But poetry is my life. Poetry is what matters to me.

In the ancient world, there were those whose lives were defined by the pursuit of truth, whose every action, every breath, was shaped by their commitment to the divine and the immortal. Among these were the poets, those rare souls who found the meaning of life in the art of words, who spoke with a power that transcended the mundane and reached into the very essence of what it means to be human. Peter Davison's words, "But poetry is my life. Poetry is what matters to me," echo this ancient calling. For him, as for the poets of old, poetry is not merely a craft or a pastime—it is the very breath of existence, a force that shapes and sustains him.

In the ancient Greek tradition, poets were revered as vessels of the divine. Homer, whose words continue to resonate across millennia, was not simply telling stories—he was preserving the very soul of the Greek people. His epics were not just tales of gods and men, but reflections on the human condition, on honor, fate, and the will of the gods. For Homer, poetry was not a job; it was his life's work, a force that defined his very being. Davison, too, sees poetry not as something that can be separated from life, but as the very substance of his existence. Just as the ancient poets lived and breathed their art, so does Davison find his meaning and purpose in the craft of writing.

Consider the example of Rainer Maria Rilke, that great German poet, who in his letters to a young poet, urged his reader to devote themselves fully to the pursuit of poetry, to make it their life, and to see it as a means of engaging with the world in its deepest form. Rilke’s commitment to poetry was not merely a profession but a calling—one that demanded all of his time, all of his energy, and all of his soul. He understood that to live for poetry was to live with purpose, to seek meaning in the most profound and sometimes mysterious aspects of existence. His work, like Davison's, reveals a deep dedication to the art, a belief that poetry has the power to unlock the hidden truths of the world.

Poetry, as Davison notes, matters to him because it is through poetry that he finds the key to understanding life. Plato once wrote in his Republic that poets were the teachers of society, capable of stirring the emotions and shaping the very morality of a people. Though Plato had his reservations about poetry, he acknowledged its immense power. To the poet, poetry is not simply a collection of words; it is the vehicle for a deeper understanding of the soul, of life's mysteries, and of the human spirit. The poet’s task is to distill the essence of what it means to be alive, to capture the fleeting moments of joy, sorrow, and wonder that pass through the human experience.

In every age, those who commit themselves to the path of poetry are often seen as visionaries—people who have touched something beyond the surface of the everyday world. Sylvia Plath, for example, was a poet whose life was inextricably bound to her work. Her poetry was a reflection of her deepest emotions, her struggles with identity, and her complex relationship with the world around her. For Plath, as for Davison, poetry was not just a creative outlet, but the very lens through which she saw and interacted with the world. The act of writing, for both of them, was a way to survive, a way to express what could not be said in any other form.

Davison’s declaration—"Poetry is my life. Poetry is what matters to me"—reminds us that art is not just a profession or a hobby; it is the essence of what it means to live with purpose and passion. It calls us to embrace the idea that the work we do, the things we create, are reflections of our deepest selves. The poet is not merely someone who writes for recognition or fame, but someone who engages with the world in a way that only poetry can allow. Poetry, in its truest form, allows the poet to give voice to the unspoken, to reach beyond the physical world and into the realm of the spirit.

In your own life, take Davison’s wisdom to heart: find what matters most to you, what makes you feel alive, and pour your heart into it with the same dedication and commitment that Davison applies to his poetry. Whether it is writing, painting, teaching, or any other form of creation, make that work your life’s purpose. Understand that in the pursuit of your deepest passion, you are not simply creating for the world—you are also creating for yourself. In doing so, you will find that purpose and meaning will follow, just as they have for the poets and artists of ages past. Through poetry—or through whatever form you choose to dedicate yourself to—you will touch the divine, and in turn, leave a mark on the world that speaks to future generations.