Four members of the "Auden group" at Oxford went on to achieve an honored place in English literature: Auden himself, C. Day Lewis, Stephan Spender, and Louis MacNiece. Of these, MacNiece was generally regarded as the junior member, not because of his age but rather because he lacked the artistic certainty and the political commitment of the others. A lyric and reflective poet of distinction, he was always modest about the aims of poetry, doubting that poetry could truly change the world. MacNiece's reputation has risen steadily over the years, and today many consider him second only to Auden among the poets of his generation.
