The correct answer is 1. Louis MacNeice, C. D. Lewis, Stephen Spender because these poets were indeed part of the group known as the "Auden Group" or "Auden Generation."
This group was a loosely connected group of British and Irish poets in the 1930s who were influenced by W. H. Auden's style, themes, and left-leaning political views. The group also included poets like Stephen Spender, Louis MacNeice, and C. Day-Lewis.
Breakdown of the Options:
Louis MacNeice, C. D. Lewis, Stephen Spender: All three poets are contemporaries of Auden and shared similarities in style and viewpoints, particularly in their engagement with political and social issues of their time, aligning them with what is commonly referred to as the "Auden Group."
John Masefield, Edwin Muir, Norman McCaig: These poets are from different generations and do not share the close stylistic and ideological connections with Auden that characterize the Auden Group.
MacDiarmid, G. M. Hopkins, Edwin Muir: Again, these poets are not associated with the Auden Group. Gerard Manley Hopkins, for example, was a Victorian poet and had no direct connection with Auden's generation.
W. H. Davies, Robert Bridges, John Masefield: These poets are from an earlier generation and are not connected with Auden or his contemporaries in terms of style or ideology.
Hence, the correct group of poets who were closely aligned with W. H. Auden, both in terms of time period and literary style, is the first option.
Year-wise PYQs
