Desire, even in its wildest tantrums, can neither persuade me it is love nor stop me from wishing it were.
W.H. Auden
Desire, Love, Self-awareness, Emotional Complexity, Wishful Thinking
W.H. Auden’s Quotes On Topics
Self-expression | Games | Career Choices | Cultural Assessment | Infidelity | Human Nature | Continuity | Ireland | Irony | Practice | Choice | Injustice | Value Judgment | Societal Critique | Rationality | Profundity | Weakness | Health | Tranquility Disrupted | Completeness | More
More W.H. Auden Quotes
“To have a sense of sin means to feel guilty at there being an ethical choice to make, a guilt which, however "good" I may become, remains unchanged.” W.H. Auden
Sin, Guilt, Ethics, Morality, Human Nature
W.H. Auden Sin, Guilt, Ethics, Morality, Human Nature“Composing mortals with immortal fire.” W.H. Auden
Creativity, Mortality, Art, Inspiration, Poetic Imagery
W.H. Auden Creativity, Mortality, Art, Inspiration, Poetic Imagery“Detective stories have nothing to do with works of art.” W.H. Auden
Detective Fiction, Art, Literary Criticism, Genre Distinction, Value Judgment
W.H. Auden Detective Fiction, Art, Literary Criticism, Genre Distinction, Value Judgment“In relation to a writer, most readers believe in the Double Standard: they may be unfaithful to him as often as they like, but he must never, never be unfaithful to them.” W.H. Auden
Readers, Writers, Loyalty, Double Standards, Literary Relationships
W.H. Auden Readers, Writers, Loyalty, Double Standards, Literary Relationships“All I have is a voice.” W.H. Auden
Identity, Self-expression, Simplicity, Artistic Essence, Communication
W.H. Auden Identity, Self-expression, Simplicity, Artistic Essence, Communication“We all have these places where shy humiliations gambol on sunny afternoons.” W.H. Auden
Embarrassment, Memory, Vulnerability, Introspection, Human Experience
W.H. Auden Embarrassment, Memory, Vulnerability, Introspection, Human Experience“The most exciting rhythms seem unexpected and complex, the most beautiful melodies simple and inevitable.” W.H. Auden
Music, Complexity, Simplicity, Beauty, Artistic Perception
W.H. Auden Music, Complexity, Simplicity, Beauty, Artistic Perception“No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible.” W.H. Auden
Opera, Sensibility, Art, Emotion, Musical Theater
W.H. Auden Opera, Sensibility, Art, Emotion, Musical Theater“Cathedrals, luxury liners laden with souls, Holding to the east their hulls of stone.” W.H. Auden
Architecture, Spirituality, Metaphor, Human Cargo, Religion
W.H. Auden Architecture, Spirituality, Metaphor, Human Cargo, Religion“Great art is clear thinking about mixed feelings.” W.H. Auden
Art, Clarity, Emotions, Complexity, Artistic Insight
W.H. Auden Art, Clarity, Emotions, Complexity, Artistic Insight“A god who is both self-sufficient and content to remain so could not interest us enough to raise the question of his existence.” W.H. Auden
Theology, Divine Nature, Human Interest, Existence, Philosophical Inquiry
W.H. Auden Theology, Divine Nature, Human Interest, Existence, Philosophical Inquiry“The class distinctions proper to a democratic society are not those of rank or money, still less, as is apt to happen when these are abandoned, of race, but of age.” W.H. Auden
Democracy, Class, Age, Society, Discrimination
W.H. Auden Democracy, Class, Age, Society, Discrimination“All works of art are commissioned in the sense that no artist can create one by a simple act of will but must wait until what he believes to be a good idea for a work comes to him.” W.H. Auden
Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Artistic Process, Commissioning
W.H. Auden Art, Creativity, Inspiration, Artistic Process, Commissioning“The most important truths are likely to be those which society at that time least wants to hear.” W.H. Auden
Truth, Society, Resistance, Unpopularity, Social Criticism
W.H. Auden Truth, Society, Resistance, Unpopularity, Social Criticism“Long ago the accusations had begun, And suddenly knew by whom it had been judged.” W.H. Auden
Judgment, Accusations, Awareness, Accountability, Introspection
W.H. Auden Judgment, Accusations, Awareness, Accountability, Introspection“Those who will not reason, perish in the act. Those who will not act, perish for that reason.” W.H. Auden
Reason, Action, Consequences, Decision-making, Philosophy
W.H. Auden Reason, Action, Consequences, Decision-making, Philosophy“I used to try and concentrate the poem so much that there wasn't a word that wasn't essential. This leads to becoming boring and constipated.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Concision, Creativity, Artistic Process, Self-criticism
W.H. Auden Poetry, Concision, Creativity, Artistic Process, Self-criticism