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Poetics

Started by droqen, January 14, 2025, 07:33:36 PM

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droqen

Re: Aristotle's
"Poetics"

with an introductory essay by Francis Fergusson


droqen

Maddi lent me her copy of Aristotle's Poetics, and while I've skimmed it, things don't stick unless I do this process with 'em.

This book is over fifty percent introductory essay.
With apologies to Fergusson: I skipped it. I want the good stuff.

(I think Fergusson is dead, so he needs no apologizing to. But it's nice to try and be polite.)

droqen

#3
I.

(p49) "I propose to treat of poetry . . .
. . . its various kinds, noting the essential quality of each. . .
. . . the structure of the plot as requisite to a good poem. . .
. . . the number and nature of the parts of . . . a poem. . ."

(p49-50) "Epic poetry and Tragedy, Comedy also and Dithyrambic poetry, and the music of the flute and of the lyre
in most of their forms,
are all in their general conception modes of imitation. . . .
. . . there are persons who, by conscious art or mere habit,
imitate and represent various objects through [various mediums.]"

II.

(p52) ". . . the objects of imitation are men in action . . . we must represent men either as better than in real life, or as worse, or as they are."

III.

(p53) ". . . the poet may imitate by. . .
. . . [narration,] tak[ing] another personality. . .
. . . [narration,] speak[ing] in his own person. . .
. . . [presenting] all his characters as living and moving before us. . ."

(p54) "This may suffice as to the number and nature of the various modes of imitation."

droqen

#4
IV.

(p55-56) "Poetry in general seems to have sprung from two causes. . .

. . . [1.] the instinct of imitation is implanted in man from childhood. . . through imitation learns his earliest lessons. . . to learn gives the liveliest pleasure. . .
. . . the reason why men enjoy seeing a likeness is that in contemplating it they find themselves learning or inferring, and saying perhaps, "Ah, that is he.". . .

. . . if you happen not to have seen the original, the pleasure will be due not to the imitation . . . but due to the execution, the coloring, or some such other cause. . . .
. . . [2.] the instinct for "harmony" and rhythm. . ."

V.

(a quick dismissal of Comedy, which to my reading are included here not as a result of Aristotle's genuine interest in Comedy, but as an artifact of the environment in which he lived -- this thing he describes as Comedy was present in his time, and he had to acknowledge it in order to dismiss it as irrelevant, to paint a complete picture for some who were around him at the time. there was nothing i chose to select from this section or chapter.)

VI.

(p61) "Tragedy. . . is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude. . ."

(p62) ". . . an action implies personal agents, who necessarily possess. . . thought and character. . .
. . . it is by [thought and character] that we qualify actions themselves. . .
. . . [thought and character] are the two natural causes from which actions spring."

(p62-64) "Tragedy is an imitation. . . of an action and of life, and life consists in action. . .

. . . The Plot, then, is the first principle. . . actions. . . artistically constructed incident. . .
. . . Character holds the second place. . . that which reveals moral purpose, showing what kind of things a man chooses or avoids. . .
. . . Third in order is Thought. . . saying what is possible and pertinent in given circumstances. . ."

(then Aristotle proceeds to place Diction, Song, and Spectacle at the bottom of the list in this order, because he regards them as necessary and present -- as with his inclusion of Comedy -- but getting further from what he is interested in speaking on. "Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage mechanic than on that of the poet." in other words: what are you talking to me about this shit for? go talk to the stage mechanic!)

VII.

(p65) "Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is complete, and whole, and of a certain magnitude. . ."

(p66) ". . . to define the matter roughly, we may say that the proper magnitude [of a plot, and therefore a Tragedy,]. . .
. . . [contains a] sequence of events. . .
. . . [which] according to the law of probability or necessity. . .
. . . will admit of a change from bad fortune to good, or from good fortune to bad."

(p66) ". . . a magnitude which may be easily embraced in one view. . . a length which can be easily embraced by the memory."

VIII.

(p67) ". . . a whole [is] the structural union of . . . parts . . . such that, if any one of them is displaced or removed, the whole will be disjointed and disturbed. . . . a thing whose presence or absence makes no visible difference is not an organic part of the whole."

(p67) "Unity of the plot does not. . . consist in the unity of the hero. . . .
. . . but. . . to center round an action that in our sense of the word is one.
. . . the imitation is one when the object imitated is one,
so the plot, being an imitation of an action, must imitate one action. . ."

droqen

#5
IX.

(p68) ". . . it is not the function of the poet to relate what has happened, but what may happen--
what is possible according to the law of probability or necessity.
. . . poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular. . . ."

(p69) ". . . what is possible is credible:
what has not happened we do not at once feel sure is possible, but
what has happened is manifestly possible: otherwise it would not have happened."

(p70) "Tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action, but of events inspiring fear or pity [or "tragic wonder"]. Such an effect is best produced when events. . .
. . . come on us by surprise. . .
. . . follow as cause and effect. . .
. . . [and yet] have an air of design. . .
. . . not to be due to mere chance."