Quotation
Quote by Mongane Wally Serote
You can’t be an observer just because you are a poet. You must also contribute to the fighting.
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Understanding this quote
The quote says that writing poetry does not make someone merely a detached witness. A poet must also take part in the struggle being described. “Fighting” may mean a literal conflict or a wider effort over an important cause, but the central point is clear: observation alone is not enough; words should be joined to participation.
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“I think that life where you don’t have dignity and where you don’t fight for people’s dignity is a wasted life.”
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