--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Music is the best means we have of…" description: "\"Music is the best means we have of digesting time.\" — W. H. Auden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/w-h-auden-856_music_music-is-the-best-means-we-have-of-diges_1685192.png" --- # Music is the best means we have of digesting time. ![“Music is the best means we have of digesting time.” quote by W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/w-h-auden-856_music_music-is-the-best-means-we-have-of-diges_1685192.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/w-h-auden-856_music_music-is-the-best-means-we-have-of-diges_1685192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/w-h-auden-856_music_music-is-the-best-means-we-have-of-diges_1685192.png) > “Music is the best means we have of digesting time.” [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music helps us process and understand the passage of time. **In simple terms:** Music digests time. Key Takeaway Use music to reflect on life's flow. Themes time music reflection life understanding Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - listening to music - creative writing - daily reflection - teaching Key Concepts temporal perception artistic expression psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does music change your sense of time? - What moments feel most musical? A Different Perspective Music alone may not fully capture time's complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/to-read-without-reflecting-is-like-eating-without-digesting/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Digesting something that had a name…? May I never be that hungry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-stolz/digesting-something-that-had-a-name-may-i-never-be-that-hungry/) Marti Stolz > [“Allowing God’s Word to work in us requires digesting His Word. But digestion can only occur by first ingesting God’s Word. Yes, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-blight/allowing-god-s-word-to-work-in-us-requires-digesting-his-word-but/) [Wendy Blight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-blight/) > [The mind is a finer body, and resumes its functions of feeding, digesting, absorbing, excluding, and generating, in a new and ethereal element. Here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-mind-is-a-finer-body-and-resumes-its-functions-of-feeding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Peace is happiness digesting”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/peace-is-happiness-digesting/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Doing this movie \[Fast Food Nation\] made me realize that our bodies are digesting things that it's not meant to digest. It's pretty bad… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilmer-valderrama/doing-this-movie-fast-food-nation-made-me-realize-that-our-bodies-are/) [Wilmer Valderrama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilmer-valderrama/) > [“Books only change the world if the world is capable of digesting them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-blissett/books-only-change-the-world-if-the-world-is-capable-of-digesting-them/) [Luther Blissett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-blissett/) > [Country music's always had the best musicians in any format of music, and I always gravitated toward that, stuff that was musically interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/country-music-s-always-had-the-best-musicians-in-any-format-of-music/) [Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/) > [Music is the best solution to any problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/music-is-the-best-solution-to-any-problem/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Look for the music on all things, and life will be a symphony of joy. 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If you look at my deck in my car radio, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/personally-i-just-think-rap-music-is-the-best-thing-out-there-period/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [I can't listen to music when I'm writing. I like music best in a car or on the train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-freudenberger/i-can-t-listen-to-music-when-i-m-writing-i-like-music-best-in-a-car/) [Nell Freudenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-freudenberger/) > [I like Canada for a number of reasons, politics and people and all that stuff aside. I was raised there, and I write music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-like-canada-for-a-number-of-reasons-politics-and-people-and-all/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) ## More by W. H. Auden > [Pleasure is by no means an infallible critical guide, but it is the least fallible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/pleasure-is-by-no-means-an-infallible-critical-guide-but-it-is-the/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Why doesn't the United States take over the monarchy and unite with England? England does have important assets. Naturally the longer you wait, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/why-doesn-t-the-united-states-take-over-the-monarchy-and-unite-with/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [The commonest ivory tower is that of the average man, the state of passivity towards experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/the-commonest-ivory-tower-is-that-of-the-average-man-the-state-of/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Harrow the house of the dead; look shining at New styles of architecture, a change of heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/harrow-the-house-of-the-dead-look-shining-at-new-styles-of/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Most poetry is the utterance of a man in some state of passion, love, joy, grief, rage, etc., and no doubt this is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/most-poetry-is-the-utterance-of-a-man-in-some-state-of-passion-love/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Men will pay large sums to whores for telling them they are not bores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/men-will-pay-large-sums-to-whores-for-telling-them-they-are-not-bores/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [If age, which is certainly Just as wicked as youth, look any wiser, It is only that youth is still able to believe It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/if-age-which-is-certainly-just-as-wicked-as-youth-look-any-wiser-it/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [“Those to whom evil is done, do evil in return”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/those-to-whom-evil-is-done-do-evil-in-return/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [I and the public know What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/i-and-the-public-know-what-all-schoolchildren-learn-those-to-whom/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [One cannot walk through an assembly factory and not feel that one is in Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/one-cannot-walk-through-an-assembly-factory-and-not-feel-that-one-is/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [How happy the lot of the mathematician. He is judged solely by his peers, and the standard is so high that no colleague or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/how-happy-the-lot-of-the-mathematician-he-is-judged-solely-by-his/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/perhaps-there-is-only-one-cardinal-sin-impatience-because-of/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [The windiest militant trash Important Persons shout Is not so crude as our wish: What mad Nijinsky wrote About Diaghilev Is true of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/the-windiest-militant-trash-important-persons-shout-is-not-so-crude/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Time and fevers burn away Individual beauty from Thoughtful children, and the grave Proves the child ephemeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/time-and-fevers-burn-away-individual-beauty-from-thoughtful-children/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [To hunt for symbols in a fairy tale is absolutely fatal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/to-hunt-for-symbols-in-a-fairy-tale-is-absolutely-fatal/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) [Explore all 344 W. H. Auden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) ## More Music quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Music is the best means we have of digesting time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. H. 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