A vate is a poet.
Vate is a concept that comes from vates , a Latin term. The notion is used as a synonym for poet . A vate, therefore, is an individual who dedicates himself to the creation of poetry.
For example: “The Buenos Aires vate will receive the award next week, in an event that will take place at the House of Culture,” “Jorge Luis Borges and Rubén Darío are my favorite vates,” “The round table will feature the participation of a novelist, an essayist and a vate, who will analyze the literary news of Latin America.”
Characteristics of the vates
It is important to note that vate is usually used in a literary context or when the aim is to give the language a certain refinement. The word poet is much more popular in colloquial and everyday language.
Let us remember that poetry consists of the expression of feelings and aesthetic criteria through words. Poetry is usually written in verse , although it can also be developed in prose . The vates, in this context, produce texts with these characteristics.
William Shakespeare is one of the most admired poets in history.
Some nuances
It is curious to know that, although the term vate is used to refer to poets, there are different publications that, throughout history, establish nuances with respect to all those individuals who had poetry as their tool of expression or work.
Specifically, four different figures were established in this regard:
- The poet , who is the one who invents, the one who has the greatest gift for poetry and who is identified by being fruitful, impetuous and creative.
- The bard , who was the druid poet who was in charge of singing verses at the festivals that were organized with religious origin.
- The vate , who identified himself as a predictor, as a prophet . Hence it was determined that he was someone with solemnity and that he was inspired.
- The troubadour , who was a singer, a Provençal poet. He was in charge of singing quarrels and loves to bring poetry to the people. He was considered to be a perfect mix between poet, pilgrim and soldier. Likewise, characteristics such as bravery and gallantry were attributed to him, without forgetting that he was considered a great adventurer.
The Celtic Vats
It is interesting to note that this word has been used throughout history with important meanings in different cultures and civilizations.
A good example of this is that the Celts used that term to refer to one of the most relevant figures within the priestly status. It used to be a man and was in charge of tasks such as sacrifices, worship, and medicine.
Other considerations
Do not confuse vate with bat . When the word is written with an initial B , it can refer to the stick used in some sports to hit a ball or to a conjugation of the verb batir (defeat, shake, stir): “I remember that, when I was a child, a player of the “New York Yankees autographed my baseball bat,” “You whip the cream while I cut the fruit.”
VATE , finally, is the acronym for the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, which promotes the teaching of English in Victoria ( Australia ).