--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards…" description: "\"Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards are, who live in a continual mist, without seeing or judging anything clearly. A man should be learned in seve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg" --- # Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards are, who live in… ![“Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards are, who live in a continual mist, without seeing or judging anything clearly. A man should be learned in several sciences, and should have a reasonable, philosophical and in some measure a mathematical head, to be a complete and excellent poet.” quote by John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg) > “Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards are, who live in a continual mist, without seeing or judging anything clearly. A man should be learned in several sciences, and should have a reasonable, philosophical and in some measure a mathematical head, to be a complete and excellent poet.” [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A poet must be educated in multiple sciences and possess a balanced, philosophical, and mathematical mind to be truly excellent. **In simple terms:** Poets need broad, balanced knowledge. Key Takeaway Cultivate diverse learning. Themes education poetry interdisciplinary Mood analytical thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - academic study - creative writing - critical analysis Key Concepts philosophy mathematics science Questions to Reflect On - How does science inform poetry? - What balance yields excellence? A Different Perspective Broad study may dilute focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drunkards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunkards/) [Excellent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematical/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Mere Drunkards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere-drunkards-5029610/) [Mere Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere-poets-5029609/) [Mist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mist/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) [Poets Sottish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-sottish-5029611/) [Reasonable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable/) [Seeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) ## Related quotes > [God helps three sorts of people: fools, children and drunkards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/god-helps-three-sorts-of-people-fools-children-and-drunkards/) [Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/) > [This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,--often the surfeit of our own behavior,--we make guilty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/this-is-the-excellent-foppery-of-the-world-that-when-we-are-sick-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-more-helpless-and-irresponsible-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Everyone knows that drunkards and lovers have a protecting diety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/everyone-knows-that-drunkards-and-lovers-have-a-protecting-diety/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“These are the words of a fool: I am happy to be a fool, for i won't spend my time gazing at lines difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/these-are-the-words-of-a-fool-i-am-happy-to-be-a-fool-for-i-won-t/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [A teetotaler would regard it as his duty to associate with his drunkard brother for the purpose of weaning him from the evil habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-teetotaler-would-regard-it-as-his-duty-to-associate-with-his/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Some people miss flesh as a drunkard misses his dram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/some-people-miss-flesh-as-a-drunkard-misses-his-dram/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [If the impure and the unjust, the drunkard and the licentious, are loathsome to us, what must be the infinite loathing of an infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/if-the-impure-and-the-unjust-the-drunkard-and-the-licentious-are/) [Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/) > [“Down Where the Drunkards Roll.” “How”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/down-where-the-drunkards-roll-how/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [Sometimes I wish I was just a simple drunkard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/sometimes-i-wish-i-was-just-a-simple-drunkard/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [Before the Roman came to Rye or out to severn strode, / The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/before-the-roman-came-to-rye-or-out-to-severn-strode-the-rolling/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [A drunkard is like a whiskey-bottle, all neck and belly and no head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/a-drunkard-is-like-a-whiskey-bottle-all-neck-and-belly-and-no-head/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [There are more Physitians in health then drunkards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/there-are-more-physitians-in-health-then-drunkards/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [That human existence should repeat itself, well and good, but that it should repeat itself like a hackneyed tune, or a record a drunkard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-lem/that-human-existence-should-repeat-itself-well-and-good-but-that-it/) [Stanislaw Lem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-lem/) > [“In the shadow of feigned cripples and false wounds come the strong arms of thieves and very healthy drunkards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/in-the-shadow-of-feigned-cripples-and-false-wounds-come-the-strong/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) ## More by John Dryden > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Trust on and think To-morrow will repay; To-morrow's falser than the former day; Lies worse; and while it says, we shall be blest With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/trust-on-and-think-to-morrow-will-repay-to-morrow-s-falser-than-the/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [To take up half on trust, and half to try, Name it not faith but bungling bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/to-take-up-half-on-trust-and-half-to-try-name-it-not-faith-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Among our crimes oblivion may be set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/among-our-crimes-oblivion-may-be-set/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [And after hearing what our Church can say, If still our reason runs another way, That private reason 'tis more just to curb, Than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/and-after-hearing-what-our-church-can-say-if-still-our-reason-runs/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave deserves the fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/happy-happy-happy-pair-none-but-the-brave-deserves-the-fair/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [A coward is the kindest animal; 'Tis the most forgiving creature in a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/a-coward-is-the-kindest-animal-tis-the-most-forgiving-creature-in-a/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [God never made his work for man to mend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/god-never-made-his-work-for-man-to-mend/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Reason to rule, mercy to forgive: The first is law, the last prerogative. Life is an adventure in forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/reason-to-rule-mercy-to-forgive-the-first-is-law-the-last-prerogative/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Stiff opinion, always in the wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/stiff-opinion-always-in-the-wrong/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [He with a graceful pride, While his rider every hand survey'd, Sprung loose, and flew into an escapade; Not moving forward, yet with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/he-with-a-graceful-pride-while-his-rider-every-hand-survey-d-sprung/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Men's virtues I have commended as freely as I have taxed their crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/men-s-virtues-i-have-commended-as-freely-as-i-have-taxed-their-crimes/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Virtue without success is a fair picture shown by an ill light; but lucky men are favorites of heaven; all own the chief, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/virtue-without-success-is-a-fair-picture-shown-by-an-ill-light-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/zeal-the-blind-conductor-of-the-will/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [“Night came, but unattended with repose. Alone she came, no sleep their eyes to close. Alone and black she came; no friendly stars arose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/night-came-but-unattended-with-repose-alone-she-came-no-sleep-their/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) [Explore all 520 John Dryden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## More Drunkards quotes > [God helps three sorts of people: fools, children and drunkards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/god-helps-three-sorts-of-people-fools-children-and-drunkards/) [Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/) > [That human existence should repeat itself, well and good, but that it should repeat itself like a hackneyed tune, or a record a drunkard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-lem/that-human-existence-should-repeat-itself-well-and-good-but-that-it/) [Stanislaw Lem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-lem/) > [There are more Physitians in health then drunkards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/there-are-more-physitians-in-health-then-drunkards/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [A drunkard is like a whiskey-bottle, all neck and belly and no head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/a-drunkard-is-like-a-whiskey-bottle-all-neck-and-belly-and-no-head/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Before the Roman came to Rye or out to severn strode, / The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/before-the-roman-came-to-rye-or-out-to-severn-strode-the-rolling/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Sometimes I wish I was just a simple drunkard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/sometimes-i-wish-i-was-just-a-simple-drunkard/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [“Down Where the Drunkards Roll.” “How”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/down-where-the-drunkards-roll-how/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [If the impure and the unjust, the drunkard and the licentious, are loathsome to us, what must be the infinite loathing of an infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/if-the-impure-and-the-unjust-the-drunkard-and-the-licentious-are/) [Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/) > [Some people miss flesh as a drunkard misses his dram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/some-people-miss-flesh-as-a-drunkard-misses-his-dram/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [A teetotaler would regard it as his duty to associate with his drunkard brother for the purpose of weaning him from the evil habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-teetotaler-would-regard-it-as-his-duty-to-associate-with-his/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“These are the words of a fool: I am happy to be a fool, for i won't spend my time gazing at lines difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/these-are-the-words-of-a-fool-i-am-happy-to-be-a-fool-for-i-won-t/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Everyone knows that drunkards and lovers have a protecting diety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/everyone-knows-that-drunkards-and-lovers-have-a-protecting-diety/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-more-helpless-and-irresponsible-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,--often the surfeit of our own behavior,--we make guilty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/this-is-the-excellent-foppery-of-the-world-that-when-we-are-sick-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“In the shadow of feigned cripples and false wounds come the strong arms of thieves and very healthy drunkards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/in-the-shadow-of-feigned-cripples-and-false-wounds-come-the-strong/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) [Browse all 119 Drunkards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunkards/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards are, who live in a continual mist, without seeing or judging anything clearly. A man should be learned in several sciences, and should have a reasonable, philosophical and in some measure a mathematical head, to be a complete and excellent poet.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Dryden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards-are-who-live-in-a-continual/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drunkards" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards-are-who-live-in-a-continual/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/john-dryden-491_drunkards_mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards_3043722.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mere poets are sottish as mere drunkards are, who live in a continual mist, without seeing or judging…” — John Dryden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Dryden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mere poets are sottish as mere...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards-are-who-live-in-a-continual/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/mere-poets-are-sottish-as-mere-drunkards-are-who-live-in-a-continual/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```