Before people complain of the obscurity of modern poetry, they should first examine their consciences and ask themselves with how many people and on how many occasions they have genuinely and profoundly shared some experience with another.
W.H. Auden
Obscurity, Poetry, Human Connection, Self-reflection, Depth
W.H. Auden’s Quotes On Topics
Moral Complexity | Cultural Criticism | International Relations | Materialism | Ritual | Colonialism | Societal Expectations | Faith | Societal Values | Prayer | Academic Disciplines | Stereotypes | Honesty | Choice | Planning | Hierarchy | Requirements | Academic Skepticism | Historical Commemoration | Defeat | More
More W.H. Auden Quotes
“Hemingway is terribly limited. His technique is good for short stories, for people who meet once in a bar very late at night, but do not enter into relations. But not for the novel.” W.H. Auden
Literary Criticism, Hemingway, Writing Technique, Relationships, Novel Writing
W.H. Auden Literary Criticism, Hemingway, Writing Technique, Relationships, Novel Writing“Any society is in danger of dismissing the virtue of another society because of its vices, and a democracy is always in danger of not paying enough attention to manners and forms.” W.H. Auden
Society, Virtue, Vice, Democracy, Cultural Criticism
W.H. Auden Society, Virtue, Vice, Democracy, Cultural Criticism“In the end, art is small beer. The really serious things are earning one's living so as not to be a parasite and loving one's neighbor.” W.H. Auden
Art, Priorities, Work Ethic, Love, Social Responsibility
W.H. Auden Art, Priorities, Work Ethic, Love, Social Responsibility“Lovers have lived so long with giants and elves, they won’t believe again in their own size.” W.H. Auden
Romance, Fantasy, Disillusionment, Reality, Self-perception
W.H. Auden Romance, Fantasy, Disillusionment, Reality, Self-perception“The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears.” W.H. Auden
New Year’s Eve, Friendship, Loneliness, Social Gatherings, Human Nature
W.H. Auden New Year’s Eve, Friendship, Loneliness, Social Gatherings, Human Nature“The nightingales are sobbing in The orchards of our mothers, And hearts that we broke long ago Have long been breaking others; Tears are round, the sea is deep: Roll them overboard and sleep.” W.H. Auden
Nostalgia, Heartbreak, Consequences, Nature Imagery, Emotional Release
W.H. Auden Nostalgia, Heartbreak, Consequences, Nature Imagery, Emotional Release“Narcissus does not fall in love with his reflection because it is beautiful, but because it is his. If it were his beauty that enthralled him, he would be set free in a few years by its fading.” W.H. Auden
Narcissism, Self-love, Beauty, Aging, Mythology
W.H. Auden Narcissism, Self-love, Beauty, Aging, Mythology“Money cannot buy the fuel of love but is excellent kindling.” W.H. Auden
Love, Money, Relationships, Metaphor, Materialism
W.H. Auden Love, Money, Relationships, Metaphor, Materialism“I'll love you till the ocean Is folded and hung up to dry And the seven stars go squawking Like geese about the sky.” W.H. Auden
Love, Eternity, Poetic Imagery, Cosmic Metaphor, Devotion
W.H. Auden Love, Eternity, Poetic Imagery, Cosmic Metaphor, Devotion“To the man-in-the-street, who, I’m sorry to say, is a keen observer of life. The word Intellectual suggests straight away: A man who’s untrue to his wife.” W.H. Auden
Intellectuals, Perception, Stereotypes, Societal Values, Criticism
W.H. Auden Intellectuals, Perception, Stereotypes, Societal Values, Criticism“For a desert island, one would choose a good dictionary rather than the greatest literary masterpiece imaginable, for, in relation to its readers, a dictionary is absolutely passive and may legitimately be read in an infinite number of ways.” W.H. Auden
Language, Utility, Imagination, Reading, Flexibility
W.H. Auden Language, Utility, Imagination, Reading, Flexibility“Get up very early and get going at once. In fact, work first and wash afterwards.” W.H. Auden
Productivity, Priorities, Work Ethic, Routine, Advice
W.H. Auden Productivity, Priorities, Work Ethic, Routine, Advice“Whatever the field under discussion, those who engage in debate must not only believe in each other's good faith, but also in their capacity to arrive at the truth.” W.H. Auden
Debate, Good Faith, Truth-seeking, Intellectual Honesty, Mutual Respect
W.H. Auden Debate, Good Faith, Truth-seeking, Intellectual Honesty, Mutual Respect“I see little hope for a peaceful world until men are excluded from the realm of foreign policy altogether and all decisions concerning international relations are reserved for women, preferably married ones.” W.H. Auden
Peace, Gender Roles, Foreign Policy, Women, Social Commentary
W.H. Auden Peace, Gender Roles, Foreign Policy, Women, Social Commentary“In a tragic contradiction between the normal and the exceptional, there is suffering, in a comic contradiction, none.” W.H. Auden
Tragedy, Comedy, Contradiction, Suffering, Normality
W.H. Auden Tragedy, Comedy, Contradiction, Suffering, Normality“Marriage is rarely bliss But, surely it would be worse As particles to pelt At thousands of miles per sec About a universe In which a lover's kiss Would either not be felt Or break the loved one's neck.” W.H. Auden
Marriage, Love, Physics, Cosmic Perspective, Human Relationships
W.H. Auden Marriage, Love, Physics, Cosmic Perspective, Human Relationships“If age, which is certainly Just as wicked as youth, look any wiser, It is only that youth is still able to believe It will get away with anything, while age Knows only too well that it has got away with nothing.” W.H. Auden
Age, Youth, Wisdom, Experience, Disillusionment
W.H. Auden Age, Youth, Wisdom, Experience, Disillusionment