Ars Poetica

“In pompous introductions, and such as promise a great deal, it generally happens that one or two verses of purple patch-work, that may make a great show, are tagged on.”

This quotation includes one of the famous Horatian phrases: purpureus pannas, or purple patches. “Purple verse” overuses ornate language, metaphors, adjectives, and adverbs. Although novice poets writing purple verse think it will enhance their work, the practice only signifies their lack of knowledge and ability to use simple and uniform language.

“It will make a wide difference, whether it be Davus that speaks, or a hero; a man well-stricken in years, or a hot young fellow in his bloom; and a matron of distinction, or an officious nurse; a roaming merchant, or the cultivator of a verdant little farm; a Colchian, or an Assyrian; one educated at Thebes, or one at Argos.”

Horace contrasts two types of characters to emphasize the necessity for consistency. In drama, Davus, an enslaved character, needs to speak differently than a hero. An individual from Colchia (present-day western Georgia) acts differently than one from Assyria (northern Mesopotamia). A character educated in Thebes (the setting in the Oedipean dramas by Sophocles) talks differently than someone educated in Argos (the seat of the Mycenean kingdom recorded in ancient Greek mythology). Although these distinctions appear foreign to modern readers, these references were familiar to Horace’s audience and conveyed his argument with historical evidence and logical comparisons.

“The great majority of us poets, father, and youths worthy such a father, are misled by the appearance of right. I labor to be concise, I become obscure: nerves and spirit fail him, that aims at the easy: one, that pretends to be sublime, proves bombastical: he who is too cautious and fearful of the storm, crawls along the ground: he who wants to vary his subject in a marvelous manner, paints the dolphin in the woods, the boar in the sea. The avoiding of an error leads to a fault, if it lack skill.”

Horace describes how inexperienced poets labor too much on the illusion of appropriateness. Instead of using wisdom and knowledge of beauty to direct the propriety of their verse, these poets show artistic mediocrity. Moreover, poets who shy away from failure and error often lose the sense of right in their verse and overcompensate with inappropriate language. This mediocrity is also a result of the failing Roman education system.

“Ye who write, make choice of a subject suitable to your abilities; and revolve in your thoughts a considerable time what your strength declines, and what it is able to support. Neither elegance of style, nor a perspicuous disposition, shall desert the man, by whom the subject matter is chosen judiciously.”

Horace emphasizes the importance of choosing a subject matter that matches the poet’s skills. Even a poet who lacks the experience and wisdom that comes with maturity will succeed if they choose a topic they know well and write about it honestly.

“A long syllable put after a short one is termed an iambus, a lively measure, whence also it commanded the name of trimeters to be added to iambics, though it yielded six beats of time, being similar to itself from first to last. Not long ago, that it might come somewhat slower and with more majesty to the ear, it obligingly and contentedly admitted into its paternal heritage the steadfast spondees; agreeing however, by social league, that it was not to depart from the second and fourth place.”

Horace describes his theory of meter and its connection to unity. Iambic, a short syllable followed by a long, is an energetic meter. Trimeter is a line of verse with three feet. He also differentiates between the historical use of meter and its application in verse of his era.

“Ye [who are desirous to excel,] turn over the Grecian models by night, turn them by day. But our ancestors commended both the numbers of Plautus, and his strokes of pleasantry; too tamely, I will not say foolishly, admiring each of them; if you and I but know how to distinguish a coarse joke from a smart repartee, and understand the proper cadence, by [using] our fingers and ears.”

Aspiring poets need to read the works of classical antiquity to learn how to impart wisdom, truth, and beauty to their poetry. Plautus, a Latin writer before Horace’s lifetime, drew characters, meters, and stories from Greek models. Continuous study of Greek and Latin writers, observing their virtues and faults, leads to technical perfection in poetry.

“Our poets have left no species [of the art] unattempted; nor have those of them merited the least honor, who dared to forsake the footsteps of the Greeks, and celebrate domestic facts; whether they have instructed us in tragedy, or comedy. Nor would Italy be raised higher by valor and feats of arms, than by its language, did not the fatigue and tediousness of using the file disgust every one of our poets.”

Horace accuses Roman writers of not producing aesthetically beautiful poetry because of their lack of care for the craft. Readers, he advises, should reject the works that are produced without diligent and painstaking care. The “file” is a reference to sculptors, who carefully put the final touches on poetry in small and detailed movements.

“To have good sense, is the first principle and fountain of writing well. The Socratic papers will direct you in the choice of your subjects; and words will spontaneously accompany the subject, when it is well conceived.”

Wisdom is the source of all beautiful and good poetry. To learn wisdom, the readers should start with the Socratic dialogues and writings. These documents will provide future poets with the commonsense to choose the subjects appropriate to their skills and sensibilities.

“Poets wish either to profit or to delight; or to deliver at once both the pleasures and the necessaries of life. Whatever precepts you give, be concise; that docile minds may soon comprehend what is said, and faithfully retain it. All superfluous instructions flow from the too full memory.”

This is another famous quotation of Horace, commonly known as the Horatian platitude. The poet’s purpose in writing verse should be to instruct or delight their audiences. A poet who achieves both has true talent and a mastery of craft. Horace immediately follows this memorable phrase with a return to propriety. The means of concision and simplicity in poetry will allow poets to reach their literary goals.

“But if ever you shall write any thing, let it be submitted to the ears of Metius [Tarpa], who is a judge, and your father’s, and mine; and let it be suppressed till the ninth year, your papers being laid up within your own custody.”

Horace says that a poet must ensure their work is good before letting the public read it. He recommends that poets only share their poetry with a small group of close acquaintances. Then, he advises storing it for up to nine years and then revisiting it. This extreme measure of self-censorship and revision reflects the Horatian model of intense study and disciplined reading.

“It has been made a question, whether good poetry be derived from nature or from art. For my part, I can neither conceive what study can do without a rich [natural] vein, nor what rude genius can avail of itself: so much does the one require the assistance of the other, and so amicably do they conspire [to produce the same effect].”

Horace enters the debate about whether nature or art is the source of poetry. Horace finds a balance between the two. All the best poets have a “rich vein” of nature, that is, natural talent. The ‘ars’ in Ars Poetica refers to poetry as a skilled craft to be perfected under disciplined study and practice. Nature and art must be cultivated together to create great poets.

“You, whether you have made, or intend to make, a present to any one, do not bring him full of joy directly to your finished verses: for then he will cry out, ‘Charming, excellent, judicious,’ he will turn pale; at some parts he will even distill the dew from his friendly eyes; he will jump about; he will beat the ground [with ecstasy]. As those who mourn at funerals for pay, do and say more than those that are afflicted from their hearts; so the sham admirer is more moved than he that praises with sincerity.”

Horace addresses the topic of flattery. Beautiful poetry affects its readers immensely, but Horace advises poets not to bring their audiences to intense feelings at the end of their verse. The careful reader will understand the subtlety and nuance of a carefully crafted line of verse. The flatterer will only be a “sham admirer.” Their input and praise will mean nothing because they are not knowledgeable about unity, simplicity, and tradition.

“If you choose rather to defend than correct a fault, he spent not a word more nor fruitless labor, but you alone might be fond of yourself and your own works, without a rival. A good and sensible man will censure spiritless verses, he will condemn the rugged, on the incorrect he will draw across a black stroke with his pen; he will lop off ambitious [and redundant] ornaments; he will make him throw light on the parts that are not perspicuous; he will arraign what is expressed ambiguously.”

Self-awareness is crucial to becoming a good poet. Sometimes, this awareness requires self-censorship. After practice and study, the wise poet will know when their verse lacks spirit. They will be careful and critical editors of their work. They will remove excessive and ornate language. Moreover, they will correct vague and incomprehensible lines.