H. Auden
H. Auden
running fire squares
Over the tea-cups and in the square the tongue has its desire; Still waters run deep, my dear, there's never smoke without fire.
country novelists roles
Money is the necessity that frees us from necessity. Of all novelists in any country, Trollope best understands the role of money. Compared with him even Balzac is a romantic.
taken criticism salt
The critical opinions of a writer should always be taken with a large grain of salt. For the most part, they are manifestations of his debate with himself as to what he should do next and what he should avoid.
mistake gone mets
The friends who met here and embraced are gone, Each to his own mistake;
change heart shining
Harrow the house of the dead; look shining at New styles of architecture, a change of heart.
faces wiser
Private faces in public places Are wiser and nicer Than public faces in private places.
believe differences deals
There is a great deal of difference in believing something still, and believing it again.
stars animal looks
The stars are dead. The animals will not look: We are left alone with our day, and the time is short, and History to the defeated May say Alas but cannot help nor pardon.
august islands people
August for the people and their favourite islands. Daily the steamers sidle up to meet The effusive welcome of the pier.
selfish stupid voice
Beloved, we are always in the wrong, Handling so clumsily our stupid lives, Suffering too little or too long, Too careful even in our selfish loves: The decorative manias we obey Die in grimaces round us every day, Yet through their tohu-bohu comes a voice Which utters an absurd command - Rejoice.
sleep arms faithless
Lay your sleeping head, my love, Human on my faithless arm;
book character writing
Attacking bad books is not only a waste of time but also bad for the character. If I find a book really bad, the only interest I can derive from writing about it has to come from myself, from such display of intelligence, wit and malice as I can contrive. One cannot review a bad book without showing off.
men self ego
An honest self-portrait is extremely rare because a man who has reached the degree of self-consciousness presupposed by the desire to paint his own portrait has almost always also developed an ego-consciousness which paints himself painting himself, and introduces artificial highlights and dramatic shadows.
art writing one-direction
Organic growth is a cyclical process; it is just as true to say that the oak is a potential acorn as it is to say the acorn is a potential oak. But the process of writing a poem, of making any art object, is not cyclical but a motion in one direction toward a definite end.