poet and his public: a talk in which Robert Graves considers his relationship with the people to whom his work is offered. Item note: A poet's unjustified search for a public. Why the speaker depends for a living on writing historical novels rather than poetry. The two main categories of writing: a) that in the public domain and b) that in the private domain. The true compulsion behind writing poetry. Definition of a poet's 'public'. The evils of ambition and desire for experimentation in young poets. Why poetry should not be expected to pay. A recent conversation with a middle-aged publishing friend on the nature of true as opposed to artificial poetry or paintings. A poet should be a 'secret friend', not a public figure.