Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by W. H. Auden

Quote by W. H. Auden

“In the eyes of others a man is a poet if he has written one good poem. In his own he is only a poet at the moment when he is making his last revision to a new poem. The moment before, he was still only a potential poet; the moment after, he is a man who has ceased to write poetry, perhaps forever.”

Quote by W. H. Auden

Create image

Author

W. H. Auden
W. H. Auden

W. H. Auden was a prominent 20th-century poet, celebrated for his innovative and influential poetry. His works frequently delve into themes of love, politics, and the human experience, and he is a pivotal figure in the literary movement known as New Criticism. Born on February 21, 1907, in York, England, Auden passed away on September 29, 1973. more

You May Also Like

“Were it possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches, and yet a little way beyond the outworks of our divinings, perhaps we would endure our sadnesses with greater confidence than our joys. For they are the moments when something new has entered into us, something unknown; our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity, everything in us withdraws, a stillness comes, and the new, which no one knows, stands in the midst of it and is silent.”

KnowsWayLittlesMomentsFeelingsJoyGrowsGreaterSadnessSilentEndureShyMidstSomething NewStillnessMutePerplexity
Author:Rainer Maria Rilke
Create image

“It's where we're nearest to our humanness. Useless knowledge for its own sake. Useful knowledge is good, too, but it's for the faint-hearted, an elaboration of the real thing, which is only to shine some light, it doesn't matter where on what, it's the light itself, against the darkness, it's what's left of God's purpose when you take away God.”

RealMatterLightPurposeLeftDarknessShiningSakeUselessHeartedReal ThingsHumannessUseful KnowledgeFaint HeartedUseless Knowledge
Book:The Invention of Love
Create image

“Journeys up the Metaphoric River are hugely enjoyable and highly recommended. Since every genre is nourished by its heady waters, a paddle steamer can take even the most walk-shy tourists to their chosen destination. As a bonus, there is traditionally at least one murder on board each trip--a "consideration" to the head steward will ensure that it is not you.”

WaterWalksJourneyRiversMurderChosenGenreBoardsConsiderationShyDestinationEnjoyableTouristsBonusStewardsGenre IsMetaphoricThursday Next
Author:Jasper Fforde
Create image