Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
Beauty, midnight, vision dies: Let the winds of dawn that blow Softly round your dreaming head Such a day of welcome show Eye and knocking heart may bless, Find our mortal world enough; Noons of dryness find you fed By the involuntary powers, Nights of insult let you pass Watched by every human love.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty and vision, urging appreciation for life's transient moments.
W. H. Auden's quote speaks to the impermanence of beauty, suggesting that while visions and moments may fade like the night turning to dawn, we should hope for days filled with warmth and kindness. The imagery of the winds of dawn symbolizes new beginnings and the blessings of love, encouraging us to find value in our existence despite life's inherent challenges and the passage of time.
In practice
In a graduation speech, one might remind students to value the beautiful moments of life despite its challenges.
Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
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.
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.
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
People regard CGI as a gimmick; they almost blame CGI for a bad story or a bad script. They talk about CGI as if it's responsible for a drop in standards.
The flavor of wine is like delicate poetry.
Wine loved I deeply, dice dearly.
The world has never before had as much drama as today. Radio, films, television and video inundate us with drama. But while these forms can engage or even enrage the audience, in none of them can the viewer’s response alter the artistic event itselfThat is why theatre is signing its own death warrant when it tries to play too safe. On the other hand, that is also the reason why, although its future often seems bleak, theatre will continue to live and to provoke.
Swing your razor wide! Sweeney, hold it to the skies!
Never before had a woman put such agonizing poetry on canvas as Frida did
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