Poet
Occupation | |
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Names | Poet, Troubador, Bard |
Occupation type | Vocation |
Activity sectors | Literary |
Description | |
Competencies | Writing |
Related jobs | Novelist, writer, lyricist |
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A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or written), or they may also perform their art to an audience.
The work of a poet is essentially one of communication, expressing ideas either in a literal sense (such as communicating about a specific event or place) or metaphorically. Poets have existed since prehistory, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary greatly in different cultures and periods.[1] Throughout each civilization and language, poets have used various styles that have changed over time, resulting in countless poets as diverse as the literature that (since the advent of writing systems) they have produced.
History
Poetry may have been started in
In
Poets held an important position in pre-Islamic Arabic society with the poet or , would play host to a regular poetry festival where the craft of the sha'irs would be exhibited.
In the
The Renaissance period saw a continuation of patronage of poets by royalty. Many poets, however, had other sources of income, including Italians like
In the
Poets such as
Education
Poets of earlier times were often well read and highly educated people while others were to a large extent self-educated. A few poets such as John Gower and John Milton were able to write poetry in more than one language. Some Portuguese poets, as Francisco de Sá de Miranda, wrote not only in Portuguese but also in Spanish.[4] Jan Kochanowski wrote in Polish and in Latin,[5] France Prešeren and Karel Hynek Mácha[6] wrote some poems in German, although they were poets of Slovenian and Czech respectively. Adam Mickiewicz, the greatest poet of Polish language, wrote a Latin ode for emperor Napoleon III. Another example is Jerzy Pietrkiewicz, a Polish poet. When he moved to Great Britain, he ceased to write poetry in Polish, but started writing a novel in English.[7] He also translated poetry into English.
Many universities offer degrees in creative writing though these only came into existence in the 20th century. While these courses are not necessary for a career as a poet, they can be helpful as training, and for giving the student several years of time focused on their writing.[8]
Poets of sacred verse
See also
References
- ISBN 90-420-0111-9.
- ^ Barbara K. Gold (2014), Literary and Artistic Patronage in Ancient Rome", University of Texas Press.
- ^ Peter T. Murphy (2005), "Poetry as an Occupation and an Art in Britain", Cambridge University Press.
- ^ "Francisco de Sá de Miranda | Portuguese author". Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ "Catholic Encyclopedia: Jan Kochanowski". New Advent. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ Burns, Tracy A. "Karel Hynek Mácha: A leading poet of Czech Romanticism". Prague Blog. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ "Jerzy Peterkiewicz: Polish poet turned English novelist". The Independent. 26 January 2008. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ Nikki Moustaki (2001), The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry, Penguin.
Further reading
- Reginald Gibbons (ed), The Poet's Work: 29 poets on the origins and practice of their art. University of Chicago Press (1979).