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Quote by W. H. Auden

“Genealogies are admirable things, provided they do not encourage the curious delusion that some families are older than others.”

Quote by W. H. Auden

Author

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

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“When one looks into the window of a store which sells devotional art objects, one can't help wishing the iconoclasts had won.”

Looks Art Helping Wish Objects Window Sells Stores Devotional

Author:W. H. Auden

“A vice in common can be the ground of a friendship but not a virtue in common. X and Y may be friends because they are both drunkards or womanizers but, if they are both sober and chaste, they are friends for some other reason.”

Ifs May Reason Common Virtue Vices Sober Chaste Drunkards Womanizer

Author:W. H. Auden

“One rational voice is dumb: over a grave The household of Impulse mourns one dearly loved. Sad is Eros, builder of cities, And weeping anarchic Aphrodite.”

Death Voice Cities Graves Rational Dumb Impulse Mourning Household Weeping Mourn Builder Eros Aphrodite

Author:W. H. Auden

“Weep for the lives your wishes never led.”

Author:W. H. Auden

“Machines are beneficial to the degree that they eliminate the need for labor, harmful to the degree that they eliminate the need for skill.”

Needs Science Skills Degrees Labor Machines Beneficial

Author:W. H. Auden

“I think the first prerequisite to civilization is an ability to make polite conversation.”

Thinking Firsts Ability Civilization Conversation Polite Prerequisites Polite Conversation

Author:W. H. Auden

“You know, honestly, acting in film is remarkably independent. You're doing your thing and someone else is doing their thing.”

Knows Film Acting Independent Honestly

Author:Josh Hartnett

“With the farming of a verse Make a vineyard of the curse”

Poetry Poet Curse Verses Farming Vineyards

Book:Canción de cuna y otros poemas

Source: Canción de cuna y otros poemas

“You will be a poet because you will always be humiliated.”

Poetry Poet Humiliated

Author:W. H. Auden

“Intellectual disgrace Stares from every human face, And the seas of pity lie Locked and frozen in each eye.”

Humans Eye Faces Lying Loss Sea Sadness Intellectual Pity Staring Locked Frozen Disgrace Human Faces

Author:W. H. Auden