Quote by Joseph Brodsky
If a poet has any obligation toward society, it is to write well. Being in the minority, he has no other choice. Failing this duty, he sinks into oblivion. Society, on the other hand, has no obligation toward the poet. A majority by definition, society thinks of itself as having other options than reading verses, no matter how well written. Its failure to do so results in its sinking to that level of locution at which society falls easy prey to a demagogue or a tyrant. This is society's own equivalent of oblivion.
Summary
This quote highlights the importance of a poet's responsibility to write well. As part of the minority, poets have no choice but to excel in their craft. Failing to fulfill this duty leads them to be forgotten. However, society is under no obligation to support poets. Considering itself a majority, society believes it has better things to do than read poetry, regardless of its quality. Nonetheless, if society neglects the power of well-written verses, it opens itself up to manipulation by demagogues and tyrants. This neglect becomes society's equivalent of being forgotten, sinking into an insidious oblivion.
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