The portion of the poetics that survives discusses mainly tragedy and epic poetry. First, there is recognition by means of signs or marks, such as when odysseuss nurse recognizes him by virtue of a characteristic scar. All tragedies, however, depend on suffering as part of its attempt to elicit pity and fear from the. Aristotle proposes to study poetry by analyzing its constitutive parts and then drawing general conclusions. Aristotle elaborates on what he means when he says that the action.
Analysis for book iii cliffsnotes study guides book. Aristotle s poetics seeks to address the different kinds of poetry, the structure of a good poem, and the division of a poem into its component parts. In chapter 12, aristotle discusses the quantitative elements of tragedythe different parts of the performance. What is known to us as metaphysics is what aristotle called first philosophy. Aristotles poetics can be read as a response to platos attack on art. Only the first part that which focuses on tragedy and epic as a quasidramatic art, given its definition in ch 23. Ultimately he rejected platos ideas as poetic but empty language. Book xii, on the other hand, is usually considered the culmination of aristotles. In addition, some tragedies have songs from the stage and a commos, a lamentation sung by both actor and chorus. A founding text of european aesthetics and literary criticism, it has shaped much of our modern understanding of the creation and impact of imaginative writing, including poetry, drama, and fiction.
These are the prologue, episode, exode, and a choral portion consisting of parode and stasimon. Aristotle considers this the least artistic kind of anagnorisis, usually reflecting a lack of imagination on the part of the poet. As the shortest book ive got on my literature student bookshelf, this dover thrift edition poetics is the cheapest, and most flimsy, but completely worthwhile book. Aristotle points out that a simple plot omits a reversal or recognition, but a complex plot has one or the other or both, if it is truly transcendent. Would you like us to add this title to our collection. Aristotles work on aesthetics consists of the poetics, politics bk viii and rhetoric. He spent the next twelve years engaging in scientific research and serving as tutor to the then teenaged alexander the great. Aristotles poetics chapters 15 summary and analysis. Aristotles poetics is the most influential book on poetry ever written. Before he draws any grand conclusions, he begins with the idea of substance, of which there are three kinds. In summary then of book ii, aristotle gave material and formal definitions of the soul, reproduction and nutrition, sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Having discussed plot and character, aristotle turns his attention toward. Summary aristotle distinguishes between six different kinds of anagnorisis. Theres no introduction to the book, just a note about when it was written circa 330bc and about aristotle himself, taking up less than a page.
Book 12 is usually considered the culmination of aristotle s work in metaphysics, and in it he offers his teleological system. At some point, aristotles original work was divided in two, each book written on a separate roll of papyrus. Aristotles poetics summary and analysis of chapters 10 12. Poetics quizzes about important details and events in every section of the book. Analysis for book iii before giving an account of specific virtues included in the moral life aristotle discusses a number of questions having to do with the nature of a moral act and the degree to which a person is responsible for what he does. Chapter 6 chapters 79 chapters 1012 chapters 14 chapter 15. Near the end of chapter 5, aristotle mentions that one of the differences between tragedy and epic poetry is that the action of a tragedy usually unfolds in the space. Aristotle proposes to discuss poetry, which he defines as a means of mimesis, or imitation, by means of language, rhythm, and harmony. Chapter 21 is concerned with the structure and uses of the noun, though it is.
In some cases, what aristotle says seems quite right, while in others his conclusions seem very limiting. Aristotles argument in chapter 26 that tragedy is superior to epic poetry. The formal definition gives subject without presuming that it actually exists, while the material gives it existing as though already formed. Aristotle begins with a loose outline of what he will address in the poetics. We know that aristotle also wrote a treatise on comedy that has been lost. In chapter 12, aristotle discusses the quantitative elements of tragedythe. Visit to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our awardwinning nook tablets and ereaders.
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