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’s Quotes On Topics
Double Standards | Public Interest | Martyrdom | Emotional Support | Environmental Destruction | Promises | Youth | Poverty | Determinism | Human Existence | Reason | Peace | Uniqueness | Literary Appreciation | Sensibility | Mental Processes | National Pride | Average Person | Power | Communication | More
More W.H. Auden Quotes
“What the poet says has never been said before, but, once he has said it, his readers recognize its validity for themselves.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Originality, Recognition, Truth, Reader Connection
W.H. Auden Poetry, Originality, Recognition, Truth, Reader Connection“When I am in the company of scientists, I feel like a shabby curate who has strayed by mistake into a drawing room full of dukes.” W.H. Auden
Insecurity, Social Status, Science, Clergy, Self-deprecation
W.H. Auden Insecurity, Social Status, Science, Clergy, Self-deprecation“History marches to the drum of a clear idea.” W.H. Auden
History, Ideas, Progress, Clarity, Metaphor
W.H. Auden History, Ideas, Progress, Clarity, Metaphor“Few can remember clearly when innocence came to a sudden end, the moment at which we ask for the first time: Am I loved?” W.H. Auden
Innocence, Love, Self-doubt, Childhood, Pivotal Moments
W.H. Auden Innocence, Love, Self-doubt, Childhood, Pivotal Moments“All the rest is silence On the other side of the wall, And the silence ripeness, And the ripeness all.” W.H. Auden
Silence, Completeness, Metaphor, Finality, Poetic Imagery
W.H. Auden Silence, Completeness, Metaphor, Finality, Poetic Imagery“Every man carries with him through life a mirror, as unique and impossible to get rid of as his shadow.” W.H. Auden
Identity, Self-reflection, Individuality, Metaphor, Human Nature
W.H. Auden Identity, Self-reflection, Individuality, Metaphor, Human Nature“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“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“Say this city has ten million souls, Some are living in mansions, some are living in holes: Yet there's no place for us, my dear, yet there's no place for us.” W.H. Auden
Inequality, Urban Life, Displacement, Love, Social Commentary
W.H. Auden Inequality, Urban Life, Displacement, Love, Social Commentary“To save your world, you asked this man to die; would this man, could he see you now, ask why?” W.H. Auden
Sacrifice, Gratitude, Questioning, Morality, War
W.H. Auden Sacrifice, Gratitude, Questioning, Morality, War“Soft as the earth is mankind and both need to be altered.” W.H. Auden
Humanity, Change, Nature, Malleability, Transformation
W.H. Auden Humanity, Change, Nature, Malleability, Transformation“In any first-class work of art, you can find passages that in themselves are extremely boring, but try to cut them out, as they are in an abridged edition, and you lose the life of the work. Don't think that art that is alive can remain on the same level of interest throughout – and the same is true of life.” W.H. Auden
Art, Boredom, Wholeness, Life, Artistic Integrity
W.H. Auden Art, Boredom, Wholeness, Life, Artistic Integrity“The poet marries the language, and out of this marriage the poem is born.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Language, Creativity, Metaphor, Artistic Process
W.H. Auden Poetry, Language, Creativity, Metaphor, Artistic Process“To ask the hard question is simple.” W.H. Auden
Questioning, Simplicity, Complexity, Inquiry, Philosophical Thought
W.H. Auden Questioning, Simplicity, Complexity, Inquiry, Philosophical Thought“To be free is often to be lonely.” W.H. Auden
Freedom, Loneliness, Independence, Human Condition, Paradox
W.H. Auden Freedom, Loneliness, Independence, Human Condition, Paradox“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