[Michael F]

Annie,

I remember reading in one of the Auden bios that, while Wystan was openly gay, especially for the times, he was also convinced that homosexuality was a sin, and was something for which he needed forgiveness. I’ve always been perplexed by that stance, because Auden IMO was too smart for it. The only sense I could ever make of it was the comment, by Arendt, IIRC, that Auden had an infatuation with suffering and seemed actively to seek it out. It served as a kind of muse for him. I think this ties into the Manichaeism you mention. And his relationship with Chester was the occasion for much suffering – though it was also the occasion for happiness and joy.