Aristotle poetics NOTES FROM ORIGINAL TEXT

Similarity and differences between epic, poetry, tragedy, comedy, dithyramb-

Similarity- They are modes of imitation

Differences- 

Medium 

Object

Mode of imitation

Imitation-

Some people imitate by colours. Some others by voice. Some others by rhythm, harmony and language.

Music uses harmony and rhythm.

Dancing uses only rhythm.

Prose or verse uses only language and metre. In prose, we cannot name that meter. 

A single poem can include all or only one at a time. The entire poem can be a mix of all these. A single poetry can use different kinds of meters. 

Meter distinguishes the poet Homer from the physicist Empedocles.

Some people are good and some others are bad in moral character. And, we seek to imitate them in poetry. So, we can make them better than they are in our poems or worse than they are. We can also draw them true to their lives. 

In comedy, bad people are presented as worse than they are. In tragedy, good people are presented as better than they are. 

Medium and object are the same

Mode of narration may differ.

First person, third person, or no narration at all. 

If there is no narration and objects appear as moving and living before us, it is drama. 

Origin of poetry

Humans learn by imitation and are good at imitating. 

Imitation gives pleasure to humans. 

Learning by imitation gives pleasure so a detailed imitation of the painful things also gives pleasure. 

Harmony rhythm and meters also give pleasure. 

Poetry divides into tragedy and comedy

The graver people imitated the noble nature and give rise to tragedy. 

The trivial people imitated the mean nature and gave rise to comedy. 

Satire

It came first and sang praises of gods and higher men. It started with Homer. And, first came the heroic or lampooning verse. 

Comedy succeeded the lampooners. Tragedy succeeded the epic. 

Aeschylus- Introduced a second actor so that the chorus was no longer important.

Sophocles- He introduced a third actor 

Meanings

Dithyramb- A passionate speech or poem

Phallic songs- They were played at religious and fertility festivals. They too were elevated and were precursors of comedy. 

Further reading

Sophron Xenarchus Socratic dialogue

Centaur by Chaeremon