Point of View

“The More Loving One” is written from the first-person point of view of someone observing the stars and thinking about love. This point of view is significant because it allows Auden to emphasize how perspective and perception matters within romantic love. The narrator has presumably been on both sides of being invested in their romantic interest, whether the more or less loving party. The poem feels open to each reader’s interpretation of love, but the confidence of the speaker is to know that they will be able to love again if their love for the stars does not materialize.

Language and Meaning

Readers can connect with Auden’s language in “The More Loving One” as it is not overly verbose, and the vocabulary is relatively simple. The poem’s short length, open-ended style, and simple narrative arc mirror the speaker's matter-of-fact approach to unrequited...