Auden's honorary degree (1964)

"There is nothing I should like better than to stay with you when I am in Swarthmore and hear all the gossip."*

Auden's affiliation with Swarthmore continued beyond his years of teaching. He returned to campus in 1950 to deliver a lecture on "Nature, History and Poetry," and again in 1964, the college's centennial year, to receive an honorary degree. His final visit to the campus was in 1971, when he gave a lecture and poetry reading and joined visiting professor Brendan Kennelly's class for a candid, informal discussion of his poetry and opinions.

auden at 1964 commencement
Auden, second from left, at commencement in 1964. This photograph appeared in the 1964 Halcyon.

*From a letter to Fritz Klees of the Swarthmore English department (May 25, 1964): "There is nothing I should like better than to stay with you when I am in Swarthmore and hear all the gossip."

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