The Poetics of Aristotle Translated and Explained

    Castelvetro is a good commentator on Aristotle’s poetics. In his treatment of the unity of time, his ideas are more rigid than Aristotle later followed by many neo- classical critics.Aristotle holds that the science, the art and history are not subject of poetry. But poetry resembles to history since history is divided in to subject matter and words so is with poetry. However history and poetry differ because subject matter of history is worldly events by the rational will of god, where as the subject matter of poetry is imagined by the poet. The subject matter of both disciplines may be same but not identical.

     Art and science can not be the subject of poetry because they are reasons bound, whereas poetry is imaginative play and also poetry is intended to delight and recreate. It is for common people to delight and instruct. Castelvetro seems taking about the pleasure as well as mortal insight as essential factors of the poetry. The subject matter of the poetry for Castelvetro should be simple to be understood by the common people. Therefore, arts and sciences can not be the subject matter of poetry because they have been considered and understood by reasons, which is not generally accessible to the common people.

    Castelvero agrees with Aristotle that poetry is imitation and imitation is natural to human beings.
For Plato tragedy could injure citizen and debased good customs in them making them vile (wicked) cowardly and sentimental. Quite contrarily Aristotle states firmly that tragedy works in the opposite way. By its example and by its frequent representation it brings spectators from baseness (lower standard) to magnanimity ( generous) from anxiety to security and frank sentimentality to severity. Through tragedy our fear ness will cease and become bold and the revolutionary attitude also came to balance. Castelvetro speaks about tragedy on the live of Aristotle.

    Aristotle refutes Plato’s statement that tragedy is injurious to people’s health and says that tragedy purges one’s passions and assists him or her to maintain psychological health; it is not madness rather a healing tonic to one’s psychology.Castelvetro rejects Aristotle, who views that the action, which comprises the plot, should be one and concern over one character. Here castelretro says because of limited time and place, multiple actions are not allowed.

Plato    Plato is the first major figure in the history of western philosophy. He is an idealist, moralist and a rationalist. He locates reality in what he calls ideas or forms rather than the world of appearance that we locate with our senses. Plato believes in the idea that is form which itself is formless but it is fixed. Idea is archetype and always remains the same. Reality can’t be found in the world of appearance but in the ideal world. Read More...

Aristotle    Aristotle’s poetics is a reply to Plato’s Republic. Plato believes in two word but Aristotle believes in only one word, therefore he is monoist not a dualist for him it is nature that contains truth. He defines art is perfecting the imperfect nature. For him art is an imitation with beautification. Art is the imitation of object beautifying nature. No matter artist imitate but they make better world than what it is so artist is not merely imitator but also creator.Aristotle avoids the idea that the world of appearance is merely an ephemeral copy of the changeless ideas. Read More..

Plotinus    Plotinus, neo- platonic philosopher believes in two worlds, two part of the same world, one part is helpful to go to another world. Plotinus challenges Plato’s theory that art imitates nature and is thus twice removed from the essence or reality. He gives a higher position to art in his system. Plotinus believes that everything emanates from the one and strives to return to it. Read More...

John Dryden    John Dryden’s present essay “An essay on Dramatic Poesy” gives an explicit account of neo – classical theory of art in general. He defends the classical drama standing on the line of Aristotle saying it is an imitation of life, and reflects human nature clearly.He also discusses the three unities, rules that require a play take place in one place, during one day, and that it develops one single action or plot. Read More...

Thomas Love Peacock       The essay “The Four Ages of Poetry” exposes the deficiencies of modern poetry by positing the theory that in its development poetry passed through four ages: Age of Iron, Age of Gold, Age of Silver, and Age of Brass.Poetry to him was originated in the Iron Age. The golden age is the age of the noblest poetic productions followed by the artificial silver age. Read More...

Oscar Wilde    Oscar Wilde believes that art does not copy life and nature rather constitutes its own world reality independent in to a new and perfect form. Therefore, art is not a mere copy of nature rather it is the creative force of humanity.Wild claims “Art never expresses anything but itself”. It does not express any imitating stuffs from life and nature. Art has its own substance form and made of expression. Read More...

Emile Zola     Emile Zola is a French theorist and an advocator of naturalism; a scientific study of human nature, behaviour and psychology. Naturalism is an artistic movement emerged in the reaction of subjectivism of Romanticism.Naturalism uses the scientific criteria of observation and experimentation in writing and criticism. This theory is influenced by Darwinian Theory, which observes man as a victim of nature. Read More...