If poets often commit suicide, it is not because their poems are bad but because they are good. Whoever heard of a bad poet committing suicide? The reader is only a little better off. The exhilaration of a good poem lasts twenty minutes, an hour at most.Unlike the scientist, the artist has reentry problems that are frequent and catastrophic.
Walker Percy reflects on the struggles of poets in his book "Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book." He suggests that the anguish and turmoil experienced by poets often drive them to suicide, not due to the quality of their work, but precisely because their artistry holds such depth and significance. The implication is that the emotional weight carried by a good poem can be overwhelming, and those who create such work are often more vulnerable to despair.
Percy contrasts poets with scientists, emphasizing that artists face unique psychological challenges that can lead to frequent and severe crises. While a poem may provide temporary exhilaration to readers, its fleeting nature leaves them with a longing that is hard to fulfill. This highlights the precarious existence of artists, whose profound expressions come with a heavy emotional toll.
