Absolutes Quote by Thomas Love Peacock
“The truth, I am convinced, is that there is no longer a poetical audience among the higher class of minds, that moral, political, and physical science have entirely withdrawn from poetry the attention of all whose attention is worth having; and that the poetical reading public being composed of the mere dregs of the intellectual community, the most sufficing passport to their favour must rest on the mixture of a little easily-intelligible portion of mawkish sentiment with an absolute negation of reason and knowledge.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Four Ages of Poetry, 1810
The elite no longer value poetry; only a low‑brow audience remains, demanding sentiment over reason.
In simple terms: High minds ignore poetry; only simple, emotional verses survive.
Key Takeaway
Appeal to emotion when reason is dismissed.
Themes
elitism
culture
art
audience
reason
Mood
cynical
reflective
Type
critical
analytical
When to use this quote
- Literary criticism
- publishing
- education
- media consumption
Key Concepts
Aesthetic decline
public taste
intellectual elitism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does sentiment replace reason in popular art?
- Can poetry regain intellectual respect?
A Different Perspective
Even among elites, some still cherish serious poetry.
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