Compare and contrast the views of Plato and

Aristotle on the nature and function of poetry.

Aristotle was the disciple of Plato and was influenced by him a great deal. But he differed
from his guru in certain respects. Plato condemned poetry, Aristotle appreciated it. Plato set
out to reorganize human life; Aristotle to re-organise human knowledge. Plato was a
transcendentalist, who arrived at his principles through observation and analysis. Plata was
an idealist, too.

Plato believed that the phenomenal world is but an objectification of the ideal world.
The ideal world is real, the phenomenal world is but a shadow of this ideal reality. It is,
therefore, fleeting and unreal. Aristotle, on the other hand, believed in the reality of the world
of the senses. It is on the basis of the study and observation of particular realities that general
principles can be induced. Thus, Aristotle moves from the real, to the ideal, from the
particular to the general. His methods are inductive. In this respect, he stands at the opposite
pole from Plato.
Plato's language is poetic and charming, Aristotle's is dogmatic and telegraphic. There
was more originality in Plato than in Aristotle, but Aristotle is more comprehensive and
systematic than Plato. Plato used first the word 'imitation' in connection with poetry. But
Plato considered imitation merely as mimicry or a servile copy of nature. Aristotle's
interpretation of it has a far-deeper significance. For Aristotle, imitation was a creative force.
Plato likened poetry to painting. Aristotle likened it to music. Plato believed that poetry
imitates only the external superficial appearances, and that it is, therefore, twice removed
from reality. On the other hand, Aristotle believed that poetry imitates not only the externals,
but also internal emotions and experiences. Plato regards that poetry imitates objects as
usual, or better or worse than they are. Poetry gives or traces possibility. It  explores what
ought to be.
Plato was critical of poetry on moral intellectual and emotional grounds. Aristotle has
justified all the claims of superiority of poetry on moral, intellectual and emotional grounds.
Aristotle used the word 'katharsis' for the first time.
Plato regarded philosophy to be superior to poetry. Aristotle regarded poetry to be
superior to philosophy. Plato was of the view that poetry being a false imitation does not have
power or scope to deal with high philosophical matters. Aristotle, quite contrary to it, believed
that poetry is the more philosophical. It has immense power to deal with even philosophical
matters.
Plato regarded emotions as useless for poetry. He advocated their repression. Aristotle,
on the other hand, regarded the emotion as of vital importance to poetic creation. For
Aristotle, poetry was but a mere emotional outlet.
As mentioned by Lasceles Abercrombie, "Aristotle had been Plato's pupil; but as his
mind matured, he became conscious of a deep cleavage between his conviction and his
master's, and felt himself called upon to protest against some of the characteristic conclusions
and methods of the
Platonic philosophy Aristotle's mind liked to proceed from things to ideas, Plato's from
ideas to things. Aristotle had the scientific, Plato the metaphysical mind. Aristotle could never
have stood beside Plato as a literary artist. But it was Plato, the philosopher, who condemned
poetry; and the mere fact that he did so is typical of the way his philosophy regarded things.
Things only important as the representatives of ideas, he was quite prepared to say that a
thing which was unnecessary or unworthy as a representative of ideas ought not to exist.
Poetry was a thing of this nature; Plato, therefore, proposed that it should be abolished. But it
was with a biologist's respect for the existence of thing that Aristotle looked on poetry; for
him, ideas were only important as the interpretation of things. It never occurred to Aristotle
to ask whether poetry ought or ought not to exist. It does exist, the questions his philosophy
asks are : In what manner and to what result does it exist? One might perhaps say, Aristotle
would no more think of asking whether poetry ought to exist or not, than whether a species of
 animals ought to exist or not. At any rate, the conclusion he comes to is the exact opposite of
Plato's opinion, it is, that the function of poetry can be supremely beneficient. It may very well
be that he started with this opinion, and that to prove it against the great authority of Plato
was his chief motive in composing the Poetics."
Yet there are some resemblances between the two. These are on following points :
1.          That poetry is an'imitative art'
2.          That poetry arouses emotions.
3.          That poetry gives pleasure, both as an imitation and as arousing the emotions through
imitative means.
4.          That arousing of the emotions by poetry has an effect upon the whole personality of the
spectator or reader and on his emotional behaviour in real life.
5.          That both considered poetry from a practical and utilitarian point of view.
Nevertheless, poetry got its right place through the hands of Aristotle, while it could not get
the same through the hands of Plato.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
A. points of contrast between plato and Aristotle

1. the guru and guide 1. the disciple of plato

2. set out to reorganize 2. set out disciple of plato
human life knowledge.
3. an idealist an trans- 3. a realist
cendentalist
4. condemns poetry 4. appreciates poetry

5. deductive method 5. Inductive method

6. more of a philosopher 6. more of a scientist

7. poetic and charming 7. dogmatic and

language telegraphic language
8. imitation mere 8. imitation recreation
mimicry
9. likened poetry to 9. likened poetry
painting superior
10 Philosophy superior 10. Poetry superior to
. to poetry philo-sophy
11. Emotions useless for 11. Emotions useful and of
poetry vitalimportance for
lite-
rary or poetic creation.
12. metaphysical mind 12. scientific mind  

B. points of similarity
1.      poetry is an imitative art.       
2.      poetry arouses emotion.
3.      poetry gives pleasure.
4.      poetry influences the spectator or reader.
5.      poetry could be considered from a practical and utilitarian point of view besides the aesthetic
view-point.