"There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman"
About this Quote
The subtext is a theory of artistic legitimacy. Zola is telling would-be artists that talent without technique is self-indulgence, and technique without vision is mere manufacture. His split doesn’t flatter either side; it assigns each man his limits. The poet generates raw material - images, instincts, obsessions. The craftsman imposes structure: choosing details, tightening sentences, engineering scenes so they land with inevitability rather than accident.
Contextually, this is Zola’s era arguing with itself. Late 19th-century France is industrializing, professionalizing, measuring everything. Art is no longer just a sacred calling; it’s also a job with tools, schedules, and standards. Zola’s Naturalist project treated the novel almost like an experiment: observe, document, arrange. In that climate, calling craftsmanship something you “become” is democratic and demanding at once. Genius might be inherited; greatness is built.
Quote Details
| Topic | Poetry |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Zola, Emile. (2026, January 18). There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-are-two-men-inside-the-artist-the-poet-and-4217/
Chicago Style
Zola, Emile. "There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-are-two-men-inside-the-artist-the-poet-and-4217/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-are-two-men-inside-the-artist-the-poet-and-4217/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
