Plato quotes on poetry

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Plato quotes on poetry

For all poetry has by nature an enigmatical character, and it is by no means everybody who can interpret it
Source: Plato, Alcibiades II

Will you believe me? I am almost ashamed to confess the truth, but I must say that there is

hardly a person present who would not have talked better about their poetry than they did themselves
Source: Plato, Alcibiades II

And of harp-playing and dithyrambic poetry in general, what would you say? Have they not been invented wholly for the sake of pleasure? CALLICLES: That is my notion of them
Source: Plato, Gorgias

If you were able to speak of him by rules of art, you would have been able to speak of all other poets; for poetry is a whole
Source: Plato, Ion

'Once more, I must say, Stranger, that you run down our lawgivers.' Not intentionally, my good friend, but whither the argument leads I follow; and I am trying to find some style of poetry suitable for those who dislike the common sort
Source: Plato, Laws

And now reflect, Hippothales, and see whether you are not guilty of all these errors in writing poetry
Source: Plato, Lysis

But he who, having no touch of the Muses' madness in his soul, comes to the door and thinks that he will get into the temple by the help of art--he, I say, and his poetry are not admitted; the sane man disappears and is nowhere when he enters into rivalry with the madman
Source: Plato, Phaedrus

He began to put his questions as follows:-- I am of opinion, Socrates, he said, that skill in poetry is the principal part of education; and this I conceive to be the power of knowing what compositions of the poets are correct, and what are not, and how they are to be distinguished, and of explaining when asked the reason of the difference
Source: Plato, Protagoras

And there comes into my mind a line of poetry in which he is said to be the god who 'Gives peace on earth and calms the stormy deep, Who stills the winds and bids the sufferer sleep.' This is he who empties men of disaffection and fills them with affection, who makes them to meet together

at banquets such as these: in sacrifices, feasts, dances, he is our lord--who sends courtesy and sends away discourtesy, who gives kindness ever and never gives unkindness; the friend of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the gods; desired by those who have no part in him, and precious to those who have the better part in him; parent of delicacy, luxury, desire, fondness, softness, grace; regardful of the good, regardless of the evil: in every word, work, wish, fear--saviour, pilot, comrade, helper; glory of gods and men, leader best and brightest: in whose footsteps let every man follow, sweetly singing in his honour and joining in that sweet strain with which love charms the souls of gods and men
Source: Plato, Symposium

You are aware, I suppose, that all mythology and poetry is a narration of events, either past, present, or to come? Certainly, he replied
Source: Plato, The Republic

The old man, as I very well remember, brightened up at hearing this and said, smiling: Yes, Amynander, if Solon had only, like other poets, made poetry the business of his life, and had completed the tale which he brought with him from Egypt, and had not been compelled, by reason of the factions and troubles which he found stirring in his own country when he came home, to attend to other matters, in my opinion he would have been as famous as Homer or Hesiod, or any poet
Source: Plato, Timaeus

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