"Every American poet feels that the whole responsibility for contemporary poetry has fallen upon his shoulders, that he is a literary aristocracy of one"
- W. H. Auden
About this Quote
This quote by W. H. Auden talks to the immense pressure that American poets feel to carry the weight of modern poetry on their shoulders. Auden recommends that American poets feel as though they are a "literary upper class of one," suggesting that they are the sole guardians of the craft. This quote talks to the enormous obligation that American poets feel to develop significant and impactful works of art. It also speaks to the solitude of the craft, as poets often feel as though they are the only ones who can really comprehend the struggles and happiness of writing. This quote is a pointer of the value of American poets and the impact they have on the literary world. It is likewise a tip of the tremendous pressure that American poets feel to produce masterpieces that will stand the test of time.
This quote is written / told by W. H. Auden between February 21, 1907 and September 29, 1973. He was a famous Poet from England.
The author also have 59 other quotes.
"We don't attempt to have any theme for a number of the anthology, or to have any particular sequence. We just put in things that we like, and then we try to alternate the prose and the poetry"
"Concrete poets continue to turn out beautiful things, but to me they're more visual than oral, and they almost really belong on the wall rather than in a book. I haven't the least idea of where poetry is going"