Poeta de Tristibus; Or, The Poet's Complaint

"Poeta de Tristibus; Or, The Poet's Complaint" by Anonymous is a funny yet serious poem from the late 1600s that makes fun of how hard it was to be a poet back then. The poem, written in a sing-songy style, tells the story of a poet who is so broke that he is forced out of town. He talks about how poets are not valued like other workers, and he gripes that business people get rich while poets stay poor. As he complains, the poet shows off different people, like greedy brokers and other poets, who make his life even harder. He thinks about giving up on poetry because he is upset that society does not care about art, but through it all, he keeps a sense of humor about his situation and the struggles poets face.