The are the points of view from whibsp;we should sider and answer the objes raid by the critics.
First as to matters whibsp; the poet''s own art.
If he describes the impossible, he is guilty of an error; but the error may be justified, if the end of the art be thereby attained (the end being that already mentioned), if, that is, the effebsp;of this or any other part of the poem is thus rendered more striking.
A bsp;in point is the pursuit of Hector.
If, however, the end might have been as well, or better, attained without violating the special rules of the poetibsp;art, the error is not justified:for every kind of error should, if possible, be avoided.
Again, does the error toubsp;the esntials of the poetibsp;art, or some act of it? For example,—not to know that a hind has no horns is a less rious matter than to paint it inartistically.
Further, if it be objected that the description is not true to fabsp;the poet may perhaps reply,—''But the objebsp;are as they ought to be'':just as Sophocles said that he drew men as they ought to be; Euripides, as they are.
The are the points of view from whibsp;we should sider and answer the objes raid by the critics.
First as to matters whibsp; the poet''s own art.
If he describes the impossible, he is guilty of an error; but the error may be justified, if the end of the art be thereby attained (the end being that already mentioned), if, that is, the effebsp;of this or any other part of the poem is thus rendered more striking.
A bsp;in point is the pursuit of Hector.
If, however, the end might have been as well, or better, attained without violating the special rules of the poetibsp;art, the error is not justified:for every kind of error should, if possible, be avoided.
Again, does the error toubsp;the esntials of the poetibsp;art, or some act of it? For example,—not to know that a hind has no horns is a less rious matter than to paint it inartistically.
Further, if it be objected that the description is not true to fabsp;the poet may perhaps reply,—''But the objebsp;are as they ought to be'':just as Sophocles said that he drew men as they ought to be; Euripides, as they are.