Wystan Hugh Auden[1] (/ˈwɪstən ˈhjuː ˈɔːdən/;[2] 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973), who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,[3][4] born in England, later an American citizen, and is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.[5] His work is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with moral and political issues, and its variety in tone, form and content.[6][7] The central themes of his poetry are love, politics and citizenship, religion and morals, and the relationship between unique human beings and the anonymous, impersonal world of nature.