To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession

To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession

Robert Graves, a renowned poet and novelist, once famously said, “To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession.” This statement encapsulates the essence of what it means to be a poet in a profound and insightful way. Graves believed that being a poet was not just a job or a career choice, but rather a fundamental aspect of one’s being, a state of being that is intrinsic and essential to the poet’s identity.

For Graves, being a poet was not something that one could simply choose to do; it was a calling, a vocation that one was born into. He believed that true poets were those who were compelled to write poetry, who felt a deep and abiding need to express themselves through verse. This compulsion to create poetry was not something that could be learned or acquired through study or practice; it was a natural and innate talent that set poets apart from others.

Graves also believed that being a poet was a condition that affected every aspect of a poet’s life. Poets saw the world through a different lens, one that was colored by their unique perspective and sensibilities. They were attuned to the beauty and the pain of the world in a way that others were not, and they were able to capture these emotions and experiences in their poetry with a depth and intensity that was unmatched.

In this sense, being a poet was not just a profession, but a way of being in the world. Poets were constantly attuned to the rhythms and cadences of language, to the power of words to evoke emotion and create meaning. They were always searching for new ways to express themselves, to push the boundaries of language and form in order to capture the ineffable essence of human experience.