|
Notices |
It's been a while, Unregistered -- Welcome back to Eratosphere! |
|
|
02-23-2017, 10:38 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Posts: 9,656
|
|
Poets in gov't service?
Here's a question, prompted by the new issue of Rattle and especially by some remarks in Mike Juster's interview. He's asked about prominent poets in government service, and he replies that it was common among Latin poets.
So I'm curious: which Latin poets would you count as being "in government" in one way or another?
|
02-23-2017, 10:55 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Old South Wales (UK)
Posts: 6,681
|
|
Was there not some official purpose behind Catullus's trip to Bithynia?
.
Last edited by Ann Drysdale; 08-13-2018 at 10:44 AM.
Reason: spelling error, spotted over a twelvemonth later.
|
02-23-2017, 10:56 AM
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Iowa City, IA, USA
Posts: 10,098
|
|
Catullus served in the entourage of the governor of Bithynia, but his motives were probably a prospect of enriching himself (which didn't work out for him) versus serving the public. Cicero apparently tried to write poetry (the results were not very good), and he became consul.
Susan
|
02-23-2017, 11:33 AM
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,626
|
|
Also many of the Chinese poets, no?
|
02-23-2017, 11:35 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Posts: 9,656
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron Novick
Also many of the Chinese poets, no?
|
I recall that it a general way. Does anyone have specific names? (Yes, I'm too lazy to go looking them up one by one.)
And thanks, Ann and Susan.
|
02-23-2017, 11:40 AM
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lazio, Italy
Posts: 5,813
|
|
Does Dante count as Latin? He was a key figure in Florentine politics, which led to his exile. We can't be sure about dates, but it would seem his poetic production fell off while he was in government. He studied philosophy (and everything else) instead. For sure he was quite prolific after exile and after he gave up on politics to be a "party of one."
|
02-23-2017, 11:50 AM
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 2,256
|
|
If we're going beyond the Latin poets, there's Chaucer, of course.
And I believe the Greek dramatist-poets were often employed as ambassadors, and that writing for the theatrical festivals was considered a form of public service.
And many poets of various cultures have served their countries as soldiers.
|
02-23-2017, 12:23 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Surrey, Canada
Posts: 641
|
|
Going back to the original query (sort of), several Latin American poets served as diplomats for their countries:
Octavio Paz was an ambassador to India for Mexico.
Pablo Neruda was an ambassador to France for Chile.
As for Chinese poets, Tu Fu, arguably the greatest of them all, held a minor government post (and was demoted, if I recall correctly).
|
02-23-2017, 12:25 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Posts: 9,656
|
|
Thanks, friends; I'm really interested in all of them, though soldiering might take me farther afield than I want to go.
I'm definitely counting Dante and Chaucer for the endeavor that's starting to take shape in my head. And I had forgotten about those Latin Americans!
Max, have you got any names of specific Greeks, or hints about how to look for them?
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Member Login
Forum Statistics:
Forum Members: 8,403
Total Threads: 21,890
Total Posts: 271,308
There are 3930 users
currently browsing forums.
Forum Sponsor:
|
|
|
|
|
|