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’s Quotes On Topics
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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“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“Cats can be very funny, and have the oddest ways of showing they’re glad to see you...” W.H. Auden
Cats, Humor, Affection, Companionship, Animal Behavior
W.H. Auden Cats, Humor, Affection, Companionship, Animal Behavior“Fate succumbs many a species: one alone jeopardises itself.” W.H. Auden
Fate, Humanity, Self-destruction, Uniqueness, Responsibility
W.H. Auden Fate, Humanity, Self-destruction, Uniqueness, Responsibility“We were put on this Earth to help others. Why others were put here is beyond me.” W.H. Auden
Altruism, Purpose, Human Connection, Existential Questions, Moral Inquiry
W.H. Auden Altruism, Purpose, Human Connection, Existential Questions, Moral Inquiry“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“Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition.” W.H. Auden
Routine, Intelligence, Ambition, Discipline, Productivity
W.H. Auden Routine, Intelligence, Ambition, Discipline, Productivity“Thoughts on his own death, like the distant roll of thunder at a picnic.” W.H. Auden
Death, Contemplation, Metaphor, Life’s Fragility, Incongruity
W.H. Auden Death, Contemplation, Metaphor, Life’s Fragility, Incongruity“Far from his illness The wolves ran on through the evergreen forests, The peasant river was untempted by the fashionable quays; By mourning tongues The death of the poet was kept from his poems.” W.H. Auden
Nature, Death, Poetry, Continuity, Contrast
W.H. Auden Nature, Death, Poetry, Continuity, Contrast“Life remains a blessing, even if we are incapable of recognizing it.” W.H. Auden
Life, Blessing, Perception, Gratitude, Human Limitation
W.H. Auden Life, Blessing, Perception, Gratitude, Human Limitation“Like everything which is not the involuntary result of fleeting emotion but the creation of time and will, any marriage, happy or unhappy, is infinitely more interesting than any romance, however passionate.” W.H. Auden
Marriage, Romance, Commitment, Time, Emotional Complexity
W.H. Auden Marriage, Romance, Commitment, Time, Emotional Complexity“God bless the USA, so large, so friendly, and so rich.” W.H. Auden
National Pride, America, Identity, Wealth, Optimism
W.H. Auden National Pride, America, Identity, Wealth, Optimism“Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.” W.H. Auden
Love, Laughter, Admiration, Relationships, Human Connection
W.H. Auden Love, Laughter, Admiration, Relationships, Human Connection“There has been a vast output of critical studies in contemporary poetry, some of them first rate, but I do not think that, as a rule, a poet should read them.” W.H. Auden
Poetry Criticism, Creative Process, Literary Studies, Artistic Independence, Self-reliance
W.H. Auden Poetry Criticism, Creative Process, Literary Studies, Artistic Independence, Self-reliance“No person can be a great leader unless he takes genuine joy in the successes of those under him.” W.H. Auden
Leadership, Joy, Success, Empowerment, Selflessness
W.H. Auden Leadership, Joy, Success, Empowerment, Selflessness“You will be a poet because you will always be humiliated.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Humiliation, Creativity, Suffering, Artistic Identity
W.H. Auden Poetry, Humiliation, Creativity, Suffering, Artistic Identity