Aristotle’s Poetics

Prompt: “What kinds of imitation does Aristotle identify in poetry and tragedy? Does Aristotle convey a positive sense of the role of imitation in art? Do you think that his understanding of art in terms of imitation provide a useful way to understand what art is?“

Aristotle begins the writing by saying, “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” (Aristotle). Essentially saying art and literature use imitation as a creative process. Though they imitate each other, they are not identical for the “medium, the objects, [and] the manner or mode of imitation” are interchanged making each piece unique. He speaks on the term ‘harmony’ and how it is present in various works of art and poetry.

Aristotle starts Part IV discussing how imitation is born into humans from birth; it is instinctual. He speaks fondly of the role of imitation in art. Early poetic, Homer’s work Margites is compared to great works of tragedy including Odyssey and Iliad.

I think as Aristotle describes imitation, he sheds light on how art may be interpreted or ‘defined.’ He talks about the differences in one painting and how within the painting, many interpretations can form.

After reading “Poetics,” the statement that resonates with me the most regarding imitation is once again, “they differ, however, from one another in three respects- the medium, the objects, the manner or mode of imitation, being in each case distinct” (Aristotle). This statement can help explain how works of art are imitated, but it can also be a blueprint for how we define art. We take into account the medium (a painting, a sculpture, a dialogue on stage, a piece of furniture, etc) and how the medium makes us react. We also analyze the “objects.” I interpreted the objects being whatever the piece of art is depicting. Lastly, the “manner or mode of imitation” is to me, the psychological aspect of art: how does it make us feel, what feelings does it spark, etc. Using Aristotle’s viewpoints on imitation in art gives us an idea on art itself.