Poetry does not belong to the sphere of polemics and ideologies, but stimulates the intangible. Inherently subversive, poetry is an artistic abstraction so multivalent in nature and paradoxical in language, that it invites individuals to draw meaning from poetry independently and extend the world around them more broadly. In this way poetry gives rise to critical thinking and its ability to alchemize enraptures individuals in beauty. Auden emphasized that poetry need not be political and that, alternatively, “poetry makes nothing happen”; he emphasized this not as a criticism, but as a defense against the ideological pressures of the 1930s.” This ambiguous ideology emanates from political orthodoxies (capitalist and communist) that require poetry to remain subservient to politics in supporting their thesis in asserting a utilitarian moral right. Auden recognized the hermetic uselessness of poetry revealed by its lack of specificity in form and language relative to the contextual context of his time. Ultimately, in Auden's poems “In Memory of Yeats” and “Shield of Achilles,” Auden emphasizes the vitality of critical thought and the seductive beauty that poetry creates in causing nothing tangible to happen. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The multivalent and versatile nature of poetry invites individuals to derive meaning and purpose for themselves, promoting critical thinking and encouraging political discovery over political dogma. Auden's statement represented an essential rebuke to the ideologically imposed culture that stifled society. Auden pushes people to think critically regardless of political dogma and oppression, especially due to Marxism, cultural hegemony, and totalitarianism that ravaged the society of the 1930s. Auden lamented the way language was bastardized and abused by political hegemonies and, therefore, the lack of specificity of Auden's language did not offer political commentary that implores individuals to discern their own ideals. Auden's poem “The Shield of Achilles” highlights the vitality of critical thinking revealed through paradoxical and equivocal language. When Auden writes of humanity as an “unintelligible multitude,” he suggests that humanity's uniformity and lack of individualism is attributed to humanity's inability to think critically in opposition to the ethereal and oppressive “faceless voices ”. This is further reinforced when Auden writes that the “incomprehensible multitude endures belief” due to the lack of “discussion” and “applause,” revealing that humanity neither questions nor celebrates the oppressive beliefs imposed upon them and that of consequently they lead her to patient suffering. . The lack of critical thinking is further accentuated as the primary cause of speech and suffering in the world when Auden writes “they died as men before their bodies died” illustrating that their lack of thinking condemned them to death before they died. Likewise, Auden mirrors his call for critical thinking in his poem “In memory of Yeats” when he writes “Ireland has its madness and its calm climate.” This highlights the inability of political poetry to make anything happen, as Auden illustrates how Yeats's political poetry produced nothing. Ultimately, Auden's use of ambiguous language explores the importance of critical thinking in its contextual context, countering the proliferation of political manifestos. The freedom and elegance of poetry act as a personal repair, functioning as a counterweight to.