Every man carries with him through life a mirror, as unique and impossible to get rid of as his shadow. W. H. Auden More Quotes by W. H. Auden More Quotes From W. H. Auden Most people call something profound, not because it is near some important truth but because it is distant from ordinary life. Thus, darkness is profound to the eye, silence to the ear; what-is-not is the profundity of what-is. W. H. Auden eyeprofoundpeople Precisely because we do not communicate by singing, a song can be out of place but not out of character; it is just as credible that a stupid person should sing beautifully as that a clever person should do so. W. H. Auden stupidcleversong I think the first prerequisite to civilization is an ability to make polite conversation. W. H. Auden civilizationfirststhinking God is Love, we are taught as children to believe. But when we first begin to get some inkling of how He loves us, we are repelled; it seems so cold, indeed, not love at all as we understand the word. W. H. Auden godlovechildren 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 double-standardwritingbelieve How should we like it were stars to burn With a passion for us we could not return? If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me. W. H. Auden passionreturnstars Our sufferings and weaknesses, in so far as they are personal, are of no literary interest whatsoever. They are only interesting in so far as we can see them as typical of the human condition. W. H. Auden sufferingwritinginteresting Aphorisms are essentially an aristocratic genre of writing. The aphorist does not argue or explain, he asserts; and implicit in his assertion is a conviction that he is wiser and more intelligent than his readers. W. H. Auden intelligentdoewriting The primary function of poetry, as of all the arts, is to make us more aware of ourselves and the world around us. I do not know if such increased awareness makes us more moral or more efficient. I hope not. I think it makes us more human, and I am quite certain it makes us more difficult to deceive. W. H. Auden poetryartthinking I smell blood and an era of prominent madmen. W. H. Auden smellerasblood I and the public know What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return. W. H. Auden learningisraelevil The eye likes novelty, but the ear craves familiarity. W. H. Auden likeseyeears If there are any souls in hell, it is because that is where they insist on being. W. H. Auden hellsoulifs 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 saltcriticismtaken Even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot Where the dogs go on with their doggy life W. H. Auden doggoes-onrunning It is nonsense to speak of 'higher' and 'lower' pleasures. To a hungry man it is, rightly, more important that he eat than that he philosophize. W. H. Auden importanthappinessmen The ideal audience the poet imagines consists of the beautiful who go to bed with him, the powerful who invite him to dinner and tell him secrets of state, and his fellow-poets. The actual audience he gets consists of myopic schoolteachers, pimply young men who eat in cafeterias, and his fellow-poets. This means, in fact, he writes for his fellow-poets. W. H. Auden powerfulwritingbeautiful It's frightening how easy it is to commit murder in America. Just a drink too much. I can see myself doing it. In England, one feels all the social restraints holding one back. But here, anything can happen. W. H. Auden too-muchscaryamerica Every high C accurately struck demolishes the theory that we are the irresponsible puppets of fate or chance. W. H. Auden puppetsfatechance My face looks like a wedding-cake left out in the rain. W. H. Auden cakecomplainingrain
