Auden, W.H (W. H. Auden)

Base words are uttered only by the base
And can for such at once be understood;
But noble platitudes - ah, there's a case
Where the most careful scrutiny is needed
To tell a voice that's genuinely good
From one that's base but merely has succeeded.
-- W. H. Auden

Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.
-- W. H. Auden

What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish.
-- W. H. Auden

When the language is corrupted, people lose faith in what they hear and this leads to violence.
-- W. H. Auden

No poet or novelist wishes he were the only one who ever lived, but most of them wish they were the only one alive, and quite a number fondly believe their wish has been granted.
-- W. H. Auden