You shall love your crooked neighbour, with your crooked heart.
W.H. Auden
Love, Imperfection, Humanity, Acceptance, Moral Complexity
W.H. Auden’s Quotes On Topics
Discovery | Artistic Themes | Societal Expectations | Tranquility Disrupted | Romance | Accessibility | Cosmic Perspective | Rules | Statistics | Illness | Immediacy | Self-perception | Societal Preferences | Insight | Exploitation | Weakness | Reviewing | Sustainability | Peace | Health | More
More W.H. Auden Quotes
“Behind you swiftly the figure comes softly, The spot on your skin is a shocking disease.” W.H. Auden
Fear, Disease, Mortality, Poetic Imagery, Human Vulnerability
W.H. Auden Fear, Disease, Mortality, Poetic Imagery, Human Vulnerability“All good art is in the nature of a letter written to amuse a sick friend. Too much art, particularly in our time, is only a letter written to oneself.” W.H. Auden
Art, Purpose, Friendship, Self-indulgence, Communication
W.H. Auden Art, Purpose, Friendship, Self-indulgence, Communication“August for the people and their favourite islands. Daily the steamers sidle up to meet The effusive welcome of the pier.” W.H. Auden
Summer, Travel, Leisure, Human Behavior, Vacations
W.H. Auden Summer, Travel, Leisure, Human Behavior, Vacations“A poem is a verbal artifact which must be as skillfully and solidly constructed as a table or a motorcycle.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Craftsmanship, Construction, Comparison, Artistic Skill
W.H. Auden Poetry, Craftsmanship, Construction, Comparison, Artistic Skill“When one looks into the window of a store which sells devotional art objects, one can't help wishing the iconoclasts had won.” W.H. Auden
Religion, Art Criticism, Iconoclasm, Materialism, Cultural Commentary
W.H. Auden Religion, Art Criticism, Iconoclasm, Materialism, Cultural Commentary“For time is inches And the heart's changes, Where ghost has haunted Lost and wanted.” W.H. Auden
Time, Change, Loss, Desire, Poetic Imagery
W.H. Auden Time, Change, Loss, Desire, Poetic Imagery“I write because I love to play with language.” W.H. Auden
Writing, Language, Creativity, Passion, Self-expression
W.H. Auden Writing, Language, Creativity, Passion, Self-expression“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“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“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“A poet feels the impulse to create a work of art when the passive awe provoked by an event is transformed into a desire to express that awe in a rite of worship.” W.H. Auden
Creativity, Art, Emotion, Awe, Spiritual Expression
W.H. Auden Creativity, Art, Emotion, Awe, Spiritual Expression“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“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“I think the first prerequisite to civilization is an ability to make polite conversation.” W.H. Auden
Civilization, Conversation, Politeness, Social Skills, Cultural Norms
W.H. Auden Civilization, Conversation, Politeness, Social Skills, Cultural Norms“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“The identification of fantasy is always an attempt to avoid one’s own suffering: the identification of art is the sharing in the suffering of another.” W.H. Auden
Fantasy, Art, Empathy, Suffering, Human Connection
W.H. Auden Fantasy, Art, Empathy, Suffering, Human Connection“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“It's a sad fact about our culture that a poet can earn much more money writing or talking about his art than he can by practicing it.” W.H. Auden
Poetry, Culture, Money, Art Criticism, Artistic Value
W.H. Auden Poetry, Culture, Money, Art Criticism, Artistic Value