PHILOS 2H03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Nomic
26 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Epic poetry, tragedy, comedy and dithyambic poetry are all modes of imitation. They differ in three aspects: the medium, the objects, the manner or mode of imitation. Even dancing imitates character, emotion and action by rhythmical movement. There is another art which imitates by means of language alone, but it without a name. Even if a writer in his poetic imitation were to combine all meters, he should still be referred to as a poet. In some arts, all the means are applied, such as rhythm, tune, and meter, such as comedy and tragedy. In dithyrambic and nomic poetry, the means are employed in combination, in comedy and tragedy, they are applied in a succession. Since the objects of imitation are men in action, then the men are either represented as better than real life or worse. Comedy aims to represent men as worse, tragedy as better than in actual life.
