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
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So that it must be only by the imagination that Satan has access to the soul, to tempt and delude it, or suggest anything to it. And this seems to be the reason why persons that are under the disease of melancholy are commonly so visibly and remarkably subject to the suggestions and temptations of Satan... Innumerable are the ways by which the mind may be led on to all kind of evil thoughts, by the exciting of external ideas in the imagination.
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A weakened mind always sees everything through a black veil. The soul makes its own horizons; your soul is dark, which is why you see such a cloudy sky.
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