The subject of the poem is that all inclusive lack of care to human enduring causes disaster and agony. Auden endeavors to feature the results of such brutal conduct through the symbolism of his ballad. Written in an honest, basic style, Auden's sonnet is a great deal more open than a large portion of the other significant ballads of the present day time frame. Limit and direct, this style highlights the aloofness of mankind all the more.
