"When I am in the company of scientists, I feel like a shabby curate who has strayed by mistake into a drawing room full of dukes"

In this quote, W. H. Auden is expressing his feelings of inadequacy and inability when he is in the company of researchers. He compares himself to a worn-out curate, a low-ranking clergyman, who has incorrectly wandered into a room filled with dukes, members of the highest social class. This comparison highlights the contrast between Auden's own lack of scientific knowledge and the competence of the scientists he is surrounded by. He feels out of location and overwhelmed by the knowledge and accomplishments of the scientists, and his own absence of understanding. This quote talks to the sensations of inadequacy and insecurity that lots of people experience when they are surrounded by people who are more experienced or accomplished than they are.