[Maryann Corbett]

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?

[Ann Drysdale]

Was there not some official purpose behind Catullus's trip to Bithynia?
.

[Susan McLean]

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

[Aaron Novick]

Also many of the Chinese poets, no?

[Maryann Corbett]

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.

[Andrew Frisardi]

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."

[Max Goodman]

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.

[Aaron Novick]

Originally Posted by Maryann Corbett

I recall that it a general way. Does anyone have specific names?

Su Shi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Shi#Life
Wang Wei: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_W...h-century_poet)

And many others whose names I don't remember offhand.

[Edward Zuk]

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).

[Maryann Corbett]

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?