English Literary Criticism

456 Words2 Pages
English Literary Criticism Chapter No. 01 Mimesis by Plato Plato's was a great philosopher who has produced a valuable theory of literature. He believed that all the philosopher were inspired by a God or the muse. He thought that all the writers who produced literature were inspired or possessed. Plato stressed upon moral values to be in the literature He opposed those literature in which even the Gods were represented to be lustful and revengeful. Plato opposes the literature because, · · · The literature is immoral The literature was based on falsehood The literature deals with illusions As a Greek philosopher Plato did not like the literature because it was just the appearance of an appearance means the imitation of an imitation. So, Plato has tried to avoid such literature. For example, if a painter paints a picture, he would paint whatever he would be watching. So, the landscape which he watches has the impression upon his mind. So that impression is only the imitation of the original landscape. Finally, he paints a picture according to the impression of the mind. So, the painting which he draws is only the imitation of an imitation. In the same way the poet, by his imaginative power, imitates whatever he experiences. So, it can be said that the literature is twice removed from the truth. Therefore, the painting and the poetry is nothing but the imitation of an imitation. Plato says that the poet uses words and creates a copy of a copy. and hence, his methods are based on falsehood. The poetry generally appeals to emotions not reason. Therefore, Plato believed that such literature must go out of the society. Thus, the theory of Mimesis is quite simple. When a poet pictures a beautiful scene all that he is doing is the imitation of mimesis. So, Plato came to the conclusion that the poet creates something less than reality but Plato's theory of mimesis if the

More about English Literary Criticism

Open Document