Exploration of Poetics: Aristotle Précis

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In Poetics, Aristotle examines poetry based on three aspects: the medium, objects, and mode of imitation. According to Aristotle, poetry has a natural rhythm and language that is used to convey various ideas. The maker or the poet creates the meter, which is either original or an imitation of previous works. It is part of human nature to imitate. While Aristotle does caution against imitation, he acknowledges that imitation can have value. There is comfort in creating likeness and imitation can create natural harmony and rhythm among similar pieces of art.
As he discusses various genres, such as Tragedy, it appears that the level and mode of imitation is contingent upon the genre. Each work can be broken down into even further parts, such as Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Song. These components are used to determine the quality of the work as well as the level of imitation. Within some genres, such as Tragedy and Drama, powerful emotions are used to drive the characters. Character actions are often a representation of human action and can reveal rich moral lessons that can teach humankind what types of behaviors and actions to avoid or embrace. Art and poetry is therefore a reflection of the human mind.
In Chapter VII, Aristotle turns his attention to the proper structure of a poetic piece of work. Aristotle outlines that his Dramatic Structure, which is still used and studied today, is derived from the need for art and all ideas to have an orderly arrangement. Structure provides direction and clarity, which leads to a higher quality product. Having a logically developed order cannot only improve the quality of the text created but also the performance that is then presented to an audience. In addition...

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...o clear and meaningful diction. Clean diction which can be created by altering and crafting these words artistically can create metaphors and rich narratives. Epic poems are comprised of rich narratives that make great stories that are larger than life.
Using elements such as Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Song together can lead to great meaning in quality pieces of poetry. Without these elements, Aristotle warns that poetic works or imitations may be ambiguous or be of low quality. Studying the various parts can help an individual determine the difference between high and low quality works of art. While there are several genres of poetic works that contain various parts, it is essential that we examine each of them with a critical eye, embracing the universal ideas presented in strong works and objecting to the imitations that lack value.

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