Who said “Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality,…”?

Verified

W. H. Auden. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceThe Dyer's Hand, and Other Essays (1962), "Writing"

Find The Dyer's Hand, and Other Essays on Amazon · paid link

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z
“Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.”
— W. H. Auden
VerifiedThe Dyer's Hand, and Other Essays (1962), "Writing" · evidenceWriters and Writing
Report

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: The Dyer's Hand, and Other Essays (1962), "Writing".

APA

Auden, W. H. (n.d.). Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/42781-some-writers-confuse-authenticity-which-they-ought-always/

MLA

Auden, W. H. “Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/42781-some-writers-confuse-authenticity-which-they-ought-always/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Auden, W. H. “Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/42781-some-writers-confuse-authenticity-which-they-ought-always/.

Related quotes

More quotes by W. H. Auden

All 81 W. H. Auden quotes →