Poets and Society

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Poets and Society


Society doesn't owe the poet
anything. Even if it did,
what leverage does the poet
have to collect what's due?

Do poets owe society
anything? If they want
something from or for
society, then they owe

society poetry that
satisfies something in
parts of that mass. Other-
wise, poets are free. Free

to be sojourners of the
interior, dedicated to
introspection; and to inspection
of the exterior--if they

so choose. Society will
support a relatively few
poets (chosen from a list)
at a time--a mere gesture.

The rest are on their own.
(How wonderful to be on
one's own.) They follow
their own way, which may

(but may not) feature
a sense of
duty to others. Poets owe
themselves poetry.


Hans Ostrom Copyright 2011