Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973) was considered the leader of the young, politically conscious British poets of the 1930s. As fascism gained ground in Germany and Italy, this group of poets supported left-wing ideas and tried to bring change to British society. At Oxford University, Auden became friends with other writers who achieved fame, including the playwright Christopher Isherwood and the poet Stephen Spender. After spending a year in Germany, Auden returned to England and began teaching. His early poetry soon made him famous. During the 1930s, Auden also wrote dramas, light verse, and political observations, sometimes working with other writers. In 1939, he moved to the United States, where he spent more than thirty years and won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. He returned to Oxford in 1972. Over time, Auden's style, outlook, and religious beliefs changed, but his social awareness never failed. In the tense Cold War era, he coined the term "Age of Anxiety."