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Quote by Robert Hass

“I thought it was irrelevant to talk about what a wonderful thing poetry was if you didn't teach people to read.”

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Robert Hass is an American poet known for his concise and profound poetry style. His works explore themes of nature, history, and the human condition, and have won numerous literary awards. more

“Everybody has a different idea of when those good old days were, but everyone is convinced that there was a time when literature really mattered and that it doesn't now. They also tend to believe that it really matters someplace else - in very improbable places often. Russia is someone's idea of a place where literature really counts.”

Believe Ideas Different Matter Literature Convinced Russia Old Days Improbable Good Old Days Different Ideas

Author:Robert Hass

“As I started reading about it, I saw that at the beginning of the 19th century, outside of New England - which was an unusually literate place - practically no one could read or write. And even in New England, the overall rate was only about 60 percent. That still means four out of 10 people couldn't put their name to a will.”

People Writing Mean Stills Reading Names Saws Four Century Percent England Rate 19th Century New England

Author:Robert Hass

“The ideal of universal literacy, in the West anyway, was first of all a Protestant idea - that everybody had to be able to read to save their soul. That idea got transposed into an idea of the importance of literacy for democratic citizenship.”

Firsts Ideas Soul Able Ideals Universal Importance Democratic West Citizenship Literacy Protestants

Author:Robert Hass

“A movement got started for common schools, and by the end of the 19th century, 91 percent of Americans could read and write.”

Writing Ends School Common Century Movement Percent 19th Century

Author:Robert Hass

Quote by Robert Hass

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