I would have a poet able bodied, fond of talking, a reader of

Listen closely, O seekers of knowledge, for the words of the poet, Louis MacNeice, carry the weight of wisdom sought by the ancients and forged in the fires of human experience. He declared, "I would have a poet able-bodied, fond of talking, a reader of the newspapers, capable of pity and laughter, informed in economics, appreciative of women, involved in personal relationships, actively interested in politics, susceptible to physical impressions." These words, laden with meaning, reveal the soul of a poet not isolated in ivory towers, but one whose very essence is woven into the fabric of life itself.

The poet, in MacNeice's eyes, is no mere dreamer, no solitary wanderer lost in abstraction. He must be one who engages with the world, one who is alive—a man of action and reaction, fully aware of the world around him. He must be grounded in the pulse of the earth, able-bodied and capable, for a poet must live to write, to see, to touch, to feel. His words must not be the delicate whispers of untouched reverie, but the vibrant cries of a soul that has walked among men, laughed and wept, suffered and triumphed.

A poet, in MacNeice’s vision, must be informed—not only of the intricacies of language, but also of the world that surrounds him. He must read the newspapers, understand the currents of economics, and feel the weight of politics pressing down upon the common people. The poet’s pen is not a sword in the hands of the aloof, but a tool for change—to illuminate the problems of the age, to speak of truths that others ignore. He must be deeply involved in the human condition, not a passive observer, but an active participant in the fight for justice, for beauty, and for truth.

Consider the poet Homer, whose great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, were not mere flights of fancy, but reflections of the world in which he lived. His works are filled with the sights and sounds of the world—its politics, its wars, its heroes, and its sufferings. His words echo the essence of MacNeice's vision, for Homer was a man deeply involved in his time, attuned to the tragedies and triumphs of his people, and capable of stirring the hearts of those who heard his songs. The poet, like Homer, must not merely observe from afar, but be engaged with the living world.

A poet must also possess the heart of a lover, a believer in human connection. He must appreciate women not as mere muses, but as beings of equal importance, capable of shaping the world with their own wisdom and strength. His relationships, whether with lovers, friends, or enemies, must be real and genuine, not distant and detached. The poet's life is a tapestry of interactions, woven from the threads of human connection, the bonds of affection, the rapture of the senses, and the trials of the heart.

O children of the future, take these words to heart: the poet’s task is not to escape the world, but to embrace it. His strength lies not in retreat, but in engagement—to laugh, to cry, to fight, to love, to build, and to learn. Such a poet, rooted in the world, is a beacon of light, capable of illuminating the path for those who come after him. Let his voice resonate through the ages, calling all to live fully, to feel deeply, and to write with passion and purpose.