Introduction to literary criticism

Aristotle On Imitation

Sabbir Ahamed Shovon                                                                                                      H-III-32113

Aristotle, The great Grecian, was a versatile genius. He was a world famous philosopher, psychologist, logician, moralist, political thinker and the founder of literary criticism . He believes that all forms of literature were imitation of real things which he presented in his epoch-making seminal work “ Poetics’’.
Aristotle did not invent the terms ‘Imitation’. He Borrowed From his master Plato who was the first to use the word in ‘The Republic’. But Aristotle breaths into it a new and definite meaning, so that poetic imitation is no longer considered mere mimicry, but is regarded as an act of imaginative creation by which the poet, drawing his material from his phenomenal world makes something new out of it.

According to Aristotle Imitation is the common basis of all the fine arts. While Plato had Equated poetry with painting, Aristotle Equated poetry with music. The poet imitates not the surface of this things but the higher reality embedded within.

“ I have spoken of the imitation is produced by means

Of rhythm, language and music these being used either

Separately or in combination. ‘’

All art is a mode of imitation. Yet there are  difference between the various modes of imitation. One such difference lies in their media of imitation. Another is the manner of imitation. The medium of imitation means vehicle or the material through which the artists imitates. The media of poet and painter are different. The one imitates through from and colour, the other through language rhythm and harmony. In this way, poetry is nearer to music than painting .

As Regards the manner of imitation, Aristotle says that there may be three way of imitation ;
 (i) Narrative (ii) Dramatic and (iii) Combination of these two. The poet may narrate a part of his story and represent part of it through a dialogue between assumed characters. On the basis of the manner of imitation, poetry, is classified as epic an dramatic. In dramatic poetry, the dramatic personages act the story, and in epic poetry a poet narrates the story, as well as tells it though a dialogue between assumed
Characters.

Regarding the objects of imitation, Aristotle says that the objects of poetic imitation are ‘Men in action’. According to the Aristotle, Imitation is not a mere photographic representation of the surface of things, but is a creative process.

‘It is not the function of the poet to relate what has happened but

what may happen-according to the laws of probability or necessity.’’

Plato condemned poetry as an imitation of ‘Shadow Of Shadows ’ The poet have no knowledge of truth; they are liars. But to Aristotle art imitates not the mere shows of things, but the ‘Mother of lies’. But the ‘Ideal  Reality’. Embodied in very object of the world. The process of nature is a ‘Creative Process’, everything in nature is constantly growing and moving up and the poet imitates this upwards movement of nature. Art reproduces the original not at it is, but as it appears to the senses. Thus the poet doesn’t copy the external world.

‘’Epic and tragic poetry, comedy too, dithyrambic poetry and most

Composed for the flute and the lyre can all be described in General

Terms  as forms of imitation or representation.’’

 So, to conclude on imitation, we can affirm that imitation is a creative art. It is the expression of a concrete thing under an image. Actually ‘Imitation’ to Aristotle was nothing but a recreation. He bought creative imagination within the scope of poetic Imitation.