--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poets in our civilization, as it exists…" description: "\"Poets in our civilization, as it exists at present, must be difficult...The poet must become more and more comprehensive, more allusive, more indirect,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/t-s-eliot-633_civilization_poets-in-our-civilization-as-it-exists-a_647430.png" --- # Poets in our civilization, as it exists at present, must… ![“Poets in our civilization, as it exists at present, must be difficult...The poet must become more and more comprehensive, more allusive, more indirect, in order to force, to dislocate if necessary, language into its meaning.” quote by T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/t-s-eliot-633_civilization_poets-in-our-civilization-as-it-exists-a_647430.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/t-s-eliot-633_civilization_poets-in-our-civilization-as-it-exists-a_647430.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/t-s-eliot-633_civilization_poets-in-our-civilization-as-it-exists-a_647430.png) > “Poets in our civilization, as it exists at present, must be difficult...The poet must become more and more comprehensive, more allusive, more indirect, in order to force, to dislocate if necessary, language into its meaning.” [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poets must expand their language, using indirect and allusive techniques to reveal deeper meanings. **In simple terms:** Poets need to be indirect to make language mean more. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity in expression. Themes poetry language meaning Mood reflective analytical Type theoretical inspirational When to use this quote - writing poetry - literary criticism - teaching literature Key Concepts literary theory semantic depth Questions to Reflect On - How does indirectness affect reader engagement? - When is clarity more valuable than allusion? A Different Perspective Complexity can alienate readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) ## Related quotes > [If you cling to the past, the present becomes difficult and the future seems impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-cling-to-the-past-the-present-becomes-difficult-and-the-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We turn now to T. S. Eliot," said Mr Varriale, my 11th-grade English teacher, "the most difficult poet in the English language." At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-hawkins/we-turn-now-to-t-s-eliot-said-mr-varriale-my-11th-grade-english/) Peter S. 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S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Every end is a beginning...And every beginning is an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/every-end-is-a-beginning-and-every-beginning-is-an-end/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) [Explore all 433 T. S. Eliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) ## More Civilization quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. 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