PRECIS- NICK SEXTON

Although Aristotle continues throughout his essay Poetics to characterize poetry as imitative, I found his argument for the origin of poetry to be the most interesting. He says, "It is clear that the general origin of poetry was due to two causes, each of them part of human nature" (226). I have always viewed poetry as a natural art, so when Aristotle states that poetry originated from human nature it isn't difficult for me to agree. Aristotle then goes on to explain how poetry originates from human nature. He says, "Imitation is natural to man from childhood, one of his advantages over the lower animals being this, that he is the most imitative creature in the world, and learns at first by imitation" (227). This point is undeniably acceptable because no other animal is as imitative as humans. Furthermore, most animals follow instincts rather than learning by imitation. Aristotle then points out that humans are naturally delighted by imitation. He gives the example of people being delighted by depictions and imitations of grotesque things. A person wouldn't enjoy seeing a dead body in person, but delight at imitations of death and dead bodies in plays and paintings. Aristotle then ends by saying that through time, humans naturally began to create poetry because we are so obviously drawn to imitation. He says, "it was through their original aptitude, and by a series of improvements,...that they created poetry out of their improvisations" (227).