Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
A poet can write about a man slaying a dragon, but not about a man pushing a button that releases a bomb.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the difference in human experience and creativity between traditional heroic actions and modern destructive technology.
W. H. Auden's quote contrasts the romanticized, imaginative tales of heroism found in poetry, such as a man slaying a dragon, with the stark reality of modern violence where mundane actions, like pushing a button to release a bomb, have dire consequences. This suggests that while poets can easily depict grandiose acts of bravery and heroism, the simplicity and anonymity of contemporary destruction are far less inspiring and challenging to articulate in art.
Themes
PoetryWarImaginationDestructionCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of poetry in modern society, this quote can be used to illustrate the challenges poets face with contemporary themes.
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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