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Unit 2: Aristotle: The Poetics: Introduction, Tragedy

2.2 Chapter-wise Critical Summary of ‘The Poetics’ Notes

Ch I: Imitation, the Common Principle of All Arts: Medium of Imitation
Aristotle is fully alive to the essential unity of all the arts. In his opinion, Imitation is the common
principle of all the fine arts. Poetry, comedy, tragedy, dancing, music, flute-playing, painting,
sculputre. etc., are all modes of imitation. Since Aristotle includes music in the imitative arts, it
becomes clear that his conception of imitation is higher than that of Plato. Imitation for Aristotle
is not a mere ’mimicry’ or servile copying of nature, but a truly creative activity. The musician
imitates not the superficial appearances of external nature, but he imitates imaginatively the
emotions and passions of the human soul. Thus Aristotle extends the scope of imitation to include
the inner life of man.
Though imitation is the common principle of the fine arts, the various arts differ from each other
in three ways: They differ in their medium of imitation, in their objcets of imitation, or in the manner
of their imitation. It should be noticed that in order to make the sense clear the word ‘imitation’
must also be read with ‘means’ and ‘objects’. The relevant sentence should read,
"............. either by a difference of kind in their means (of imitation) or by differences in the objects (of
imitation), or in the manner of their imitation.”
By ‘means of imitation’, are meant the medium, the vehicle or the material, through which the
artist imitates. Colour, form, and sound are the various mediums which Aristotle lists. Sound is
further divided into language, rhythm and harmony or melody. For example, the medium of the
painter is ‘colour’, and that of the poet is language and rhythm. For poetry, whether lyric or epic,
tragedy, comedy, flute-playing, etc., the common medium of imitation is rhythm, language and
harmony (melody), which may be used singly or in different combinations. The use of language
differentiates poetry from music which use only rhythm and harmony.
It should also be noted that in Aristotle’s times there was no name for literature as such. Hence he
calls it an, “art without a name”. He is also aware that poetry may be written without metre, that
even an imitation in prose can be poetic.
Ch II: The Objects of Imitation: Tragedy and Comedy
The arts (fine arts) are distinguished from each other first by their medium of imitation, and
secondly by the objects they imitate. In general, he says, the objects of poetic imitation are men in
action. Poetry does not imitate men as such, but, “men doing or experiencing something”. These
men whose actions and experiences are the objects of poetic imitation may be either better (higher)
or worse (lower), or the same as they are in actual life. “The third variant Aristotle merely mentions,
and then ignores; he is wholly concerned with the other two.” Since poetry imitates men as better
or worse than they actually are, it means that poetic imitation is no mere mimicry or servile copy;
it is an act of creative imagination which may represent men as heroic or exaggerate their follies
and weaknesses. A poet may idealise or he may caricature (present men in a ludicrous light). And
this is the difference between tragedy and comedy. Tragedy idealises—imitates men as better (or
higher)— and comedy caricatures, i.e., shows men as worse (or lower) than they actually are.
Poetry concerned with possibilities—with what ought to be—and not with photographic realism.
Ch III: The Manner of Imitation: Epic and Tragedy
The arts are further distinguished from each other by their manner of imitation. There may be
three modes or ways of imitation: (1) the poet may use the narrative method throughout, (2) he
may use the dramatic method, i.e., describe things through assumed characters or show things
actually being done, or (3) he may use a combination of these two methods. He may narrate a part
of his story, and represent part of it through a dialogue between assumed characters. On the basis
of the manner of imitation, poetry is classified as epic or narrative, and dramatic. In dramatic
poetry, the dramatic personages act the story, in epic poetry a poet like Homer narrates the story,
as well as tells it through a dialogue between assumed characters. He uses both the narrative and
the dramatic method; Tragedy only the dramatic.

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