POETS AS LEGISLATORS
Sir,-It seems to me that the Forum on Sunday, March 20, missed the bus. Shelley’s "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world" became several things for several people; but as far as I could tell from careful listening, nobody seemed to take much interest in what the words meant to Shelley himself. Or indeed, what they mean at all. Mr, Oliver was content to discuss: "Poets are." Mr. Milne: "Poets are sometimes difficult." Miss Stephens and Professor Gordon: "Poets who are difficult to-day are sometimes simple to-morrow."
Mr. Oliver and Professor Gordon; "Shelley’s statement is an emotive outburst, and can’t be taken seriously." But can’t it? As I see it, legislation is largely a crystallisation of public opinion on social issues, Politicians are seldom orginators: they are too concerned with the popular vote. But the popular vote, even in progressive legislation, doesn’t depend only on catch-cries and cheap-jack propaganda. It rests on the individual conscience. And this individual conscience, like the individual consciences of the legislator, is quickened by the poet. To get down to instances, drawn at random, Wordsworth is an unacknowledged legislator in educational reform even in this country. Shelley himself led the way to women’s suffrage. The authors of the Gospel had a hand in Social Security. And so on.
ANTON
VOGT
(Lower Hutt).
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 512, 14 April 1949, Page 5
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221POETS AS LEGISLATORS New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 512, 14 April 1949, Page 5
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