--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation." description: "\"“Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation.”\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/leonard-cohen-448_career_poetry-is-a-verdict-not-an-occupation-31_3175270.jpg" --- # Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation. ![“Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/leonard-cohen-448_career_poetry-is-a-verdict-not-an-occupation-31_3175270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/leonard-cohen-448_career_poetry-is-a-verdict-not-an-occupation-31_3175270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/leonard-cohen-448_career_poetry-is-a-verdict-not-an-occupation-31_3175270.jpg) > ““Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation.”” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry serves as a decisive judgment about life and truth, not merely a job or pastime, emphasizing its profound evaluative power. **In simple terms:** Poetry judges life, not just a job. Key Takeaway Treat poetry as a means to assess truth. Themes truth art judgment creativity Mood contemplative serious inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - critical analysis - educational curricula Key Concepts philosophy literary criticism existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does poetry influence your perception of truth? - Can you separate the art from the artist? A Different Perspective Viewing poetry solely as a profession can diminish its deeper purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry Verdict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-verdict-3050183/) [Verdict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verdict/) [Verdict Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verdict-occupation-5795944/) ## Related quotes > [I always thought that poetry is the verdict that others give to a certain kind of writing. So to call yourself a poet is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-always-thought-that-poetry-is-the-verdict-that-others-give-to-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Poetry is a verdict rather than an intention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/poetry-is-a-verdict-rather-than-an-intention/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I think the term poet is a very exalted term and should be applied to a man at the end of his work. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-think-the-term-poet-is-a-very-exalted-term-and-should-be-applied-to/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [When I land in a country and they ask for 'occupation,' I always just put 'artist.' I think that covers all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-land-in-a-country-and-they-ask-for-occupation-i-always-just/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [The problem is not the occupation, but how people deal with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-problem-is-not-the-occupation-but-how-people-deal-with-it/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Writing is a creatively rewarding occupation but for me very time consuming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/writing-is-a-creatively-rewarding-occupation-but-for-me-very-time/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [To the distracting occupations belong especially my lecture courses which I am holding this winter for the first time, and which now cost much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/to-the-distracting-occupations-belong-especially-my-lecture-courses/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) > [You do research into specific occupations of the character, with specific behaviorisms that their daily life might give them. You do as much research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-burnet/you-do-research-into-specific-occupations-of-the-character-with/) [Guy Burnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-burnet/) > [Most readers, then and now, have at some time experienced the humiliation of being told that their occupation is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/most-readers-then-and-now-have-at-some-time-experienced-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I'm going to be specific so you can render your verdict. 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Because He loves me and He accepts me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/you-see-the-verdict-is-in-and-now-i-perform-on-the-basis-of-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To place nothing—nothing—above the verdict of my own mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/to-place-nothing-nothing-above-the-verdict-of-my-own-mind/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. 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It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Career quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. 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