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PlatoIon
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Literary Devices
Syllogism
A syllogism is an argument that follows a specific logical structure. It uses deductive reasoning to get from premises to a conclusion. When Socrates uses the Socratic method with one of his interlocutors, he uses syllogisms to guide the interlocutor to a conclusion that they must agree to because they agreed to all its premises. For instance, Socrates uses syllogisms in “Ion” when he tries to get Ion to define what makes different professions different. He gets Ion to agree that different professions are different because they cover different domains of knowledge. Socrates uses that same logic to show Ion why being a rhapsode cannot make Ion the best judge of Homer’s poetry; for instance, if he agrees that he does not have the skills of a charioteer, then a charioteer and not a rhapsode is the better judge of the sections of Homer’s poetry that deal with chariot-driving. In this way, Socrates shows Ion that the profession of a rhapsode does not require knowledge or skill in the same way other professions do. This capacity to convince through logic and reason is why syllogisms make powerful persuasive tools and are often used in arguments or debates.
Analogy
An analogy is a comparison between two entities or situations. Readers can apply the logic of one to the other to draw conclusions that they may not have otherwise seen. In “Ion,” Socrates draws an analogy between inspiration and magnetism (941). He explains that magnets can attract iron rings and give those rings the power to attract other iron rings. He believes this is the way inspiration works; first the source of the inspiration—the Muse—inspires the poet, then the poet inspires the rhapsode, then the rhapsode inspires his audience. This analogy allows readers to use their understanding of magnets to understand more about inspiration. For instance, magnetism in an object becomes weaker as it becomes further removed from the original magnet. If by the logic of analogy, inspiration works the same way, people who are furthest from the source of the inspiration may have little understanding of the divine message.
Juxtaposition
Socrates makes many direct comparisons, or juxtapositions, to emphasize the distinctions he wants Ion to understand. For example, Socrates juxtaposes professions such as mathematician, charioteer, doctor, sculptor, painter, diviner, and general to emphasize that “what we learn by mastering one profession we won’t learn by mastering another” (945). Socrates also juxtaposes various poets, such as Homer, Hesiod, and Archilochus, to emphasize that although they may write about the same subjects, they do so in different ways, which implies that Ion’s ability to understand Homer and not the others does not come from his knowledge of the art of poetry as a whole. Socrates emphasizes this point when he juxtaposes the manifestations of divine inspiration, noting that
each poet is able to compose beautifully only that for which the Muse has aroused him: one can do dithyrambs, another encomia, one can do dance songs, another, epics, and yet another, iambics; and each of them is worthless for the other types of poetry” (942).
These direct comparisons serve as evidence for Socrates’s main claim about the differences between skill and inspiration.
Allusion
An allusion is a reference to something of cultural significance that exists outside of the work. In “Ion,” Socrates alludes to the works of contemporaneous poets and playwrights like Homer and Euripides. These allusions serve as common ground on which Socrates can build his argument. For instance, when Socrates tries to make a point about what a rhapsode should know versus what other professions should know, he has Ion quote lines from Homer’s Iliad to demonstrate how the lines refer to the profession of charioteer, and not some other profession. Thus, the allusion establishes something familiar to both speakers so that they are on the same page. It also establishes something that the audience is familiar with to help them understand the subject matter.
Related Titles
By Plato
