THEORY OF LITERATURE
Lesson Two
Theory that forms the foundation of literary theory
Mimesis
It’s a theory of literature which was popularized by Plato. Mimesis means removed
from reality, ‘Imitation’, ‘representation’, ‘resembling’, or the act of expression.
Plato was interested in ontology and epistemology. He was a philosopher, a moral
philosopher.
Ontology is the nature of being of what exists and how its realized. Literature was
known as poetry. Plato discovered that poetry was divine madness or inspiration in
ontology. Divine madness which was given by God to convey his message. Plato
argued poetry was a product as divine madness. The idea (belonged to God)
creation/imitation (giving actual existence of an idea that belonged to God). It’s
only the form maybe different. For example, idea of a bed.
The truth/actual idea is with the idea according to Plato, poets only copy what’s
real from the actual idea from God. Plato pleaded the public from ignoring the
poets tend to confuse the people with their performances.
There was also Drama. Drama is divided into Tragedy and Comedy. Tragedy
celebrates the greatness of human spirit, but according to Plato it’s that it made
humans, emotionally, vulnerable.
Arts is imitation according to Plato but were not just more imitators. Literature
should do what other disciplines do. For example, philosophers, ethics. According
to Plato but literature is imagination in other perspectives that corresponds to its
nature. For examples, entertain. For Plato, literature was all about morality in the
society. Plato failed to appreciate literature using this theory of Mimesis thus his
student Aristotle appreciated literature using their theory.
Aristotle: Mimesis
Lesson Two
Theory that forms the foundation of literary theory
Mimesis
It’s a theory of literature which was popularized by Plato. Mimesis means removed
from reality, ‘Imitation’, ‘representation’, ‘resembling’, or the act of expression.
Plato was interested in ontology and epistemology. He was a philosopher, a moral
philosopher.
Ontology is the nature of being of what exists and how its realized. Literature was
known as poetry. Plato discovered that poetry was divine madness or inspiration in
ontology. Divine madness which was given by God to convey his message. Plato
argued poetry was a product as divine madness. The idea (belonged to God)
creation/imitation (giving actual existence of an idea that belonged to God). It’s
only the form maybe different. For example, idea of a bed.
The truth/actual idea is with the idea according to Plato, poets only copy what’s
real from the actual idea from God. Plato pleaded the public from ignoring the
poets tend to confuse the people with their performances.
There was also Drama. Drama is divided into Tragedy and Comedy. Tragedy
celebrates the greatness of human spirit, but according to Plato it’s that it made
humans, emotionally, vulnerable.
Arts is imitation according to Plato but were not just more imitators. Literature
should do what other disciplines do. For example, philosophers, ethics. According
to Plato but literature is imagination in other perspectives that corresponds to its
nature. For examples, entertain. For Plato, literature was all about morality in the
society. Plato failed to appreciate literature using this theory of Mimesis thus his
student Aristotle appreciated literature using their theory.
Aristotle: Mimesis
