Looking for a short story, potentially by Kurt Vonnegut, about a world in which people's jobs are increasingly specialized which leads to a lack of poets and other artists.
At some point there's a general who realizes that what is needed is a poet, which leads to the realization that none exist (or potentially there's only one?)
As per Lone wolf or beserker behaviour of young men in an a very authoritarian society, this sounds like Disappearing Act (1953) by Alfred Bester.
From ISFDb:
During the War for the American Dream in the near future, a group of hospitalized veterans exhibit a novel way to escape from their traumatic reality.
The answer on the above question provides the following relevant quotes, about:
"We must become a nation of experts," General Carpenter informed the National Association of American Universities. "Every man and woman must be a specific tool for a specific job, hardened and sharpened by your training and education to win the fight for the American Dream."
Carpenter snapped up his intercom. "Send me a poet," he said.
He waited, and waited ... and waited ... while America sorted feverishly through its two hundred and ninety millions of hardened and sharpened experts, its specialized tools to defend the American Dream of beauty and poetry and the Better Things in Life. He waited for them to find a poet, not understanding the endless delay, the fruitless search; not understanding why Bradley Scrim laughed and laughed and laughed at this final, fatal disappearance.
Found by searching this site for [story-identification] need poet.
