--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contemporary poets are skeptical and…" description: "\"Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or perhaps especially, about themselves. They publicly confess to being poets only reluctantly, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/wislawa-szymborska-4464_acknowledge_contemporary-poets-are-skeptical-and-sus_3213482.jpg" --- # Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or… ![“Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or perhaps especially, about themselves. They publicly confess to being poets only reluctantly, as if they were a little ashamed of it. But in our clamorous times it's much easier to acknowledge your faults, at least if they're attractively…” quote by Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/wislawa-szymborska-4464_acknowledge_contemporary-poets-are-skeptical-and-sus_3213482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/wislawa-szymborska-4464_acknowledge_contemporary-poets-are-skeptical-and-sus_3213482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8e/wislawa-szymborska-4464_acknowledge_contemporary-poets-are-skeptical-and-sus_3213482.jpg) > “Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or perhaps especially, about themselves. They publicly confess to being poets only reluctantly, as if they were a little ashamed of it. But in our clamorous times it's much easier to acknowledge your faults, at least if they're attractively packaged, than to recognize your own merits, since these are hidden deeper and you never quite believe in them yourself.” [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poets often hide their identity, fearing judgment, yet modern culture encourages flaunting flaws as art. **In simple terms:** Poets are shy but modern fame pushes them to reveal flaws. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity over self‑censorship. Themes identity authenticity self‑critique Mood reflective introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - literary festivals - social media - creative workshops - self‑publishing Key Concepts vulnerability public persona Questions to Reflect On - Why do we package faults attractively? - Can honesty survive public scrutiny? A Different Perspective Over‑exposure can erode genuine expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acknowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acknowledge/) [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Confess Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confess-poets-6013370/) [Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary/) [Contemporary Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-poets-2426024/) [Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Faults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faults/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merit/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) [Poets Reluctantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-reluctantly-6013371/) [Poets Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-skeptical-6013369/) [Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical/) [Suspicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspicious/) ## Related quotes > [The formal stuff feels old and windy. Not to say you shouldn't know prosody. But it's a wonderful time for exploratory poetics. Contemporary poets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/the-formal-stuff-feels-old-and-windy-not-to-say-you-shouldn-t-know/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [“Contemporary poets got so obscure that poetry kind of fell out of favor,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ruffin/contemporary-poets-got-so-obscure-that-poetry-kind-of-fell-out-of/) [Paul Ruffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ruffin/) > [I know that in some ways I operate from a kind of antiquated interest in imagery, while many contemporary poets are not so interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-know-that-in-some-ways-i-operate-from-a-kind-of-antiquated-interest/) [Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/) > [Love, according to our contemporary poets, is a privilege which two beings confer upon one another, whereby they may mutually cause one another much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/love-according-to-our-contemporary-poets-is-a-privilege-which-two/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Donald Trump is much more suspicious of international institutions; much more skeptical of the contributions that America's traditional allies have made; more willing, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/donald-trump-is-much-more-suspicious-of-international-institutions/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Both my parents were agnostic. My mother was kind of a Buddhist. She had some spiritual tendencies, but they were kind of flaky -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/both-my-parents-were-agnostic-my-mother-was-kind-of-a-buddhist-she/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [There are many Americans who regardless of the intelligence or the profound political persuasion of a figure will never vote for a black man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/there-are-many-americans-who-regardless-of-the-intelligence-or-the/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/if-fifty-million-people-say-a-foolish-thing-it-is-still-a-foolish/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“being skeptical is a good thing for a journalist, because it means you don't completely trust anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/being-skeptical-is-a-good-thing-for-a-journalist-because-it-means-you/) [Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/) > [I'm skeptical of claims that we've been visited by aliens from another planet or other dimension, but I don't rule it out 100 percent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/i-m-skeptical-of-claims-that-we-ve-been-visited-by-aliens-from/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [We live in an age rather skeptical of truth, of its existence." There is a "tendency to believe that nothing is definitive, and think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/we-live-in-an-age-rather-skeptical-of-truth-of-its-existence-there-is/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Because a truly skeptical position would be a very uncertain one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/because-a-truly-skeptical-position-would-be-a-very-uncertain-one/) [Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [It is a very cynical, skeptical, foolish person that suggests Israel does not need a peace process to have a growing economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/it-is-a-very-cynical-skeptical-foolish-person-that-suggests-israel/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) ## More by Wislawa Szymborska > [I usually write for the individual reader -though I would like to have many such readers. There are some poets who write for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-usually-write-for-the-individual-reader-though-i-would-like-to-have/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Out of every hundred people, those who always know better: fifty-two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/out-of-every-hundred-people-those-who-always-know-better-fifty-two/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [I don't know the role I'm playing. I only know it's mine, non-convertible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-don-t-know-the-role-i-m-playing-i-only-know-it-s-mine-non/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [This terrifying world is not devoid of charms, of the mornings that make waking up worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/this-terrifying-world-is-not-devoid-of-charms-of-the-mornings-that/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Poetic talent doesn't operate in a vacuum. There is a spirit of Polish poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/poetic-talent-doesn-t-operate-in-a-vacuum-there-is-a-spirit-of-polish/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [“Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel, and the book of events is always open in the middle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/every-beginning-after-all-is-nothing-but-a-sequel-and-the-book-of/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [All the best have something in common, a regard for reality, an agreement to its primacy over the imagination. Even the richest, most surprising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/all-the-best-have-something-in-common-a-regard-for-reality-an/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Is a decision made in advance really any kind of choice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/is-a-decision-made-in-advance-really-any-kind-of-choice/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [“Four billion people on this earth but my imagination is still the same. It's bad with large numbers. It's still taken by particularity. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/four-billion-people-on-this-earth-but-my-imagination-is-still-the/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Most of the earth's inhabitants work to get by. They work because they have to. They didn't pick this or that kind of job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/most-of-the-earth-s-inhabitants-work-to-get-by-they-work-because-they/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [God was finally going to believe in a man both good and strong, but good and strong are still two different men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/god-was-finally-going-to-believe-in-a-man-both-good-and-strong-but/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Carry on, then, if only for the moment that it takes a tiny galaxy to blink!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/carry-on-then-if-only-for-the-moment-that-it-takes-a-tiny-galaxy-to/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Keep up the good work, if only for a while, if only for the twinkling of a tiny galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/keep-up-the-good-work-if-only-for-a-while-if-only-for-the-twinkling/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [I'm working on the world, revised, improved edition, featuring fun for fools blues for brooders, combs for bald pates, tricks for old dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-m-working-on-the-world-revised-improved-edition-featuring-fun-for/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [Any knowledge that doesn't lead to new questions quickly dies out: it fails to maintain the temperature required for sustaining life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/any-knowledge-that-doesn-t-lead-to-new-questions-quickly-dies-out-it/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) [Explore all 109 Wislawa Szymborska quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) ## More Acknowledge quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [The only way to ease our fear and be truly happy is to acknowledge our fear and look deeply at its source. Instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-way-to-ease-our-fear-and-be-truly-happy-is-to-acknowledge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/on-thanksgiving-day-we-acknowledge-our-dependence/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [You can't go into games with any fear. You can acknowledge a good team but you can't go in worrying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/you-can-t-go-into-games-with-any-fear-you-can-acknowledge-a-good-team/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) > [We must acknowledge that bearing and raising children is not some pesky, peripheral activity that we engage in, but the whole point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-maushart/we-must-acknowledge-that-bearing-and-raising-children-is-not-some/) [Susan Maushart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-maushart/) > [When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-farrer/when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving-god-in-full-and-vigorous/) [Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-farrer/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Actually, when I look at my old notebooks, I think I have been a bit self-indulgent and have given myself too much time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/actually-when-i-look-at-my-old-notebooks-i-think-i-have-been-a-bit/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I would like, then, to end by putting in a good word for the non-industrious poor. At least they aren’t hurting anyone. Insofar as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/i-would-like-then-to-end-by-putting-in-a-good-word-for-the-non/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [As objects of contemplation, images of the atrocious can answer to several different needs. To steel oneself against weakness. To make oneself more numb.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/as-objects-of-contemplation-images-of-the-atrocious-can-answer-to/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [It is in the measure that special methods acknowledge their common core in transcendental method, that norms common to all the sciences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/it-is-in-the-measure-that-special-methods-acknowledge-their-common/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [I can hear of the brilliant accomplishments of any of my sex with pleasure and rejoice in that liberality of sentiment which acknowledges them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/i-can-hear-of-the-brilliant-accomplishments-of-any-of-my-sex-with/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) [Browse all 1,475 Acknowledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acknowledge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or perhaps especially, about themselves. 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