 The poet 's audience seems to change between halves of the poem . He first addresses , in the first @-@ person plural , an audience of like @-@ minded readers or perhaps humans in general . He is discursive and speaks from a historical perspective , using imperatives such as " mark these rounded slopes " , " hear the springs " , and " examine this region " . At line 44 , his listener becomes a single beloved person , and the tone becomes more private . Auden now refers to himself , specifically , and addresses an intimate as " dear " , with a greater sense of urgency : 
