The Rhetoric, Poetic, and Nicomachean Ethics: Of Aristotle, Volume 1

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A.J. Valpy, 1818 - Ethics
 

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Page 298 - But most important of all is the structure of the incidents. For Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of an action and of life, and life consists in action, and its end is a mode of action, not a quality.
Page 330 - ... the fourth to the third; in which case the fourth may be substituted for the second, and the second for the fourth. And sometimes the proper term is also introduced besides its relative term.
Page 336 - Concerning the poetry, however, which is narrative and imitative in meter, it is evident that it ought to have dramatic fables, in the same manner as tragedy, and should be conversant with one whole and perfect action, which has a beginning, middle, and end, in order that, like one whole animal, it may produce its appropriate pleasure;^ and that it may not be like the custom of histories, in which it is not necessary to treat of one action, but of one time, viz. of such things as have happened in...
Page 337 - ... observed, in this respect also Homer will appear to be divine, when compared with other poets, because he did not attempt to sing of the whole of the Trojan war, though it had a beginning and an end.
Page xxxv - The herald now arrives, and guides along The sacred master of celestial song : Dear to the Muse ! who gave his days to flow With mighty blessings, mix'd with mighty woe: With clouds of darkness quench'd his visual ray, But gave him skill to raise the lofty lay.
Page 252 - Nireus, whom Aglae to Charopus bore, Nireus, in faultless shape and blooming grace, The loveliest youth of all the Grecian race ; ^ Pelides only match'd his early charms ; But few his troops, and small his strength in arms.
Page 294 - ... no less than epic poetry. With respect to the parts, however, [of the epopee and tragedy,] some are the same in both, but others are peculiar to tragedy. Hence he who knows what is a good or bad tragedy, knows the same in respect to epic poetry. For those things which the epopee possesses are to be found in tragedy; but every thing which tragedy contains is not in the epopee.
Page 341 - It is ridiculous, therefore, to say, that otherwise the fable would be destroyed ; for such fables should not at first be composed. But if they are composed, and it appears more reasonable that they should be, the absurdity also must be admitted ; since the irrational circumstances in the Odyssey, such as Ulysses being left on the shore of Ithaca by the Phceacians, would evidently have been intolerable, if they had been fabricated by a bad poet.
Page 302 - Homer, however, as he excelled in other things -, appears likewise to have seen this acutely, whether from, art, or from nature. For in > composing the Odyssey, he has not related every thing which •• happened to Ulysses; such as the being: wounded in Parnassus...
Page 288 - But it is evident that each of the before-mentioned imitations will have these differences; and imitation is different, by imitating different things after this manner. For there may be differences of this kind in dancing, in playing on the flute, on the lyre, and also in orations and ^mere measure. Thus Homer imitates better men...

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