Art for Art's Sake

The critics cried out, "Pot-boilers!"
And heads began to fall,
But if art cannot speak for toilers
Then art is not art at all.

And those who were struck cried "Slander!"
And started to get quite rough;
While the wise cried "Propaganda!
And sociologic stuff."

Said some, "Such useless scrivening,"
Said he, "I am not so bright";
So he gathered his stuff one evening
And burnt it in dead of the night.