Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
But if a stranger in the train asks me my occupation, I never answer "writer" for fear that he may go on to ask me what I write, and to answer "poetry" would embarrass us both, for we both know that nobody can earn a living simply by writing poetry.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the challenges and perceptions faced by poets in society.
W. H. Auden's quote expresses the struggle of identifying oneself as a poet, particularly in a society that often does not value poetry as a viable profession. He conveys an awareness of the stigma attached to the genre and the discomfort that arises when discussing such a passionate yet impractical pursuit in casual conversation, highlighting the gap between artistic aspiration and societal expectations.
Themes
PoetryOccupationWriterSocietyEmbarrassment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion on the value of art versus commercial success.
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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