Woods by W. H. Auden: An Optical Poem, 2025, From the Vaults

The trees encountered on a country stroll, Reveal a lot about a countrys soul. On February 23, 1956, W. H. Auden delivered a poetry reading at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here, the esteemed BritishAmerican poet recites Woods, his ode to sylvan nature and plea for conservation in an era of rapid deforestation. This optical poem illustrates Audens recitation with artworks from The Mets collection juxtaposed with footage of wildlife in Kingston, New York. The event, originally recorded on reeltoreel audio tape, was digitized in 2020. Other poets invited to read at The Met included Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot, and E. E. Cummings. Read the poem here: Subscribe for new content from The Met: , TheMet, Art, TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt, Museum 2025 The Metropolitan Museum of Art