Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
No hero is mortal till he dies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A hero's legacy lives on even after their death, as long as they make an impact during their life.
This quote by W. H. Auden reflects on the idea that the true essence of a hero is not defined by their mortality but by the impact and influence they have on the world. While physical existence comes to an end with death, the deeds and memories of a hero can be eternal, inspiring future generations and remaining alive in the hearts of those they've touched.
Themes
HeroMortalityLegacyImpactDeath
In practice
Example use cases
During a memorial service for a beloved leader, someone might say this quote to emphasize the lasting impact of their contributions.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes βThat the speech of self-disclosure should be translatable seems to me very odd, but I am convinced that it is. The conclusion that I draw is that the only quality which all human being without exception possess is uniqueness: any characteristic, on the other hand, which one individual can be recognized as having in common with another, like red hair or the English language, implies the existence of other individual qualities which this classification excludes.
W. H. AudenRead
Nobody knows what the cause is, though some pretend they do; it like some hidden assassin waiting to strike at you. Childless women get it, and men when they retire; it as if there had to be some outlet for their foiled creative fire.
W. H. AudenRead
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
W. H. AudenRead
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
W. H. AudenRead
Similar quotes
When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears.
Philippe HalsmanRead
Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil.
DemocritusRead
A man's natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime, whether committed by one man, or by millions; whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber, (or by any other name indicating his true character,) or by millions, calling themselves a government.
Lysander SpoonerRead
This perfection must come through the practice of holiness and love.
Swami VivekanandaRead
I wanted pure love: foolishness; to love one another is to hate a common enemy: I will thus espouse your hatred. I wanted Good: nonsense; on this earth and in these times, Good and Bad are inseparable: I accept to be evil in order to become good.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
My mother's death put me in touch with my most savage self. As I've grown up and come to terms with her death and accepted it, the pieces of her that I keep don't exist materially.
Cheryl StrayedRead