"It takes little talent to see what lies under one's nose, a good deal to know in what direction to point that organ"
About this Quote
Auden needles the cozy myth that insight is mostly about perception. Anyone can notice whats right in front of them; the harder, rarer skill is choosing where to aim attention. The joke is anatomical, almost cartoonish: the nose is both literal and moral instrument, a stand-in for the mind that prides itself on being observant. Auden is saying: congratulations, you have senses. Now prove you have judgment.
The intent is quietly polemical, and very poet-specific. For Auden, the world is not short on facts; its short on frameworks. Pointing the organ means selecting an angle, a scale, a set of priorities. Its the difference between being a reporter of surfaces and an interpreter of significance. The subtext bites at a certain modern vanity: the person who treats mere noticing as courage, or mistakes cynicism for clarity. Auden suggests that raw perception is cheap; direction is ethical.
Context matters: writing through the 20th centurys ideological stampede, Auden watched smart people use sharp eyes in service of terrible ends. Knowing where to look is also knowing what not to look at, what to leave un-amplified, what not to turn into spectacle. For a poet, that becomes an aesthetic problem and a civic one: attention is the scarce resource that powers both art and politics. Audens line is a compact warning about how easily observation becomes self-congratulation - and how urgently we need disciplined, deliberate looking instead.
The intent is quietly polemical, and very poet-specific. For Auden, the world is not short on facts; its short on frameworks. Pointing the organ means selecting an angle, a scale, a set of priorities. Its the difference between being a reporter of surfaces and an interpreter of significance. The subtext bites at a certain modern vanity: the person who treats mere noticing as courage, or mistakes cynicism for clarity. Auden suggests that raw perception is cheap; direction is ethical.
Context matters: writing through the 20th centurys ideological stampede, Auden watched smart people use sharp eyes in service of terrible ends. Knowing where to look is also knowing what not to look at, what to leave un-amplified, what not to turn into spectacle. For a poet, that becomes an aesthetic problem and a civic one: attention is the scarce resource that powers both art and politics. Audens line is a compact warning about how easily observation becomes self-congratulation - and how urgently we need disciplined, deliberate looking instead.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
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