# Poetry explained — Essays > Chapter companion for Essays by Henry David Thoreau. ## What happens Thoreau distinguishes between two classes of poets: one who cultivates life and the other who cultivates art. He contrasts inspired, genius-driven writing with polished, intellectual work, arguing that true poetry is defined by its atmosphere and rough-hewn, enduring quality rather than mere felicitous expression. He critiques contemporary taste as too delicate and praises the rude, massive proportions of older works that anticipate the test of time. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Role of the Poet and Writer Thoreau defines the poet as a Cincinnatus in literature, one who weaves the planet and stubble into verse, emphasizing the poet's duty to cultivate life over mere art. ### Nature and Simplicity The essay praises rough-hewn, granite-like poetry that anticipates time, contrasting it with polished, artificial works, and aligns true poetry with natural, enduring processes. ## Character check-ins ### Henry David Thoreau Authorial voice presenting a philosophical treatise on the nature of poetry and the poet. ### Shakespeare Cited as an example of the inspired, genius-driven stream of poetry (Alpheus). ### Burns Cited as an example of the inspired, genius-driven stream of poetry (Arethuse). ### Goethe Cited as a remarkable instance of the second, self-possessed and wise style of writing. ## Key lines > A true poem is distinguished, not so much by a felicitous expression or any thought it suggests, as by the atmosphere which surrounds it. A genuine poem is defined less by clever phrasing or ideas than by the overall feeling or mood it creates. _Thoreau emphasizes the intangible, enveloping quality of poetry over mere technical or intellectual merit._ > There are two classes of men called poets. The one cultivates life, the other art; one seeks food for nutriment, the other for flavor; one satisfies hunger, the other gratifies the palate. Poets fall into two types: those who focus on living deeply and those who focus on crafting art; one nourishes, the other merely pleases. _Thoreau distinguishes between poets who engage with life itself and those who prioritize aesthetic refinement._ > A work of genius is rough-hewn from the first, because it anticipates the lapse of time, and has an ingrained polish, which still appears when fragments are broken off, an essential quality of its substance. A masterpiece is initially rough because it is built to endure; its true polish comes from within and remains even when parts are lost. _Thoreau argues that lasting art is inherently robust and gains beauty through time and use, not through superficial finishing._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/essays_2_se/chapters/poetry - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/essays_2_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/essays_2_se/chapters