John Donne (pictured to the left) was a poet alive during the time of the British Renaissance. In his earlier years, his poetry was primarily about love and he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. However, after growing older and getting married, the topics of his poetry changed and he began to write to about religious things, such as his personal relationship with God.
For Donne, his poetry helped him to work through and understand his feelings. Poetry was not just a means of making an income or persuading people towards one school of thought or another, it was his outlet, his means of understanding the world around him. Art, in its many forms, is capable of having this kind of effect on all who call themselves an artist.
However, art does not hold the same respect that it had in the Renaissance in today's world. Many schools around the country have greatly reduced or even completely pulled funding from their arts programs, meaning some students aren't learning how to express themselves through a creative medium. Artistic expression may be what makes the difference between a student growing up to be a criminal or a productive member of society.
If we could simply have the same appreciation for art that our ancestors had, we could help so many students in America have the resources that they need to learn and grow. If we can look to the example of John Donne, then we can see the kind of change that can occur in the life of an artist who is allowed to exercise their talents.
Image Credit: John, http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/ Public Domain
