With all the evil acts that Auden saw first-hand, the news of a new global conflict could have caused him to enter an emotional state of grief and inspire him to document your feelings. Furthermore, it highlights the reasons why war broke out in the past, alluding to historical figures. Auden explains, “A careful study can bring to light Luther's entire offense thus far” and “It has driven a whole culture mad, find out what happened in Linz” (lines 12-16). Differences in cultural and religious viewpoints always find a way to provoke war, so Auden uses this allusion to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation to explain why Germany invaded Poland. As HW Auden continues to describe current events, he stops to ask a rhetorical question and directs it to the person most responsible for the initiation. of this great second conflict. He states "What an immense imago a psychopathic god has made" and "I and the audience know that those to whom evil is done do evil in return" (lines 17-22) as Auden reflects on the likely circumstances which provoked. Hitler comes to power. He also states that he and the public know, for common knowledge, that this event will bring about a cloud of wickedness and evil acts.