Horace--Bharathiar University, M.Phil English

A HISTORY OF LITERARY CRITICISM—HARRY BLAMIERS

UNIT I

S. Sreekumar

This is a part of the summary of the first chapter of the book by Harry Blamiers. The rest of the summary will be published later.  

HORACE (65-8 BC)—Bharathiar University, M.Phil English

Biographical details

·        Not a philosopher like Plato or Aristotle but a poet.

·        Son of a tax-collector and student of Orbilius

·        Studied in Athens. After the Assassination of Julius Caesar, he joined the group of Brutus. When Brutus was defeated at Philipi, he went back to Rome and took a job as a clerk.

·        Became close to his great contemporary, Virgil.

·        Began to enjoy imperial favor of Augustus Caesar^*.

·        His poetic output included satires, odes and epistles

^*The Age of Augustus Caesar was the Golden Age of Roman Literature. During this period, Virgil, Ovid, Horace, and Livy produced a body of refined and high quality literature. This literature reflected the confidence of an affluent and stable society.

Ars Poetica

One of the epistles of Horace was addressed to a father and two sons and it gives instructions on the art of writing. This epistle was later labeled ‘Ars Poetica’ (The Art of Poetry).

‘Ars Poetica’ is neither original nor a systematic work. But it had a lasting influence in European Literature. Ben Jonson translated it, Pope used it as a model for several of his works. It is outstanding as the work of a poet noted for his refinement, felicity of style and naturalness of expression.

Materials for the Poet

The poet will find his material in human life and character. He must be faithful in representing it.

Classicism

Horace is a classicist. He believes that the aspiring poet must spend his days and nights by studying Homer and the Greek tragedians. Critical examination of great classics is a must for a poet. The poet must work hard to create well-ordered, disciplined and felicitous verse.

Ars Poetica & common sense

·        ‘Ars Poetica’ is ‘common sense methodized’.

·        A writer ‘must choose a subject, within his powers and appropriate to his gifts.

·        He must say what needs to be said, and no more.

·        He must choose vocabulary, meter and form that are proper for his subject.

·        The writer must take care to avoid implausible and incongruous situations.

·        The writer must take extreme care to polish the text so that the ‘highest standards of propriety and artistry’ are maintained.

Ars Poetica—Merits and demerits

Merits

1. The chief merit lies in its casual approach.

2. The work has fine illustrative quality.

3. The apothegms give sparkle to the text.

4. It recommends the need to blend instruction with delight. “The man who mingles the useful with the sweet carries the day by charming the reader and at the same time instructing him”.

Demerits

1. The main demerit of the work is its unorganized nature. Though Horace preferred order and organization in works, his own ‘Ars Poetica’ has neither order nor organization. It is a hotchpotch.

2. Horace’s insistence on profit and delight appears mundane and materialistic.

 S. Sreekumar