Accepted Quote by Stephen Spender
“Although Poets are vain and ambitious, their vanity and ambition are of the purest kind attainable in this world. They are ambitious to be accepted for what they altimately are as revealed in their poetry.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Role of the Poet", 1945
Poets channel vanity and ambition into art, seeking authentic self‑expression and acceptance.
In simple terms: Poets use pride to create honest work.
Key Takeaway
Use ambition to fuel genuine creation.
Themes
art
ambition
authenticity
Mood
introspective
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- creative projects
- self‑reflection
- public readings
Key Concepts
Literary criticism
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can ambition stay constructive?
- What does authentic expression mean to you?
A Different Perspective
Excessive vanity can distort purpose.
![“Neither men, nor gods, nor booksellers' shelves permit ordinary poets to exist. [Lat., Mediocribus esse poetis Non homines, non di, non concessere columnae.]” quote by Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bd4/horace-172_booksellers_neither-men-nor-gods-nor-booksellers-she_23851.jpg)
![“[poems are] crystals deposited after the effervescent contact of the spirit with reality. (cristaux deposes apres l'effervescent contact de l'esprit avec la realite)” quote by Pierre Reverdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb1/pierre-reverdy-33281_crystals_poems-are-crystals-deposited-after-the-e_13424.jpg)
![“We have reached a situation where a theory has been accepted as fact by some, and possible contrary evidence is shunted aside. [This is] mythology rather than science.” quote by Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c31/robert-shapiro-26969_accepted_we-have-reached-a-situation-where-a-theo_19120.jpg)
