What is a Poet?...He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind; a man pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A poet is a person with heightened sensitivity and knowledge who shares human passions and actively seeks to create and celebrate life in the world.
- In plain terms
- A poet is a sensitive person who understands others and loves life deeply.
- What can you take from it?
- Poetry comes from deep feeling and a desire to share it.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a person a poet?
- How do you express passion?
Another view
This definition idealizes the poet and may not fit all writers.
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