Horace: His Views on Poetry
Quintus Horatius Flaccus better known as Horace (65-8 BC), a
distinguished practising Roman poet and literary critic has an influential
imprint on the classical literary criticism after Greek masters Plato and
Aristotle. With Horace, the scene of classical criticism turned from 4th
century BC to 1st century BC, from Greek to Roman masters. It was the
glorious and golden age of Augustan, named after the first Roman emperor
Octovian Augustus, the great patron and sympathiser of arts and literature.
Horace was a close friend to the greatest contemporary Roman poet Virgil
and is remembered for his contribution to creative literature i.e. poetry and
criticism. The views of Plato and Aristotle are centred on philosophy, as
basically they were philosophers but Horace was a practising poet who
composed odes and satires including Satires Book I (35 BC), Satires Book
II (30 BC), Epodes (29 BC), Odes Book I-III (23 BC), Epistles Book I (20
BC), etc. His fame as a literary critic rests upon his seminal treatise Ars
Poetica or Art of Poetry (19 BC), later this title is given by Quintilian,
originally it was Epistle to Pisos—a letter composition in verse form. His
views on literature are scattered through his other works but Ars Poetica
includes major observations on literature and criticism. His contribution to
classical criticism and poetry is very significant, many later Roman and
English poets like Milton, Pope, Marvell, Sidney, etc. imitated and practised
the form and poetical style propounded by him. He is more authoritative in
his theory of classicism and views on poetry, drama, style and overall
literature because unlike Plato and Aristotle, he practised poetry. He
believed in the imitation and practice of the ancient Greek literature and
philosophy and attempted to find the ancient Greek models. He involved in
creative composition which, obviously shaped his critical views. He talks
about various elements of poetry like function, nature, language, subject,
kinds, etc. Let’s list some of his major observations on poetry:
1. Nature of Poetry: Horace did not directly call the process of
composition of poetry as imitation, as said by Plato and Aristotle, but
indirectly called the poet an imitator. “I would advise the well-instructed
imitator to take his model from life and customs…he (poet) uses fiction and
mingled facts with fancy….fiction composed to please should be very near
the truth.”
Here he agrees with Aristotle by stating that a poet should imitate the
actions of living human beings or their life and what is good or glorious in
their life. Further, he extends, poetry is based on fiction or amalgamation of
facts and fancy, but made a provision that poetry should express the truth.
Here we find the similarity between the views of Aristotle and Horace
regarding the nature of poetry—though it is a fictional composition, it should
include the truth, truth of life and beauty. It should please the reader or
audience. He goes further by calling poetry a creative endeavour and
embodiment of beauty of human life and customs. He is more practical and
detached himself from philosophical burden.
2. Function of Poetry: Horace, basically was a poet who knew the
practical purpose of literature. He preferred neither Plato nor Aristotle as a
whole regarding the function of poetry but blended the views of both
saying,
“Poets desire either to improve or to please, or to unite the agreeable and
the profitable….you will win every vote if you blend what is improving with
what pleases, and at once delight and instruct the reader. A poem like this
earns money for the publisher; it is sent across the sea and makes its
famous author immortal.”
He emphasised two major elements regarding the function of poetry:
1. A poet has two basic desires in composition of poetry i.e. to improve
or reform and to please or entertain.
2. A poet can achieve immortality or fulfil his purpose of writing if he
synthesises these both elements of improving and pleasing.
The meaning of the above dictum is simple—the function of poetry is to
please or entertain and improve or teach (morality), the first is primary and
later secondary. He considers poet as a moral improver of the society and
did not reject emotional appeal of poetry but reinstate that it should be used
for the up-gradation of morality of the society. According to him, why poets
are respected in the society, because they show the path of morality and
teach what is good for the society.
3. Subject Matter of Poetry: as he already said, poet is an imitator of
life and customs, the subject matter or theme of poetry should be derived
from human life and customs—the actions of human beings. Further he
records, the subject of the poem should be simple and uniform. Simple
means familiar to readers or audience. The poet should impart uniformity or
wholeness to the subject chosen for composition. The poet must choose
the theme as per his capacity so that he could weigh the weight on his
shoulders. One must avoid irrelevant and purposeless subject for the
composition of poetry. The selection of better theme leads the poet and
poetry towards perfection getting success and creates an image in the
society.
4. Kinds/ Types of Poetry: Aristotle made difference in poetry
according to its medium of imitation, object of imitation and manner of
imitation, Horace distinguishes poetry based on its metre and agreed with
old Greek practice that there is connection between metre and subject
matter of poetry. He talks about the following specific metres for specific
composition:
1. For epic- Homer used dactylic hexameter. A dactyl means one long
syllable followed by two short syllables indicated as -ᴗᴗ, hexa means six
times in the line. In couplet, the first line is composed in dactylic hexameter
and second in dactylic pentameter (having five feet).
2. For tragedy, comedy & satirical verse- iambic metre. It consists of
two syllables, first short and second long syllable ᴗ-.
For other forms like lyric or song, he advocated other metrical measures as
per the need of poets. He followed the Greek model and suggested the
same in composition of poetry and other forms by showing his respect for
old Greek poetry.
5. Language of Poetry: his views on the language of poetry are largely
based on the views of Aristotle on style. The language of poetry need to be
selective and in accordance with the reader or audience. Here Horace’s
views are more liberal. A poet can choose simple and new diction as well
but the primary pre-requisite for that is it must be clear, effective and
expressive. The arrangement of diction or words play very significant role in
imparting effectiveness to the composition. Let’s quote his own words:
“Your diction will be excellent if a clever combination renders a familiar
word original…and words new and lately coined will win credit if they
descend from a Greek source, slightly modified.”
He permitted different kinds of words and mundane vocabulary and their
apt combination. The poet also can contribute to the existing diction by
coining or blending new words. It is the skill of the poet how he arranges
and rearranges the words and make them familiar with readers. The skill of
a poet lies in the selection and arrangement of words in composition
leading him to the success.
6. The Role of Nature and Art in Poetry: nature means natural gift or
genius and art means skill or training. It is a controversial question in
literature that which is greater or has higher stake in the success of poetry
or literature—genius or art. According to Democritus, a contemporary critic,
genius is more significant and inevitable in the success of a poem or poet.
But Aristotle believed in efforts or training, and on the same line, Horace
gave more preference to art i.e. training and toil. Moreover, he did not
consider genius and training separate but in combination. Both genius and
art has equal stake in the success of a poem, the first is gifted and later can
be acquired through skill and training. Refined skill and training can impart
the great success to a poet.
Above are the major observations of Horace on poetry.
