How Do Reason and Imagination Shape Poetry?

A less theoretical definition of poetry is, “putting the best words in the best possible order.” A poet may incorporate the theory as follows. The poet may astutely choose words possibly with a double meaning in order to indirectly convey a message, evoke emotions, or to slander. Then, the poet may unconventionally place such words and phrases perhaps out of expected order for the sake of creating a “word picture,” emphasizing the speaker’s feelings, or offering tangibility to the poem. By implementing this idea onto poetic works, the poet will have auspiciously written a superb poem. This theory may be applied to a few of Catullus’s poems specifically “Carmen 5”, “Carmen 8”, and “Carmen 85.” Catullus’s meticulous choice of words and arrangement highlight the central focus of the poem, obliquely criticize traditional Roman law, manipulate the audience’s attitude, transmit the speaker’s emotions, paint “word pictures,” and offer symbolic meaning consequently producing a successful poem.

Most people tend to get the wrong impression when they think of “Imagination overcoming reason.” They believe that the only people that fall under this category are those with extreme fears or those who are borderline insane. Although this

Classical tragedian Euripides’s play Medea is often hailed as a work of art and one of the best plays to survive from ancient Greece; however, if examined by Aristotle's standard, outlined in his book Poetics, it lacks all the necessary elements of a well-written tragedy. In his book, Aristotle clearly states that a good tragedy must imitate things as they have the possibility of being, but not merely recounting what has already taken place; they must incorporate peripety, recognition, a plot that meets his standards, a tragic hero, and catharsis.

Pyramus and Thisbe and Romeo and Juliet are two tragic romance stories that are comparable in many ways. The similar concepts and elements reflected in the two works portray themes of love and tragedy, while also expressing the same types of characters and events. The works of the two writers, Ovid and Shakespeare, were written in completely different time periods, but are remarkably comparable in the senses of character purpose, elements, theme, and events.

The Apollonian and the Dionysian is a philosophical concept based on different mythologies, many Philosophers and figures have invoked this dichotomy in critical and creative works. Both are one of the important themes within Nietzsche’s first major work, The Birth of Tragedy and they are terms used to designate the two central principles in Greek culture.

Imagination is the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. While reason is a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event. Eventually imagination can and will overcome reason it just depends on how and when that happens.

Characters within a Greek tragedy should follow a basic set of guidelines in order to fit the premise of Aristotle’s poetics. The characters presented to the viewer should “be consistent, good, likeable, and of high status and reputation, but do not need to perfect” (Connelly).

Another critical element in the perfect tragedy (in order from greatest to the least) is the presence of strong “Plot, Character, Language, Thought, Spectacle, and Melody” (Aristotle 780-781). These, in Aristotle’s opinion, are the “six constituent elements” that comprise a marvelous tragedy (780). Of the six, Aristotle focuses

In the Poetics, Aristotle provides an outline of how the artist is to portray or represent the perfect Tragedy. A Tragedy, of course, was nothing more than a drama, in which the characters appeared "better" than in real life (in a comedy, they appeared "worse," according to Aristotle). Aristotle's Poetics makes several references to other dramatic works to illustrate his points, but he most commonly calls upon The Odyssey to support his argument for how a dramatic structure should be designed. However, along with the Odyssey, Aristotle extensively references Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Both poetic works were enormously popular in their time (the former had been passed down orally for generations, and the latter won the top prizes at the dramatic festivals). Therefore, Aristotle is comfortable using both to support his viewpoint concerning Tragedy and the Tragic Hero. This paper will analyze the standards that Aristotle sets out concerning the definition of the Tragic Hero and show how Sophocles' Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle's definition of a Tragic Hero.

In his Poetics, which serves until today as a guide to evaluate drama, Aristotle argued that a dramatic piece of literature must appeal to ethos, logos and pathos. They should use the literary devices of emotion, logic and a sense of ethics/morality in their appeal to readers. Both Sophocles’ Oedipus The King and Shakespeare’s Macbeth, employ these literary strategies, as shall be explored below but, it is safe to say that comparisons end there. Both Macbeth and Oedipus have earned their reputations for bravery, both act rashly and commit the ultimate crime of regicide, which comes back to haunt them however, Oedipus’ course of action was fated by the gods whereas Macbeth acted freely and upon his own ambitions, which were awakened by Lady Macbeth.

The plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone, written by Sophocles, display the themes defined by Aristotle. Are we the authors of our fate or is our fate written and destined to happen? In both plays, Oedipus and Antigone face their downfall because of self-will. They bring on their own doom because of their actions. The author explores many themes such as the high-standing and heroic traits of the tragic heroes as well as to the flaws and pride of Antigone and Oedipus. Finally, the author explores the theme of recognition and catastrophe. These topics are directly linked to the poetics of Aristotle. The two plays display many literary devices, the most significant ones being characterization and conflict. Oedipus and Antigone were of high-standing and had many heroic traits which influenced their actions.

“To understand tragic myth we must see it as Dionysiac wisdom made concrete through Apollonian artifice” (Friedrich Nietzsche: Birth of Tragedy P132).

In the various discussions of imitative art there has been a notable disagreement between two distinguished philosophers; Plato and Aristotle. Although it was Plato who first discussed the concept of imitative art, it is my belief that Aristotle was justified in his praise and admiration of imitative art, specifically, the tragic drama. In my discussion on the two philosophers’ dissertations I will begin with the ideas of Plato and his position and requirements for imitative art and its respected uses, after which I will discuss the ideas of Aristotle to show that the tragic

This essay examines the effects that poetry has on society, both socially and politically. Poetry has been around for centuries, and it is a common misconception that it serves no purpose. One critic in particular, W.H Auden claimed, “poetry makes nothing happen”. However poetry awakens the reader’s eyes and gives an insight to the society in which we live in today, and which has been before us. As evident in Ezra Pound’s work, as he explored the use of imagism to critique modernism and twentieth century, forcing the readers to think more about society as a whole. The purpose of this essay is to show that poetry does make something happen and can have instrumental effects on society, whether it is a poet critiquing society, or simply providing another interpretation. Poetry is a code than needs to be cracked, it is a riddle that makes the reader bring out their true creativity, which is why I disagree with W.H Auden in saying, “poetry makes nothing happen.”

Aristotle was a famous disciple of Plato who first defines fine arts and he differs with his teacher Plato in his book of Poetic. His Poetic deals with the principles of Poetic art in general and tragedy in particular on the basis of his analysis and the principles of his Poetic are Probability, Catharsis, Mimesis, Tragic Hero and Hamartia. This essay will explain tragedy looking through Aristotle’s tragic principles in the book Things fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.