Son of a doctor, brother of a geologist, winner of a scholarship to study natural science at Oxford (though he graduated with a degree in English), WH Auden had more than ‘just’ a poet’s interest in science.
In his poem After Reading a Child's Guide to Modern Physics Auden contrasts science (=physics) with the experience of being human, and asks why we want to know & if we may ignore, to not know the science, especially when it tells us about life, or the universe, on such a non-human scale.
His phrase ‘politicizing Nature’ has nothing at all to do with tricks with data published in support of the anthropogenic climate change hypothesis, but recent events have given those such as Andrew Watson, Royal Society Research Professor at the University of East Anglia, an abrupt lesson in how ‘media savvy’ opponents may behave when challenging the political claims of scientists.
from After Reading a Child's Guide to Modern Physics
The complete poem may be read at BBC - Arts - Poetry: Out Loud, where you can also hear Auden in a recording from 1965
In his poem After Reading a Child's Guide to Modern Physics Auden contrasts science (=physics) with the experience of being human, and asks why we want to know & if we may ignore, to not know the science, especially when it tells us about life, or the universe, on such a non-human scale.
His phrase ‘politicizing Nature’ has nothing at all to do with tricks with data published in support of the anthropogenic climate change hypothesis, but recent events have given those such as Andrew Watson, Royal Society Research Professor at the University of East Anglia, an abrupt lesson in how ‘media savvy’ opponents may behave when challenging the political claims of scientists.
from After Reading a Child's Guide to Modern Physics
And whether our concern
For … politicizing Nature
Be altogether wise,
Is something we shall learn.
WH Auden
WH Auden
The complete poem may be read at BBC - Arts - Poetry: Out Loud, where you can also hear Auden in a recording from 1965
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