September 1, 1939

This article is about the W. H. Auden poem. For the date, see 1939 ยง September. For the invasion on that day in history, see Invasion of Poland.

Auden in 1939.
German dictator Adolf Hitler observes German soldiers marching into Poland, September 1939

"September 1, 1939" is a poem by W. H. Auden written shortly after the German invasion of Poland, which would mark the start of World War II. It was first published in The New Republic issue of 18 October 1939, and in book form in Auden's collection Another Time (1940).