Whats the difference between a poet and a philosopher?

Answer 1

Both of them have acces to a higher perception level . But the philosopher is more " logical" , he organizes his perceptions in order to find out a general rule , or a hidden truth . On the other side , the poet just let come the perceptions , and give them a beautiful dressing . ( Speaking about the poets interested in deep and fundamental humanity`s questions . ) Otherwise said , the poet is a beginning philosopher ( in a way ) . The philosopher , also , could sometimes express poetically the discovered truths .

Answer 2

I remember one quote: there is no record in history where you could see HAPPY philosophers. Maybe that is one difference. Poets can either be happy or sad. Philosophers are angsty, period.

Poets try to express what they feel in life through their poems; philosophers try to find an answer to why their lives are such by making explanations on truths.

Poets love life; philosophers have no time to love it for they are so engrossed in studying it.

Poets are expressive, philosophers are repressive.

Poetry is art. Philosophy is science.

Poets won't really mind that much if you have a varied interpretation of their works. Try to interpret Socrates' philosophy in a different way than what he intends it to and he'll rise from the dead and kill you.

Yeah, I guess that's pretty much it.

Answer 3

In certain respects, both the poet and philosopher try to look and understand the world in which they live. The poet tries to expresses his or her feelings in a poem, thereby making their views personal. A poet often tries to accentuate their ideas through their use of imagery by utilizing descriptive language. A philosopher takes a different approach. As stated by Socrates, a philosopher must be able to separate himself from the world and able to view it from that perspective. Thus, the philosopher is often impersonal and unbiased in his quest to understand the world while the poet strives to be more emotional and creative.

Answer 4

Poets use pen and ink and compose written works. Philosophers are not confined to pen and ink. In both cases, one can suggest they are looking for truth, beauty, reality (especially the British Romantic Poets). Poets, however, have more often tended to use emotion, whereas philosophers have worked to maintain cool rationality.

And I do think Philosophers can sound like poets. Plato was originally a poet. And Nietzsche and Buber write great poetry. Naguib Mahfouz was a poet, but in "The Dreams" he sure waxed philosophical. The point is in what your method is. Rationality only or emotions included

Answer 5

The poet and the philosopher are two sides of the same coin. Poetry is the philosopher feeling his thoughts and philosophy is the poet thinking his feelings. There is a beauty in reason, and there is a reason in beauty.

Answer 6

One significant difference is just their intent. The poet uses the "economy of language" to distill an emotion, an image, or an event into distince, intense verse.

The philosopher uses language in much less constrained way to describe life. A philosopher writes essays and novels, and uses as many words as necessary to state his thesis and prove it.

A poet can often sound like a philosopher, but not ofter the other way round.

Answer 7

A poet sings. A philosopher drones.

Answer 8

A poet is more romantic than a philosopher

Answer 9

The difference is between living the mystery and too much thinking about it.

Poets live in description, what moves them, they write from feeling....what is in the heart is captured in words.

Philosophers live in the head.....too much thinking n questioning, not enough feeling.

If both could be combined and balanced you may have a mystic.

Answer 10

A poet is a someone who writes feelings in a rythmic pattern.

A philosopher is someon who tries to logic their way into understanding things which are difficult to understand.