Before I Die

There are many poets who have made a great impact on society and influenced the young and older generations. Normally it is quite difficult for an individual to try to influence or make a difference in the general public. Vergil (Publius Vergilius Maro) was a revolutionary writer who educated the society, influenced numerous significant people of the Roman country, and inspired many people to rise into the elite. During Vergil’s younger years, he viewed the society as a place where people were unknowing of their ambiance and of their feelings to life.

Vergil educated the society, including the younger generations. Many of Vergil’s works were read and studied in schools throughout the empire (Williams 84). By educating the young Vergil felt that the next generations would have a better understanding of the world around them. Vergil’s works not only taught the young an understanding of life, it also taught culture and behavior. One of the works that was particularly valued was the Aeneid with its appeal to patriotism and duty (Williams 84). The Aeneid was favored more than any of Vergil’s other works because of the books adventurous setting and its ability to allow the mind to expand more freely. By educating the young with Vergil’s works, the Roman society as a whole would ascend. Through Vergil’s works, he inspired the younger generation by giving them moral values and higher expectations to attain a better life. He thought that if he wrote a poem that would touch the hearts of the younger generations, they would gain insight into their culture and have a deeper knowledge of the world around them.

Vergil also educated many other people, including the illiterate and the literate. Vergil’s poetry was read aloud and discussed in Roman circles among the inexperienced (Williams 84). This shows that even the uneducated were being taught even while listening to an individual read aloud. His poetry was also recited in theatres among all of the Roman...