"In Russia all tyrants believe poets to be their worst enemies"
- Yevgeny Yevtushenko
About this Quote
This quote by Yevgeny Yevtushenko speaks to the power of poetry and its ability to challenge overbearing routines. In Russia, tyrants have actually long feared the power of poets to speak reality to power and to inspire people to withstand injustice. Poets have the capability to capture the feelings of an individuals and to reveal them in a way that resonates with the public. This can be an effective tool for those who are oppressed and can be a risk to those in power. By speaking up versus injustice, poets can assist to create a motion of individuals who are willing to stand up and fight for their rights. This is why autocrats in Russia have actually long seen poets as their worst enemies.
"A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it"
"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act"
