"Poets wish to profit or to please"

This quote by Horace speaks with the inspirations of poets and their desire to develop. It recommends that poets have 2 primary goals in mind when they write: to earn a profit or to please their audience. The idea of profit suggests that poets are wanting to generate income from their work, either through sales of their work or through other kinds of settlement. The idea of pleasing their audience implies that poets are wanting to create something that resonates with their readers which they are wanting to produce something that will be appreciated and taken pleasure in. This quote talks to the idea that poets are driven by both financial and creative inspirations, and that they are aiming to produce something that will be both rewarding and pleasing.