Essay from the year 2018 in the subject Literature - General, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: An essay dealing with the known quote "What matter who's speaking, someone said, what matter who's speaking" by Samuel Beckett and which discusses the extent to which knowledge of a poet's life and opinions should shape the interpretation of their poems. On the topic of biographical criticism the issue if it helps us illuminate the texts at hand, or that we miss possible meanings and echoes in the work when we focus on it is addressed.