The Full Text of “The Capital”
The Full Text of “The Capital”
-
“The Capital” Introduction
-
-
“The Capital” Summary
-
-
“The Capital” Themes
-
The False Promise of the Big City
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-20
-
Rural Vs. Urban Life
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 5-8
- Lines 17-20
-
Wealth, Class, and Inequality
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2
- Lines 13-16
-
-
Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Capital”
-
Lines 1-4
Quarter of pleasures ...
... a malicious village; -
Lines 5-8
You with your ...
... here is apparent. -
Lines 9-10
Yet with orchestras ...
... our infinite powers; -
Lines 10-12
and the innocent ...
... heart's invisible furies. -
Lines 13-16
In unlighted streets ...
... into fortuitous shapes. -
Lines 17-20
But the sky ...
... children you beckon.
-
-
“The Capital” Symbols
-
Light and Darkness
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Line 7: “Far from your lights the outraged punitive father,”
- Line 13: “In unlighted streets you hide away the appalling;”
- Lines 17-18: “But the sky you illumine, your glow is visible far / Into the dark countryside”
-
-
“The Capital” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
-
Apostrophe
Where apostrophe appears in the poem:- Lines 5-8: “You with your charm and your apparatus have abolished / The strictness of winter and the spring's compulsion; / Far from your lights the outraged punitive father, / The dullness of mere obedience here is apparent.”
- Lines 9-10: “Yet with orchestras and glances, O, you betray us / To belief in our infinite powers;”
- Line 13: “In unlighted streets you hide away the appalling;”
- Lines 17-20: “But the sky you illumine, your glow is visible far / Into the dark countryside, the enormous, the frozen, / Where, hinting at the forbidden like a wicked uncle, / Night after night to the farmer's children you beckon.”
-
Simile
Where simile appears in the poem:- Lines 14-15: “Factories where lives are made for a temporary use / Like collars or chairs,”
- Lines 15-16: “rooms where the lonely are battered / Slowly like pebbles into fortuitous shapes.”
- Line 19: “hinting at the forbidden like a wicked uncle,”
-
Metaphor
Where metaphor appears in the poem:- Lines 3-4: “O little restaurant where the lovers eat each other, / Café where exiles have established a malicious village;”
-
Juxtaposition
Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:- Lines 1-4
- Lines 7-8
- Lines 13-16
- Lines 17-20
-
Assonance
Where assonance appears in the poem:- Line 3: “lovers,” “eat each,” “other”
- Line 4: “established,” “malicious village”
- Line 6: “strictness,” “winter,” “spring's”
- Line 8: “mere,” “obedience,” “here”
- Line 15: “lonely”
- Line 16: “Slowly”
- Line 17: “visible,” “far”
- Line 18: “Into,” “dark”
- Line 19: “hinting,” “forbidden,” “wicked”
-
-
“The Capital” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Quarter
- Malicious
- Exiles
- Abolished
- Apparatus
- Compulsion
- Punitive
- Apparent
- Furies
- Appalling
- Fortuitous
- Illumine
-
(Location in poem: Line 1: “Quarter of pleasures”)
-
Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Capital”
-
Form
-
Meter
-
Rhyme Scheme
-
-
“The Capital” Speaker
-
-
“The Capital” Setting
-
-
Literary and Historical Context of “The Capital”
-
-
More “The Capital” Resources
-
External Resources
-
A Brief Biography — Read the Poetry Foundation's short biography of Auden.
-
Auden's Legacy — Visit the W. H. Auden Society's website to take a look at some contemporary Auden scholarship.
-
Auden's Influence — Read a recent appreciation of Auden by journalist Susan McDonald.
-
An Interview with Auden — Read the Paris Review's interview with Auden to get a taste for his wit (and his pronounced opinions on poetry).
-
Portraits of Auden — See some portraits of Auden via the National Portrait Gallery in London.
-
-
LitCharts on Other Poems by W. H. Auden
-
