Discussion For those who enjoy poetry: short presentation about Thomas Chatterton - The Myth Of The Doomed Poet

[ManWithNoName]

Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770) was an English poet who died at age 17, in what the public has long accepted as a suicide. Chatterton essentially became the most celebrated poet of the English speaking culture—the icon of the troubled sensitive soul driven to self deliverance.

The almost comedic irony in this video however, uncovers evidence that Thomas Chatterton died not of suicide, but rather of an accidental overdose of his venereal disease medication.

BTW for those who are fans of Freddy Mercury and the band Queen, guitarist Brian May who is also a Chatterton enthusiast, is interviewed.

A copy of this presentation is on archive org, at this link:

tc : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Bio of Chatterton

archive.org

 

[Soul]

Musicians have been subject to the same destructive delusion, ever since Orpheus. Having been married to a few, I believe I understand why artists (by which I mean all kinds of artists) go for this image that they're so special and sensitive, need free access to drugs, shouldn't be expected to have a steady income, etc., but why has society fallen for it over and over? What is it that makes people want to see artists self-destruct?

 

[ManWithNoName]

but why has society fallen for it over and over? What is it that makes people want to see artists self-destruct?

Perhaps people's liking for the macabre - of death. Not sure—but they find interest and appeal in tragedy.

 

[Soul]

Perhaps people's liking for the macabre - of death. Not sure—but they find interest and appeal in tragedy.

Sure - but why are artists in particular given such destructive leeway? Why not teachers or lawyers or carpenters? Why didn't I have opioids thrown at me while I was lecturing, or judges giving me lenient sentences for possession because everyone knows how hard it is to avoid drugs in the teaching field? Society as a whole gives artists huge leeway to pursue self-destructive stuff and then calls it tragic when they self-destruct.