What do these final lines of Auden's "September 1, 1939" mean? May I, composed like them Of Eros and of dust, Beleaguered by the same Negation and despair, Show an affirming flame. A. The speaker hopes that his own contribution to the war effort will help in the cause, despite his and others' doubts. B. The speaker is concerned that his despair about world events will help the antiwar efforts, which he is not sure he supports. C. The speaker is mildly optimistic that his role in articulating the problems of the world might somehow lessen them.