Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
A small grove massacred to the last ash, _x000D_ _x000D_ An oak with heart-rot, give away the show: _x000D_ _x000D_ This great society is going to smash; _x000D_ _x000D_ They cannot fool us with how fast they go, _x000D_ _x000D_ How much they cost each other and the gods. _x000D_ _x000D_ A culture is no better than its woods.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the intrinsic connection between culture and nature, suggesting that the deterioration of natural spaces reflects the decline of society.
In this quote, W. H. Auden emphasizes the vital relationship between the environment and the essence of a culture. He argues that when nature, represented by the woods, suffers devastation, it symbolizes a broader societal collapse. The mention of the 'great society' implies that it is unsustainable and unmasked by superficial appearances and consumerism. Auden reminds us that the value of a culture can be measured by its respect for the natural world.
Themes
CultureNatureSocietyWoodsDecline
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on environmental preservation, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of safeguarding natural habitats.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes →That 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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