Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the… — Aristotle
Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular.
διὸ καὶ φιλοσοφώτερον καὶ σπουδαιότερον ποίησις ἱστορίας ἐστίν: ἡ μὲν γὰρ ποίησις μᾶλλον τὰ καθόλου, ἡ δ᾽ ἱστορία τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον λέγει.
Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0
More from this book
Poetry demands a man with a special gift for it, or else one with a touch of madness in him.
But the greatest thing by far is to have a command of metaphor. This alone cannot be imparted by another; it is the mark of genius, for to make good metaphors implies an eye for resemblances.
Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully.
