Every poet has his dream reader: mine keeps a look out for curious prosodic fauna like bacchics and choriambs.
W.H. Auden
Poetry, Readership, Prosody, Specificity, Literary Technique
W.H. Auden’s Quotes On Topics
Monetary Metaphor | Futility | Financial Insight | Moral Decay | Imperfection | Poetic Expression | Productivity | Divine Nature | Literary Biography | New Year’s Eve | World | Musical Theater | Fate | Irritations | Domestic Imagery | Public Interest | Madness | Art | Familiarity | Self-improvement | More
More W.H. Auden Quotes
“See without looking, hear without listening, breathe without asking.” W.H. Auden
Sensory Perception, Mindfulness, Intuition, Existence, Zen-like Wisdom
W.H. Auden Sensory Perception, Mindfulness, Intuition, Existence, Zen-like Wisdom“And make us as Newton was, who in his garden watching The apple falling towards England, became aware Between himself and her of an eternal tie.” W.H. Auden
Science, Discovery, Connection, Nature, Universal Laws
W.H. Auden Science, Discovery, Connection, Nature, Universal Laws“In times of trouble, fiction, and only fiction, has offered consolation.” W.H. Auden
Fiction, Comfort, Literature, Emotional Support, Escapism
W.H. Auden Fiction, Comfort, Literature, Emotional Support, Escapism“We must love one another or die.” W.H. Auden
Love, Survival, Human Connection, Necessity, Ultimatum
W.H. Auden Love, Survival, Human Connection, Necessity, Ultimatum“There's always another story. There's more than meets the eye.” W.H. Auden
Perspective, Hidden Truths, Complexity, Storytelling, Perception
W.H. Auden Perspective, Hidden Truths, Complexity, Storytelling, Perception“You know there are no secrets in America. It's quite different in England, where people think of a secret as a shared relation between two people.” W.H. Auden
Cultural Differences, Secrets, Privacy, America, England
W.H. Auden Cultural Differences, Secrets, Privacy, America, England“Composing mortals with immortal fire.” W.H. Auden
Creativity, Mortality, Art, Inspiration, Poetic Imagery
W.H. Auden Creativity, Mortality, Art, Inspiration, Poetic Imagery“One cannot review a bad book without showing off.” W.H. Auden
Criticism, Vanity, Literature, Reviewing, Intellectual Display
W.H. Auden Criticism, Vanity, Literature, Reviewing, Intellectual Display“Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.” W.H. Auden
Authenticity, Originality, Writing, Artistic Integrity, Creative Advice
W.H. Auden Authenticity, Originality, Writing, Artistic Integrity, Creative Advice“Recipe for the upbringing of a poet: 'As much neurosis as the child can bear.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Childhood, Neurosis, Creativity, Upbringing
W.H. Auden Poetry, Childhood, Neurosis, Creativity, Upbringing“Of all possible subjects, travel is the most difficult for an artist, as it is the easiest for a journalist.” W.H. Auden
Travel Writing, Art, Journalism, Difficulty, Perspective
W.H. Auden Travel Writing, Art, Journalism, Difficulty, Perspective“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“Without communication with the dead, a fully human life is not possible.” W.H. Auden
Death, Communication, Humanity, Spirituality, Ancestral Connection
W.H. Auden Death, Communication, Humanity, Spirituality, Ancestral Connection“Those who hate to go to bed fear death; those who hate to get up fear life.” W.H. Auden
Sleep, Death, Life, Fear, Human Nature
W.H. Auden Sleep, Death, Life, Fear, Human Nature“The critical opinions of a writer should always be taken with a large grain of salt. For the most part, they are manifestations of his debate with himself as to what he should do next and what he should avoid.” W.H. Auden
Criticism, Writing, Self-reflection, Creative Process, Skepticism
W.H. Auden Criticism, Writing, Self-reflection, Creative Process, Skepticism“Between friends, differences in taste or opinion are irritating in direct proportion to their triviality.” W.H. Auden
Friendship, Differences, Perspective, Human Relationships, Irritations
W.H. Auden Friendship, Differences, Perspective, Human Relationships, Irritations“A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Language, Passion, Creativity, Identity
W.H. Auden Poetry, Language, Passion, Creativity, Identity