Who said “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”?

Verified

Percy Bysshe Shelley. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceA Defence of Poetry (1821)

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For academic work, cite the original where you can: A Defence of Poetry (1821).

APA

Shelley, P. B. (n.d.). Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32813-poets-are-the-unacknowledged-legislators-of-the-world/

MLA

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32813-poets-are-the-unacknowledged-legislators-of-the-world/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32813-poets-are-the-unacknowledged-legislators-of-the-world/.

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