Robert Frost on Poets on Trial
on Wednesday, November 5, 2014Robert Frost Money Quotation saying writers look down on payment for creativity but each will be judged by payment whether rich or poor. Robert Frost said:
“Modern poets talk against business, poor things, but all of us write for money. Beginners are subjected to trial by market” — Robert Frost
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This Robert Frost quote is commenting on the relationship between poets and the business/market aspects of writing poetry. He acknowledges that even though some modern poets criticize business, all poets ultimately write with the goal of making money.
The quote also suggests that beginning poets have to prove themselves commercially by whether their work sells in the market. So Frost is acknowledging the reality that poetry, like any artistic endeavor, requires commercial success to some degree in order to have a career as a poet.
The “trial by market” line indicates that new poets must face scrutiny from the public marketplace to determine if their work is worth supporting financially.