Victor

"Victor"

(W.H Auden)

In 20th century the English poet W H Auden published The Oxford Book of Light Verse. It is widely read today and remains a classic of its kind. The book is full of folksy ballads and familiar verse, much of it taken from the oral rather than the written tradition.

Auden considered that common verse forms were capable of carrying profound meaning, and adopted them frequently in his own work. Although he could never be considered a popularist, his poetry is generally characterised by the inclusion of everyday verbal formulae and the vocabulary of ordinary speech in contrast to the modernism and intellectualism of Pound or Eliot. He made steps towards the position of Brecht without ever actually politicising his writing in a self-conscious way. During 1937, he had collected much of the material that was to comprise the Oxford Book of Light Verse, and it was the same year that he published "Victor" in New Writing. "Victor" is one of three ballads that concern ‘case histories' of psychological types. As well as victor is full of historical as well as biblical references so The poem victor can be interpreted in many dimensions, there are many biblical illusions, symbols, images as well as variety of stylistic devices are used which increases the complexity of the poem and makes it interesting for the reader

In the very start of the poem where victor's father is shown as holding victor on his lap and teaching him or preaching him that he should strictly follow bibal and hold on to the family values. So we can get the idea from the very start of the poem that victor himself does not have any freedom of choice or use of intellect. He has to do as he is told and how his perception is build up in the light of his father's