If I Could Tell You

“If I Could Tell You” is a famous lyric poem by W. H. Auden, written in 1940. The poem uses simple language and refrains typical of the villanelle lyric form to meditate upon mankind’s endless search for love and meaning in spite of the relentless march of time. Above all, it is a wistful reflection on the impossibility of truly understanding and knowing the world and its purpose. “If I Could Tell You” reflects many of Auden’s characteristic strengths as a poet: his elegant and arresting language, his interest in intricate poetic forms and meters, and his willingness to grapple with some of the big-picture issues that confronted his readers in the 20th century and beyond.

Poet Biography

Wystan Hugh Auden—more commonly known as W. H. Auden—was born on February 21, 1907 in Yorkshire, England. Auden was raised in an affluent family: his father was a doctor, and his mother was a trained nurse. Auden received an excellent education growing up and later enrolled at Oxford University in the 1920s to study biology. While at university, he soon realized that his interests were more literary than scientific, switching his degree major from biology to English as a result.