetry of the 20th century. He grew up in Birmingham,
English and was known for his extraordinary intellect and wit. The More Loving One is a poem
he wrote where an extended metaphor is used to depict the feelings of the speaker, who is the
victim of unrequited love.
Objectives
1. To study the poem at a Graphlogical level.
2. To examine the poem at Phonological level.
3. To investigate the poem at Morphological level.
4. To explore the Thematic of the poem.

2.0 Methodology
The research design used in this study is practical stylistic methodology approach. Practical
stylistics involves close reading of the verbal texture of texts. It derives from practical criticism
and from making use and practicing language as a ‘way in’ to the meaning of texts. The simplest
assumption is that since literature is made from and with language, and that it is the medium of
literature, then this secures the foundation for its interpretation.
There are two analysis used in this study: (1) stylistic analysis and (2) thematic analysis. A
normal part of literary studies and is practiced as a part of understand the possible meanings of
text is stylistic analysis. It also generally assumes that the process of analyzing will reveal good
qualities of the writing. However, it is important to recognize that the concept of style is much
broader that just ‘good style’ of literary text. Thematic analysis, on the other hand, this approach
is rather flecible in that there is no specific research design associated with its analysis. It can be
utilized for case studies, phenomenology, generic qualitative, and narrative inquiry to name a
few.
3.0 Related Literature
The Notion of Style
The artful expression of idea and stylistics is the style used or developed by the author—it is the
bridge that links both the style and the analysis of literary texts so as to be used as a tool for
linguistics. In other words, style is defined as a manner of writing, speaking or doing; or diction
according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). While Goethe defines style as a higher,
active principle of what the writer composes, penetrates, and reveals the deepest form of his
subject. As we know, however, style has been variously defined by the writer’s perspective in his
own personality, the reader’s impressions, the individual text itself, and the features of collective
genres. A study of style should always begin with background knowledge of stylistics’ major
notion of style in terms of literacy criticism and linguistics.
Strengths and Limitations of Stylistics
Since stylistics is one of the important tools in examining and analyzing literary texts, this also
requires interesting branch of linguistics that studies different styles of language. Thus, some
advantages and disadvantages arise in this study (Ramtirthe, 2013).
The strengths of stylistics are as follows:
1. Students will develop an advanced level and will be made aware of the social aspect of
language and language variation.
2. Helps students develop their analytical skills, spoken or written, to come at a point where
understanding meets language point of view.
3. To understand the use of figurative language and its effect on literary text that will take
into account of its functional significance.
4. Students will benefit from this study with regards to the rhyme, sound patterns, language
variation, dialects, and registers.
5. They will also become aware of the language levels, the kind of ambiguities used in the
literary texts.
The limitations of stylistics are the following:
1. Strictly limited to phonological, morphological and syntactic relations of words and
expressions, thus, cannot go beyond and study the meaning further.
2. Does not require into account the social of cultural meaning of words and expressions.
3. The context does not form the study of stylistics.
4. This kind of study is limited to the structures of language.

LEVEL OF STYLISTIC DEVICES AND ANALYSIS

 4.1 Graphlogical Level
Graphology is a linguistic level that deals with the study of the graphics aspect of the language
and its writing system. The poem, for this matter, has a division of stanzas in quatrain form. It is
written as a whole or lyrical. There is a usual capitalization as in proper nouns and every first
letter of every line. The use of punctuation in the poem can be also seen: period, comma, and
question marks.
4.2 Rhyme Scheme and Type of Rhyme
The rhyme scheme of the poem is simply aabb, and this continues throughout the poem. The
poem is set to iambic feet variable syllables—this also varies from three to four. The stanza form
and rhyme leads to a reflective poem and epigrammatic orderliness, however, the orderliness gets
broken by the syllabic number that produces the effect of a speaking voice—enouncing various
kinds of speech acts to drive the listener to a certain attitude to develop.
The type of rhyme used in the poem is end rhyme. Shown below is a table of the words that
rhyme along with the rhyme scheme used in the poem.

Stanza 1 Stanza 3
Well a Am 4.3 a Frequent use of
Hell a Damn a particular words
Least b Say b
Auden Beast b Day b associates the
word Stanza 2 Stanza 4 “stars” as people
or Burn a Die a lovers. It appears
in line 1 as he introduces
Return a Sky a
an imagery and
Be b Sublime b metaphor. It then
Me b Time b appears on line 5
stating an idea if it were to burn—scientifically speaking, the act of stars exploding or dying—
this is known as supernova. The next it appeared in on the line 10, personifying it how it does not
give a damn. Finally, it appears last on line 11, which refers to the same idea on line 5.

5.0 Phonological Level

Phonology is a branch of linguistics that is concerned with the system of sounds. It organizes the
material and vocal noises arranged into sound pattern that enables the communicative functions
of the language to be fulfilled. Furthermore, in the formal study of a language organization, it is
referred to as phonology that of which studies two types of devices: sound devices and literary
devices.
5.1 Antithesis
Antithesis literally means “opposite,” this is a rhetorical device in stylistics in which two
opposite ideas are put together in a sentence therefore achieving a contrasting effect. An example
of a line in the poem is in line 2:
 That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
5.2 Metaphor
This is a common figure of speech which makes a comparison by relating one thing to another
thing, however unrelated. Metaphors do not use “like” or “as” the way similes do to make
comparisons. The word itself came from Latin which means, “To carry across,” and the metaphor
does live to its Latin meaning—it carries a shared quality or characteristics across two distinct
things. An example of a metaphor in the poem is an extended one to depict his feelings, a victim
of unrequited love: stars. The author had recognized that the stars do not give a damn (line 10),
however this does not stop him from admiring them. In addition, he also knows that if the stars
were to disappear, he would be able to get over his feelings for them after some time (line 5 &
6).
5.3 Sound Devices
To further make a poetry a special form of art, a resource called sound devices or musical
devices is used and interjected throughout the piece in the way the poet desires. Thus, this then
produces auditory imagery for their readers which include alliteration, assonance, consonance,
rhyme, onomatopoeia, repetition cacophony, and many more.
Sound devices which are used in “The more loving one” are as follows:

Alliteration Consonance Assonance Repetition

Disapper, die Well, hell Well, hell /aɪ/
Least, beast Least, beast Day, Sky, Sublime,
Burn, return Burn, return Might, Time
Say, day Be, me
Sublime, time Am, damn
Say, day
Die, sky
Sublime, time

5.4 Consonant Cluster

Language is a wide variety of means to communicate and it makes up different words that we
can never grasp. However, in the English language, consonant cluster is an analysis that will
further give the reader knowledge of how these words would sound like when they are
pronounced. Consonant cluster refers to two or more sequence of consonant. This may occur at
the beginning of the word (initial cluster), within a word (medial cluster) or at the end of a word
(final cluster). These types of consonant clusters which are frequently used in the poem “The
more loving one” are as follows:
Initial consonant clusters Medial consonant clusters Final consonant clusters
Stars Earth Looking
That Indifference Stars
They Passion Well
The Affection Hell
Dread Cannot Least
From Terribly Beast
Should Disappear Should
Sky Empty Burn
Though Sublime Return
This Might Loving
Little Damn
Terribly
All

5.0 Morphological Level

Morphology is known as the study of word formation and its structure. It involves “word
derivation” in which words form from, “word inflections” in which grammatical category of a
word changes within syntactic category of the word and details about smallest unit morpheme.
Free morphemes are words that can stand alone with a specific meaning, e.g strong, eat, drink.
While bound morphemes, on the other hand, are words that cannot stand alone with meaning.
Hence, these are the two types of morphemes: free and bound morphemes. Moreover, it is also
comprised of two separate classes called (a) bases/roots and (b) affixes.
A “base” or “root” is a morpheme in a word that gives it its principle meaning e.g. love in the
word lovely is a “free base” morpheme. Bound base, in contrast with the free base, it is the
morpheme –able in the word disable.
Various morphemes used in the given poem are listed below:

Free Bound Root Prefix Suffix

Up Indifference Difference Indifference Looking
I Disappear Passion Return Indifference
Know Return Affection Disappear Affection
Quite Equal Loving
Well Love Admirer
That Admire Terribly
For Terrible Missed
All Appear
They Empty
Care Sublime
Looking Look
Go Turn
Hell Missed
But
On
Earth
Is
Least
We
Have
Dread
From
Man
Or
Beast
How
Should
Like
It
Were
Stars
Do
Not
Give
A
Damn
Now
See
Them
Say
Missed
One
Day
Die
Should
Learn
Look
Sky
And
Feel
Its
Dark
Though
This
Might
Take
Me
Time
 6.0 Lexical Level
This level of semantic primarily in line with phonetic level, it deals with the grammatical
comprehension as well as the messages that are transmitted to this level. On grounds of this level
include: intonation, timbre, volume, and rhythm in oral.
6.1 Classes of words
Classes of words or most commonly known as the parts of speech, these are category of words or
lexical items which have similar grammatical properties. Words of which show similar behavior
of words in terms of its syntax, playing similar roles within the grammatical sentence structures
—and at times, can be found in terms of morphology, how they undergo inflectional properties.
To further clarify the meanings of each part of speech, here is a list of their meanings:
1. Nouns are the names of people, places, things or ideas and also the simplest among the
classes of words.
2. Pronoun functions as a replacement for noun.
3. Verb is the most important class of word, for without it, a sentence would not exist. In a
simpler thought, this is a word that shows an action, physically or mentally, a state of
being of the subject in the sentence.
4. Adverb is just like adjectives, they are used to also describe words, the difference
however is that this describes adjectives, verbs or another adverb.
5. Adjective describes a noun or pronoun: to specify size, quality, and the number or nouns
or pronouns.
6. Preposition refers to words that specify a specific place or location in time.
7. Conjunction simply joins words, phrases, or clauses together.
8. Articles is a kind of adjective that uses and gives information about a noun.
9. Interjection refers to words which express emotion. This is used when conveying strong
emotions, usually followed by an exclamation point.
Below is a table showing the classes of words from the poem:

Noun Pronou Verb Adverb Adjective Preposition Conjunctio Article interjectio

n n s n
looking I Looking Quite Passion At or The
Stars Me Know Well Affection To and A
Hell We Care Least Loving On As An
Earth Them Go Equal Empty From if
Man Us Is Terribly Dark For
Beast Its Have Total That With
Admirer Dread Though This
One Should Little Up
Time Burn More Now
Damn Could All Total
Indifferenc Return How
e
Let Least
 Do Not
Give Little
Cannot but
See
Say
Missed
Were
Disappear
Die
Learn
Sublime
Might
Take
Feel
Be
Think
Am
Look
This
7.0 Thematic Level
In the study of contemporary literature, a theme is a text that indulges on the central topic. The
theme can be divided into two categories: the thematic concept and thematic statement. The
thematic concept is what the reader “think the work id about” and its thematic statement being
that “what the work says about the subject”.
This study is about ballad or a short narrative poem in quatrain form, of W.H. Auden “The More
Loving One”. He is famous for writing poems from the burning questions during his time. In the
poem, the intention of the poet may initially appear a bit cliché in the first line:
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well (line 1)
Since the word “stars” is used here as an extended metaphor, we can associate how this is used to
romanticize or describe feelings of a mystery, for example, a piece from the Renaissance Period
on Sonnet 14 by William Shakespeare, the poem takes astrology as its trope, and begin with the
line “not from the stars do I my judgment pluck”. In here, Shakespeare associates the stars with
the Fair Youth’s eyes. Another poem we can refer to is Sylvia Plath’s “Stars Over the Dordogne”,
this so begins where Plath’s speaker sits and watches the stars dropping into the landscape,
prompting her to consider the universe, eternity, and other seemingly boundless things. However,
the way Auden followed the first line—shifting from a sappy tone to a blunt phrase gives off a
stronger feeling that it does not stop him from admiring them.
That, for all they care, I can go to hell, (line 2)
It is as if Auden was affirming that there are far many other things that we ought to fear more.
And because of this, by saying that he can go to hell, he suggests how he does not really care
about what others think about him. He has something else to be sad or to be afraid of, thus, in a
simpler phrase, he is not afraid of death. The intention of the poet in the first two lines can be
understood by quoting from a fiction novel by Dan Millan, Way of the Peaceful Warrior "Death
is not sad; the sad thing is that most people don't really live at all." (4.411)
Mortality is a fact of life, therefore, a sense of searching for purpose drives us to make an effort
with the way we live. Furthermore, the idea of death comes in mind once in a while whereas
living while also having a feeling of dying can be true so sometimes. Consider the epic poem of
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, where there appeared two hideous
characters in The Ghost Ship’s crew: Death and Life-in-Death. They played dice for the ship’s
crew (their soul), and Death wins all of them except the Mariner. Life-in-Death claimed the
Mariner, thus, he is condemned to the eternal wanderings: his fate is decided by a vehicle of
random chance. The Mariner finds himself in a world without Providence which then is
exemplified by the failure of the winds which are not simply forces of nature but part of the
divine plan to sustain life on Earth. Furthermore, before the Mariner is allowed to leave the ship,
the Mariner must first learn that life, in all forms, is sacred.
Moreover, Auden finishes the stanza in lines three and four:
but on earth indifference is the least, (line 3)
we have to dread from man or beast. (line 4)
Here, Auden is perhaps insinuating that he would rather feel indifference directed to him instead
of the contrary, which could be hatred or love that he cannot give to someone or to the world.
He then continues to open the second stanza with a question:
How should we like it were stars to burn (line 5)
with a passion, we could not return? (line 6)

In these lines, Auden seems to be asking which would be better: to not be loved in return or to be
the one who does not reciprocate the love of one’s suitor? Through these, one would rather want
to be loved than be the one who is not loved at all. In fact, this is true so in the natural way of
human nature. According to the theory of love, when the child grows and develops, he also
begins to perceive things that enable him to give them names.
“At the time he learns to handle them; learns that fire is hot and painful, that mother’s body is
warm and pleasurable, that wood is hard and heavy…He learns how to handle people. All these
experiences become crystallized and integrated into the experience: I am loved”.
However, as the child grows into an adult, he slowly comes to understand the sense of self—
which then makes him to unconsciously separate himself to the one who loved him
unconditionally, his mother. And once he has this sense of self, he is now aware that he can also
give love to someone else—even to the extent to rather value the importance other people’s
feelings instead of his. This can be dispersed through lines 7 and 8:
if equal affection cannot be, (line 7)
let the more loving one be me. (line 8)

Therefore, he would rather give love to that person because it is better to suffer in deprivation
than to experience joy. Because in the mere act of giving love there engulfs the expression of his
aliveness. Thus, giving is the highest expression of strength—that when one experiences this
strength, he also experience wealth and power. Furthermore, this experience of strength then fills
him with joy. In the most general way, the active character of love can be described by stating
that love is primarily giving, not receiving.

“Love is an activity, not a passive effect; it is a ‘standing in’ not a ‘falling for.”
Thus, Spinoza further states in the art of loving that: love is a practice of human power—an
action which can be practiced only in freedom and never as the result of a compulsion.
However, in the third stanza, the tone shift slightly—from admiring the mystery of stars, we are
given again imagery still followed by a blunt phrase with a foul world this time, ‘damn’, a curse
with a bitter yet minimalistic tone.
Admirer as I think I am (line 9)
Of stars that do not give a damn, (line 10)

Love is not a fleeting feeling—it is art, just as living itself is an art; if we want to learn how to
love, we must proceed in a way how art is acquired, too. We must proceed in molding art just as
how we put ourselves in the state of learning any other art, like music, painting, carpentry or art
of medicine or engineering. The theory of art further discusses that there are necessary steps in
learning any art: (1) the mastery of theory; (2) mastery of practice.

“If I want to learn the art of medicine, I must first know the facts about the human body, and
about various diseases. When I have all this theoretical knowledge, I am by no means
competent in the art of medicine. I shall become a master in this art only after a great deal of
practice until eventually the results of my theoretical knowledge and the results of my practice
are blended into one—my intuition, the essence of the mastery of any art.”
In addition, there is a third factor necessary to becoming a master in any art—the mastery of the
art must be a matter of ultimate concern; there must be nothing else in the world more important
than the art.
The following lines (lines 11 & 12) Auden acknowledges that what he currently feels for his
lover is not something that will always stay as how he first felt it. He does not feel so strongly
that he will be unable to live without them, and he even admits that when he sees them, he does
not feel as though he has missed them while they have been away.
I cannot, now I see them, say (line 11)
I missed one terribly all day. (line 12)

Afterward, Auden concludes his start/love extended metaphor in the fourth final stanza with one
final rationalization and a little seeming desperation that his unrequited love is not important to
him. Auden admits that if his lover, again represented as stars, were to go away or die, he would
learn to not only get over that person but also to feel their absence as ‘sublime’. However, Auden
recognizes that getting over someone he loves would not happen overnight. Instead, it would
take some time to get over the receiver of his love.

Were all stars to disappear or die, (line 13)

 I should learn to look at an empty sky (line 14)
And feel its total dark sublime, (line 15)
Though this might take me a little time. (line 16)

8.0 Findings
Auden had an influence of Anglican Christianity; this filled him with creative possibilities of
searching for new themes and forms to express them profoundly. He also dealt the problematic
nature of his homosexuality, which he kept private and under guard—he expressed them towards
public issues of politics, morality and ethics. Later, as this poem exemplifies, his faith helped
him to develop agape, the highest form of Christian love which involves: compassion and
selfless love for others despite their indifference to him.

9.0 Concluding Remarks

From the thematic and stylistic analysis, it can be concluded that Auden’s point of view toward
relationships and love for humanity is measured on the proximity of emotion and the basis of
reciprocity of affection. Thus, a contrast between the distance of the stars from the speaker and
their indifference is brought forth—whilst notwithstanding his nearness to humans and the
cruelty and violence that they are capable of.
10.0 References

Ajaya Kamar Punda (2013) Style as Meaning: A Stylistic Analysis of W.H. Auden’s Poems,
Sambalpur University, Doctor of Philosophy in English

Batool S., Khan A., Iqbal, A., Ali, K., & Rafiq R. (2014), Stylistic Analysis of Robert Frost’s
Poem: “The Road Not Taken”, Journal of ELT and Appiled Linguistics. 2 (4), 52-64

Erich Fromm (2006), The Art of Loving, Psychoanalyst and Social Philospher, Harper Collins
Publishers, 16-46

Saima Perveen (2018), Critical Analysis: The More Loving One (Poetry C),
https://www.slideshare.net/Saimasaif/the-more-loving-one-by-w-h-auden

Huma Iqbal, Sadaf Iqbal, & Aqsa Kanwal (2014), Stylistic Analysis of the Poem “O, Where are
you Going” by W.H. Auden, Department of English, University of Lahore

Sarab Kadir (2014), A Stylistic Analysis of “I Have A Dream”, University of Diyala

Appendix

The More Loving One

W. H. Auden, 1907 – 1973
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn

With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.