Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that the unknown causes of certain life challenges can feel like a lurking threat, often tied to unfulfilled potential.
W. H. Auden reflects on the mysterious nature of life's challenges, likening them to a hidden assassin that preys upon those whose creative aspirations remain unfulfilled. He points out that this experience is not limited to specific genders or ages but can resonate with anyone who feels thwarted in their ability to express themselves creatively, suggesting that unexpressed potential can lead to deep personal struggles.
Themes
CreativityLifePotentialStruggleUnknown
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on creativity, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of pursuing one's artistic passions.
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
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
Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so that society has to take the place of the victim and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness; it is the one crime in which society has a direct interest.
W. H. AudenRead
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