Aristotle’s Theory of ‘Poetic Imitation’: Salient Features of Theory of Imitation and Contrast with those of Plato

  “Mimesis, then, or imitation is, in Aristotle’s view, the essential in a fine art. It is that which distinguishes creative or fine art from all other products of the human mind” -

THE MAKING OF LITERATURE

(SOME PRINCIPLES OF CRITICISM EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OF ANCIENT AND MODERN THEORY)

 BY R. A. SCOTT-JAMES

In Aristotle’s view, poetic imitation is an act of imaginative creation by which the poet draws his poetic material from the phenomenal world, and makes something new out of it. 

Plato and Aristotle on Poetic Imitation

It was Plato, not Aristotle who invented the term ‘Imitation’. In Plato's view, a work of art is no more than an imitation of imitation. He argues that a carpenter can make no more than an imitation of the reality, and the bed he makes is once removed from the truth. But, the painter’s bed is, argues Plato, twice removed from the truth. Read More Drama It is an imitation of imitation. In like manner the poet too creates only a copy of a copy, Aristotle holds that poetry, or for that matter any fine art, is not an imitation of imitation, but imitation of reality. In his view, Imitation is the objective representation of life in literature. It is the imaginative reconstruction of life. Thus, “Imitation distinguishes what we call creative literature from literature which is didactic” (Scott-James).

Medium, Object, and Manner of Treatment

Aristotle's inquiry into the nature of poetry is limited to specific forms such as Epic Poetry, Tragedy, Comedy, and Dithyrambic Poetry, along with the musical accompaniments of the flute and lyre. Read More Criticism In this inquiry, Aristotle distinguishes between the object imitated, the medium used, and the manner of treatment employed.

According to Aristotle, poetry imitates "men in action," but this is not a simple photographic representation of reality. Instead, poetry involves a creative process where the poet selects and orders their material to recreate reality. Aristotle advises the poet to prefer probable impossibilities over improbable possibilities in the selection process. Additionally, the poet should strive for universality by rising from the particular to the general. By dropping the specific details and embracing the general, the poet can achieve a universal message.

Language, rhythm, and harmony are the mediums of the poet, while form and color are the mediums of the painter, and rhythm and harmony are the mediums of the musician. Each medium has its own unique characteristics and limitations. The manner of treatment also differs across genres. Read More Criticism For example, Epic poetry is a narrative art, while Tragedy is a dramatic art that imitates action.

Aristotle's inquiry into the nature of poetry emphasizes the creative process involved in imitation and the importance of selecting and ordering material to recreate reality. The mediums used by poets, painters, and musicians differ in their characteristics and limitations, and the manner of treatment employed varies across genres. Read More Criticism Overall, Aristotle's approach to understanding poetry provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing and appreciating different forms of artistic expression.

Aristotle 

Imitation of the Creative Power of Nature

 In Aristotle’s view, “Art imitates Nature”. In ‘The Poetics’ he says, “the objects of imitation are men in action.” By Nature Aristotle means “the creative force, the productive principle, of the universe.” In modern terminology we may call it the life-force, the ‘elan vital’, the ‘inherent nature’. Read More Drama Thus, by imitation of Nature, Aristotle does not mean imitation of external nature. By it he means imitation of the creative impulse. Man is the supreme creation of God. He is endowed with this creative impulse. He has an urge to rise upward. Read More Criticism  The poet imitates this ceaseless upward rising of man. ‘What ought to be’ is the principle to be followed by the poet, according to Aristotle. 

Imitation of Inward Activity

Objects of action are “men in action.” Men’s actions are external as well as internal. The internal action may be the action within the soul caused by all that befalls a man. Thus, all that is aroused in human heart- emotions, passions, feelings, finds expression in art as imitation of reality. The external world acts only as a background to the inward activity of the human soul.

Aristotle’s great Contribution

 Plato had considered poetry an imitation of imitation, imitation of ‘shadow of shadows’, twice removed from truth. According to him, the phenomenal world was created by God according to the idea in His mind. The idea is the reality. An imitation of that idea is just a copy of the reality. The poet imitates this copy; hence his imitation is imitation of imitation. Aristotle proclaimed that the poet imitates “the ideal reality,” not the mere shadow of things. Thus, the poet does not copy the external world. He creates something new according to his own “idea” of it. Thus, even ugly object well-imitated becomes a source of pleasure. It becomes a thing of beauty, hence a joy forever.  Poetry is thus a creative process. The real and the ideal from Aristotle’s point of view are not opposites. The ideal is the real. Thus, Aristotle quite successfully refuted the contention of Plato. He provided a strong defense of poetry by blowing off Plato’s theory of Poetic Imitation. He gave quite a new interpretation to the theory of Poetic Imitation. While Plato had discarded Poetry and commanded that the poets be banished from his ideal Republic, Aristotle put  Poetry on the highest pedestal of honour, and accorded a respectable place to the poet. He recognized poetic imitation as a creative process. That was Aristotle’s great contribution in the field of literary criticism. 

Conclusion

Aristotle’s theory of Imitation is a great landmark in the history of literary criticism. It has been accepted all over the world as a guiding principle. By declaring poetic Imitation a creative process Aristotle has given  Poetry a very high place in the realm of Art and literature. 

 Ardhendu De 

Reference 

1. Richards, I.A. (2001). Principles of Literary Criticism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351223508

2. The Making Of Literature : Scott James R.A. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/makingofliteratu030488mbp