Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
Healing is a natural process that requires sensitivity and intuition rather than strict scientific methodology.
W. H. Auden's quote emphasizes that healing is an art that transcends scientific precision; it involves engaging with nature and understanding its rhythms and nuances intuitively. Rather than relying solely on empirical data or technical knowledge, healing requires a compassionate approach that recognizes the complexities of life and health, offering a more holistic understanding of recovery and well-being.
Themes
HealingNatureArtIntuitiveHealth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire healthcare practitioners to adopt a more compassionate approach in their practices.
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
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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