“When power leads men towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.
The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state. The great artist is thus a solitary figure. He has, as Frost said, a lover’s quarrel with the world. In pursuing his perceptions of reality, he must often sail against the currents of his time. This is not a popular role. If Robert Frost was much honored in his lifetime, it was because a good many preferred to ignore his darker truths. Yet in retrospect, we see how the artist’s fidelity has strengthened the fibre of our national life.
If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our nation falls short of its highest potential. I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist.
If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. And as Mr. MacLeish once remarked of poets, there is nothing worse for our trade than to be in style. In free society art is not a weapon and it does not belong to the spheres of polemic and ideology. Artists are not engineers of the soul. It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society — in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may. In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation. And the nation which disdains the mission of art invites the fate of Robert Frost’s hired man, the fate of having ‘nothing to look backward to with pride, and nothing to look forward to with hope.’
I look forward to a great future for America, a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose. I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty, which will protect the beauty of our natural environment, which will preserve the great old American houses and squares and parks of our national past, and which will build handsome and balanced cities for our future…
I look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well.”
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From John F. Kennedy’s speech honoring the life and work of Robert Frost, given on October 26, 1963 at Amherst College.
For the best compilation of JFK’s speeches and writings, pick up Ted Sorenson’s Let the Word Go Forth: The Speeches, Statements, and Writings of John F. Kennedy 1947 to 1963.
In this speech, Kennedy emphasized the essential place of art — and specifically poetry — in democratic society, paving the way for the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, which was signed into law two years later by President Johnson, creating The National Endowment for the Arts.
Steven McCabe said:
A nuanced discussion/view of art and poetry and citizenry. So incredibly well spoken. Part of me thinks JFK worked with a speechwriter but as well I”m sure he actually held a number of these thoughts within the framework of a liberal democratic philosophy. Thank you for posting this.
jrbenjamin said:
I agree — a fairly complex (if idealized) view of the role of artists in a democratic society. I’m inclined to agree with you in saying that, yes, he worked with a speech writer (for good reason — Presidents just don’t have time to pen all the speeches they give).
Yet the Kennedys really did have a working knowledge of poetry and literature that other politicians just don’t seem to have. I think, of all of them, Robert was the most geared toward the liberal arts (he quoted, from memory, staves of the Greek poet Aeschylus in his announcement of MLK’s death. No other politician would do that.) But Jack certainly understood (and relished) things like Robert Frost’s poetry in a way that most other public officials didn’t then, and certainly don’t today.
Thanks for following the blog.
jrbenjamin said:
Yeah he definitely had a speech writer, but he also (sort of) wrote ‘Profiles in Courage’, which won a Pulitzer after all.
Thanks for keeping up with the site…
elizabethweaver said:
You have a gift for recognizing the power of words as illustrated by the words you choose to post. Thanks.
jrbenjamin said:
Thanks, Elizabeth. Appreciate it.
hittheroadjack11 said:
Really interesting choice of post. Discussion of the importance of the place of art in society is becoming increasingly relevant in a society which insists on forgetting the value of the subjective. Enjoyed this: thanks.
drgeraldstein said:
Lovely quotation, although I imagine that JFK (were he living) would have to admit that his hopes have not been fulfilled. While artists in the USA haven’t been suppressed as much as they have been historically in European dictatorships, they do tend to get ignored. Indeed, though the McCarthy period was beneath contempt, it did actually notice that some artists were worth paying attention to; not, unfortunately for their art, so much as for their politics.
Mike Limon said:
Hi John. First of all thank you for becoming a follower of my blog, mikelimon.wordpress.com. I see that we both are fans of John F.Kennedy. I read your reasons for writing your blog, and I think that’s awesome. I enjoy your blog as well. It is very informative. Take care.
lindagwhite said:
Well said.
jrbenjamin said:
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
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