Plato (and Aristophanes): What Do the Poets Do, Anyway?

THE CHAIN OF INSPIRATION

Compare to: Plato, Ion 533d-e

A LIGHT AND WINGED THING IS THE POET

Compare to: Plato, Ion 534a-b; Plato, Phaedr. 245a

THE NATURE OF INSPIRATION, or
WHERE IS HE GETTING ALL THOSE IDEAS FROM?! (From Books, of course...)

Compare to: Plato, Phaedr. 235c; Seneca, Epist. 84,6; Augustine, Confess. 10,14

(...And from Chance Encounters, too)

Compare to: Plato, Phaedr.246

THE POET SPEAKS TO THE LOWEST PART OF OUR SOUL, or
THE FEAR OF DEATH IS UN-PHILOSOPHICAL

Compare to: Plato, Phaedo 77e-78a; Lucretius, On Nature 3,35-40

NO DIRGES AND LAMENTATIONS, PLEASE!

Compare to: Plato, Rep. 10,605d-606a; 604d

MIGHT THERE BE SOME GOOD IN MAKING US WEEP?

Compare to: Aristotle, Poet. 1449b(6,2); Plato, Rep. 10,606a-d

GOOD GUYS AND BAD GUYS: EQUAL RIGHTS IN LITERATURE

Compare to: Plato, Rep. 3,401b-c; Plutarch, Moral. 18 (How to Study Poetry)

LIVING IN THE CAVE – AND CLIMBING OUT OF IT

Compare to: Plato, Rep. 7,514-515a; Plato, Rep. 7,519c-d

THE BEAUTY OF THINGS MEANS VIRTUE AND VALUE IN THEM

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE AUDIENCE Compare to: Plato, Ion 535d-e

THE POET’S DESIRE FOR IMMORTALITY

Compare to: Plato, Symp. 208d-209a; Horace, Od. 3,30,1-7

... AND HIS UNRULY OFFSPRING

Compare to: Plato, Symp. 209d; Ovid, Trist. 3,14,12-8

THE AGING POET AND THE MUSE

Compare to: Euripides, Frogs, 1305-9; Horace, Epist. 2,2,55-7;
Ovid, Ex P. 4,2,27-30; Ovid, Trist. 3,14,33-4

THE INSCRUTABILITY OF POETRY

Compare to: Plato, Protag. 347e-348a

THE SOWING OF WORDS: LIGHT STUFF vs. PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE

Compare to: Plato, Phaedr. 276b-277a

GATHERING FLOWERS IN THE GARDENS OF POETRY

Compare to: Meleager, Proem to The Garland,1-14

PAINTING AND POETRY HAVE THINGS IN COMMON

Compare to: Plato, Phaedr. 275d-e

THE POETIC CROAKING

Compare to: Aristophanes, Frogs 226-35; Seneca, Epist. 33,11

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