“Only in Russia is poetry respected—it gets people killed. Is there anywhere else where poetry is so common a motive for murder?”
What this quote means
Mandelstam points with tragic irony to the power poetry can hold in an authoritarian regime. Where speech is free, it is often ignored; where it is censored, it becomes vital and dangerous. This reflection resonates for all who create or defend freedom of expression, reminding them that art can be a form of resistance, but also a target.
How to apply it daily
Support an artist or writer whose freedom of expression is threatened, for example by sharing their work or signing a petition.
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