Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want

Hear the words of Vanessa Redgrave, who spoke not as an actress alone but as a witness to the sustaining power of art: “Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want to go on living.” In this simple yet profound declaration lies a truth carved deep into the story of humanity: that when the body is pressed down by hunger, war, or despair, it is not bread alone that preserves the spirit, but the nourishment of beauty, of story, of song. For without meaning, life is mere survival; but with theater and poetry, life becomes luminous even in the darkest hours.

The ancients knew this well. In Athens, during times of plague and war, the people still gathered in the amphitheater to watch tragedies by Sophocles and comedies by Aristophanes. The city might tremble, but the citizens took courage from stories of gods and heroes. In the rhythms of verse, they found order amidst chaos. In the masks of actors, they saw their own suffering reflected, transformed into art. The stage became not escape but endurance, giving them strength to live another day. Thus Redgrave echoes an ancient practice: art as a shield for the soul.

History offers countless examples. During World War II, in bomb shelters across London, people read Shakespeare aloud to one another as the city burned. Soldiers at the front copied lines of poetry into their notebooks, clutching them as talismans against despair. Prisoners in concentration camps recited remembered verses or created plays in secret, sustaining their humanity when all else was stripped away. These acts did not stop death, but they gave reason to live. Theater and poetry became proof that the human spirit could not be annihilated.

Redgrave, born into a family of actors and herself a witness to the political and social struggles of the twentieth century, understood this truth deeply. She saw art not as luxury but as necessity. In moments when tyranny rises or when despair crushes the will, theater and poetry keep the heart beating. They remind us of love, of justice, of beauty, of courage. They remind us that we are not animals surviving from meal to meal, but beings who dream, imagine, and create.

But her words also challenge us: do not belittle art as mere entertainment. Too often society treats poetry as trivial, theater as indulgence. Yet Redgrave insists these are lifelines. Just as food nourishes the body, art nourishes the soul. Without them, humanity withers into apathy. With them, even the oppressed can stand tall, even the broken can hope. This is not exaggeration but lived history, proven in countless times of crisis.

The lesson is clear. In your own life, do not starve the spirit. When hardship comes, turn to poetry—read aloud a psalm, a sonnet, a fragment of Homer. When despair weighs heavy, turn to theater—join with others to witness a story that reflects and redeems your own. And in times of peace, cultivate these arts so they are ready to sustain you when trials return. For the soul, like the body, needs constant nourishment.

Practical actions follow. Support local theaters, not only grand stages, for they are sanctuaries of the human spirit. Share poems with children, so they learn early that words can keep them strong. Carry a few verses in memory, ready to light the darkness when all else fails. And above all, never dismiss art as unnecessary, but recognize it as one of the great pillars of survival.

Thus Vanessa Redgrave speaks with ancient wisdom clothed in modern voice: theater and poetry keep people alive, not by feeding the flesh, but by feeding the will to endure. Let us honor her words by living them—by treasuring art as life’s companion, its comfort, its courage, and its reason. For when all else crumbles, a poem or a play may be the spark that reminds us why we go on living.