Poet Quote by Guy Davenport
““The poet and poetess have always had a rough time of it in the Republic. It has ever been their endemic luck to starve, become a Harvard professor, commit suicide, lose their reading glasses before an audience of sophomores, go upon the people a la Barnum, and serve as homework in state universities, where they could in nowise get a position and where their presence usually scatters the English faculty like a truant officer among the Amish.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Poet and Poetess” in The Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1975
The quote humorously lists the hardships and absurdities poets face in academia and society, highlighting a pattern of marginalization and irony.
In simple terms: Poets often endure hardship and irony in academic life.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and support poets' real struggles.
Themes
academia
art
hardship
irony
marginalization
Mood
wry
critical
reflective
Type
satirical
observational
When to use this quote
- university tenure
- creative writing programs
- public readings
- funding applications
Key Concepts
cultural criticism
satire
institutional critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does academia truly treat poets?
- What support could improve their conditions?
A Different Perspective
The satire may overgeneralize and ignore successful poet experiences.
