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Quotes from Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island — W. H. Auden

1907–1973 England

← All quotes by W. H. Auden

13 quotes

A shilling life will give you all the facts.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

August for the people and their favourite islands.
Daily the steamers sidle up to meet
The effusive welcome of the pier.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Cathedrals,
Luxury liners laden with souls,
Holding to the east their hulls of stone.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Out on the lawn I lie in bed,
Vega conspicuous overhead.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

We must lose our loves,
On each beast and bird that moves
Turn an envious look.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

O what is that sound which so thrills the ear
Down in the valley drumming, drumming?
Only the scarlet soldiers, dear,
The soldiers coming.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Now the leaves are falling fast,
Nurse's flowers will not last;
Nurses to their graves are gone,
And the prams go rolling on.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Cold, impossible, ahead
Lifts the mountain's lovely head
Whose white waterfall could bless
Travellers in their last distress.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

O it's broken the lock and splintered the door,
O it's the gate where they're turning, turning;
Their boots are heavy on the floor
And their eyes are burning.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

And make us as Newton was, who in his garden watching
The apple falling towards England, became aware
Between himself and her of an eternal tie.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Underneath the abject willow,
Lover, sulk no more;
Act from thought should quickly follow:
What is thinking for?
Your unique and moping station
Proves you cold;
Stand up and fold
Your map of desolation.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Let the florid music praise,
The flute and the trumpet,
Beauty’s conquest of your face:
In that land of flesh and bone,
Where from citadels on high
Her imperial standards fly,
Let the hot sun
Shine on, shine on.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Fish in the unruffled lakes
Their swarming colours wear,
Swans in the winter air
A white perfection have,
And the great lion walks
Through his innocent grove;
Lion, fish and swan
Act, and are gone
Upon Time's toppling wave.

Look, Stranger! (1936) · On This Island (1937)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: W. H. Auden (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.