ARS POETICA by Horace:
Lines 1-37: On Unity and Harmony:
1)
An
artist may try anything he may wish but it should be whole and natural.
2)
Most
poets and their followers are deceived by thinking that they have to follow the
accepted norms of art.
3)
In
order to make it brief, one must not make it obscure.
4)
In
order to make it smooth, one must not make it weak.
5)
In
order to make it grand, one must not make it overly complex.
6)
In
order to be careful, one must not start crawling.
Lines 38-72: The Writer's Aims:
1)
A
writer should choose a topic on which he is capable to write.
2)
A
right selection will ensure eloquence and clear construction.
3)
Good
construction includes filtering what to be included and excluded.
4)
A
writer can give a new meaning to a common word using juxtapositions.
5)
He
or she can form a new word if required, and will be accepted, provided it is
used wisely (licence).
Lines 73-118: What the tradition dictates:
1)
Expression
of sorrows was captured in elegiac couplets (like Homer).
2)
Expression
of gratefulness was captured in prayers.
3)
Dialogues
suited comic and tragic situations (like those of Archilochus).
4)
If
a writer lacks confidence, he or she should learn these works rather than
ignore them.
5)
While
writing, the writer should feel the emotion he or she strives to impart through
their writings.
6)
Emotion
should reveal through words and actions appropriately.
Lines 119-152: Be consistent if you are original:
1)
Either
follow a tradition or invent consistently.
2)
Portray
a character appropriately as in the intention.
3)
It
is difficult to create a new character than to develop on known ones.
4)
Do
not start like an epic writer in a grand style which cannot be sustained
throughout the work. A (new) writer hastens the outcome and leaps towards the
end without intricate development.
Lines 153-188: On Characterisation:
1)
The
expectation of the public is that a character's behaviour should be appropriate
to the character's age.
2)
A
small boy likes to play in the ground, loses sometimes, gets angry and so on.
3)
A
youth is just free from tutors, likes horse riding, dislikes advisors, inclined
towards sin, slow to help and lavish with money.
4)
An
adult has altering interests, seeks wealth, friendship, favourable situations,
etc.
5)
An
aged man is surrounded by sufferings, seeks savings, nostalgic about his past
and criticises youngsters.
6)
Events
are either acted on stage or read out but the former has a greater impact on
the spectators than the latter.
7)
Hide
such events which are disturbing or gross.
Lines 189-219: On the gods, chorus and music:
1)
A
play should be exactly comprising of 5 acts.
2)
A
god should intervene only when there is a problem.
3)
Chorus
should be inserted only when required and at the right time. It should favour
the good, advise the good people, praise them and the good things or concepts, hide
secrets and pray to Gods for the failure of the bad people.
4)
Flute
was used along with chorus, with less number of stops when there were less
number of spectators and later like a melody when there were more spectators. It
added interest in the art.
5)
A
lyre was used for sad occasions with swift delivery of speech.
Lines: 220-250: In Style:
1) Tragic verse was used for satires. Later,
jokes were inserted without the loss of seriousness because people liked
novelty. But it should move from serious mood to light mood. Tragedy does not
work with lowly language but it does work with it for a satire. He says that he
does not try much on language to make it a tragedy but just use the known words.
He avoids the use of filthy language for the elite people may not like it,
which the low class people would not mind.
Lines: 251-274: On Metre:
1)
A
short syllable followed by a long syllable is called an 'iambus'.
2)
A
swift foot = trimetre = six beats
3)
Only
recently, this received recognition.
4)
But
it does not guarantee successful reception of the writer for there are
examples.
5)
Every
critic does not find fault. So, some unworthy Roman poets are also famous.
6)
So,
he asks whether to write cautiously or carelessly because there seems to be no
promising factor to produce worthy and recognizable works.
7)
Then
he advises to approach the Greek models (and probably self-assess one's own
work).
Lines: 275-294: Greeks and Romans:
1)
Thespis
is a 6th century Greek poet who invented the tragic theatre. They were sung by
men and played on carts.
2)
Aeschylus
is another Greek tragic dramatist who introduced the wearing of masks, fine robes
and boots by the actors.
3)
Then
old comedy came into existence but it did not become popular.
4)
The
contemporary poets had tried their hands on almost all genres but they who did
not follow the Greek poets did not succeed.
5)
Those
works are condemnable which do not get perfect even after several revisions.
Lines: 295-332: How to be a good poet:
1)
Applying
one's talent is greater than applying old techniques. (Democritus)
2)
Some
poets become mad to produce poetry to win honour. But their poetry is not good because
of the motive of money.
3)
When
there is content, words automatically follow. A good content is like those of Socrates.
4)
Instead
of creating a poem or a drama, Horace thinks of teaching them these basics.
Lines: 333-365: Combine instruction and pleasure:
1)
A
poet's aim is either to instruct or delight or both.
2)
Instruction
should be brief to be effective.
3)
Amusement
should be by keeping fiction closer to reality.
4)
Elders
disapprove of poems lacking virtue.
5)
Youngsters
disapprove of poems lacking amusement.
6)
Therefore,
one who satisfies both needs, his or her work would become well acclaimed.
7)
Even
if there are errors, it is going to be only less and the other aspects will
override.
Lines: 366-407: No mediocrity: Recall the tradition:
1)
Mediocrity
is accepted only in certain fields such as that of a lawyer.
2)
But
mediocrity is not accepted of a poet by people and publishers.
3)
If
one writes something, he must show it to his elders, teachers, mentors or
critics and take time and patience to perfect it, or destroy it if it has not
come out well, before publishing, because it cannot be taken back once
published.
4)
Poems
of great people like Orpheus, Amphion, Homer, Tyrtaeus, and others brought
about political and socio-economic enhancements in the society.
Lines: 408-437: Nature plus training: But see through flattery:
1)
A
praiseworthy poem is a product of the combination of talent (nature) and training
of the poet.
2)
All
others, including an athlete, work to sweat to reach their objectives.
3)
When
a poet receives recognition and praise, he should beware the flatterers who will
deceive.
Lines: 438-476: Know your faults and keep your wits:
1)
A
sensible person asked to review a poem will point out the errors faithfully.
2)
If
some person reviews his friend's work and chooses to hide the errors in order
not to hurt him, he is actually hurting him because if the work is condemned
when received by people, it will lead to more complications.
3)
Some
poets become mad to gain fame through poetry and keep on working even after a number
of futile attempts to create one remarkable piece.
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