W. H. Auden on aligning what must be done and what we most want makes us geniuses

vutran | Aug. 24, 2020, 6:14 p.m.

"Geniuses are the luckiest of mortals because what they must do is the same as what they most want to do and, even if their genius is unrecognized in their lifetime, the essential earthly reward is always theirs, the certainty that their work is good and will stand the test of time. One suspects that the geniuses will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven—if, indeed, they ever make it; they have had their reward."

— W. H. Auden


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