The Orators

The Orators: An English Study is a long poem in prose and verse written by W. H. Auden, first published in 1932.

It is regarded as a major contribution to modernist poetry in English.

The Orators is divided into three main sections, framed by "Prologue" and "Epilogue" (each a short poem).

Part I is "The Initiates" and comprises four speeches in dramatic prose.

For a third edition in 1966 he added a brief foreword, omitted one of the Odes, and made minor cuts and changes throughout the book.