“As I went out one evening” Analysis “As I went out one evening”, is a striking poem which expresses and exploits some of the restrictions that time imposes on the man. Written in the mid-1930s, “As I Was Out One Evening” is one of WH Auden's earliest works. The work indirectly illustrates the effect of time on man by using different speakers as well as other references that play a varying role over time. The essence of time is represented through Auden's use of form, structure, language, and personification to demonstrate the effect of time. Form is essential to any literary work, and in “As I Walked Out One Evening,” form allows the essential tone to be expressed. be adjusted. The form used by Auden is elegiac, generally associated with the morning. (Fleissner)The sad form clearly indicates that it wishes to stop time. “As I Walked Out” is told in the first person, giving a personal feeling as if the author is speaking directly to the reader. The poem is relayed by unidentified characters who witness the events as they unfold, without being personally involved, which places the poem in the narrative genre. (Fleissner) For form to have its full effect on the poem, structure is essential. The structure influences “As I Was Going Out One Evening” with its use of quatrains. The structure is often called the structure of a literary work. It is a literary ballad written in the form of ABCB quatrains and other elements of a lyric poem. Each stanza has four lines and is a subliminal illustration of the coherence of time. (Fleissner) Auden's use of a masculine end rhyme conforms to standard criteria used in literary ballads. Iambic trimeter is the most commonly used meter but, the meter of different quatrains is both varied and complex...... middle of paper ......stubborn but, it seems that the lovers will share the night together. The times they spend together would be more meaningful if they knew about the lack of time they spend together. The poem ends by noting that "the deep river flowed," suggesting an eternity or a larger story in which the lovers are only a small part. At the same time, we learned that even the river will not disappear one day. Nothing is safe from the influence of time, except the memories we create during life. Time acts as an illusion for many humans. Time should not restrict our actions or feelings. As the countdown of life continues, we must recognize that fulfillment in life lies not in the years lived but in the memories lived. Life is about relationships and the love that comes from them, not years of marriage. Life may be temporary, but memories and love endure forever in eternity..