--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The poet or the revolutionary is there to…" description: "\"The poet or the revolutionary is there to articulate the necessity, but until the people themselves apprehend it, nothing can happen ... Perhaps it can..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/anonymous-1_change-the-world_the-poet-or-the-revolutionary-is-there-t_1674616.jpg" --- # The poet or the revolutionary is there to articulate the… ![“The poet or the revolutionary is there to articulate the necessity, but until the people themselves apprehend it, nothing can happen ... Perhaps it can't be done without the poet, but it certainly can't be done without the people. The poet and the people get on generally very badly, and yet they…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/anonymous-1_change-the-world_the-poet-or-the-revolutionary-is-there-t_1674616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/anonymous-1_change-the-world_the-poet-or-the-revolutionary-is-there-t_1674616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/anonymous-1_change-the-world_the-poet-or-the-revolutionary-is-there-t_1674616.jpg) > “The poet or the revolutionary is there to articulate the necessity, but until the people themselves apprehend it, nothing can happen ... Perhaps it can't be done without the poet, but it certainly can't be done without the people. The poet and the people get on generally very badly, and yet they need each other. The poet knows it sooner than the people do. The people usually know it after the poet is dead; but that's all right. The point is to get your work done, and your work is to change the world.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poet and the people have a tense but necessary relationship; the poet foresees change, people often recognize it later, and both are needed to transform society. **In simple terms:** Poets anticipate change, people realize it later; both are essential for societal transformation. Key Takeaway Recognize the poet’s vision and mobilize the people. Themes art society change collaboration vision Mood reflective determined Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - community organizing - artistic expression Key Concepts prophecy social dynamics creative influence Questions to Reflect On - How can we bridge the gap between artistic insight and public action? - What structures help translate poetic vision into concrete change? A Different Perspective Poets may be ignored or marginalized, limiting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Necessity People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity-people-894382/) [Need Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-poet-894384/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-poet-543367/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poet People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet-people-543366/) [Poet Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet-revolutionary-894383/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Work done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-done/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“The following obituary appeared in the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph of Sept. 16, 1958: A GREAT POET died last week in Lancieux, France, at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-service/the-following-obituary-appeared-in-the-pittsburgh-sun-telegraph-of/) [Robert Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-service/) > [“need a poet who can really write. Nowadays it seems like ‘many are gone, and those that live are bad’.12”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/need-a-poet-who-can-really-write-nowadays-it-seems-like-many-are-gone/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [To name oneself is the first act of both the poet and the revolutionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/to-name-oneself-is-the-first-act-of-both-the-poet-and-the-2/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“Because sometimes you need a biologist, and sometimes you need a poet. Sometimes you need a scientist, and sometimes you need a song.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/because-sometimes-you-need-a-biologist-and-sometimes-you-need-a-poet/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“The purity of a revolution can last a fortnight. 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You are to take the Gospel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/here-is-the-principle-adapt-your-measures-to-the-necessity-of-the/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [A poet is never one of the people. He is detached, remote, and the life of small-time dances and talk about football would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-kavanagh/a-poet-is-never-one-of-the-people-he-is-detached-remote-and-the-life/) [Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-kavanagh/) > [“That's the thing about luxury, darlings. The moment you become accustomed to it, it is no longer a luxury but a necessity. People forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jane-gilman/that-s-the-thing-about-luxury-darlings-the-moment-you-become/) [Susan Jane Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jane-gilman/) > [I know some people might think it odd - unworthy even - for me to have written a cookbook, but I make no apologies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-know-some-people-might-think-it-odd-unworthy-even-for-me-to-have/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Change the world quotes > [If you learn something that changes you, you've made progress. If you learn something that changes others, you've helped change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanie-lane/if-you-learn-something-that-changes-you-you-ve-made-progress-if-you/) [Lanie Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanie-lane/) > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Paul Gray - he believed in my art, and I believed in his music. Together, we decided to change the world, and that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-crahan/paul-gray-he-believed-in-my-art-and-i-believed-in-his-music-together/) [Shawn Crahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-crahan/) > [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“if i am not in the world simply to adapt to it, but rather transform it, and if it is not possible to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/if-i-am-not-in-the-world-simply-to-adapt-to-it-but-rather-transform/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [I don't like lyrics to be overbearing. I like them to say something. But I'm not trying to change the world overnight. Something simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-don-t-like-lyrics-to-be-overbearing-i-like-them-to-say-something/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [Larry Kramer wisely realized so early on that to change the world, people have to know you. 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What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Browse all 2,043 Change the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The poet or the revolutionary is there to articulate the necessity, but until the people themselves apprehend it, nothing can happen ... Perhaps it can't be done without the poet, but it certainly can't be done without the people. The poet and the people get on generally very badly, and yet they need each other. The poet knows it sooner than the people do. The people usually know it after the poet is dead; but that's all right. 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