THE NEOCLASSICAL LITERARY CRITICISM: HORACE & LONGINUS

Introduction Plato and Aristotle are succeeded by a number of Roman literary critics. There are some who expand upon Plato’s and Aristotle’s thought, such as Plotinus. There are others who strive to study other aspects of literature, such as Horace and Longinus, whose works concern aspects of literature not yet described by Plato and Aristotle.

NEOCLASSICISM There are four tenets of neoclassical criticism: : the neoclassical critics have a desire to imitate the classical age and classical writers. : the neoclassical critics attempt to assess why the classical writers were so successful. : the neoclassical critics attempt to revive the glories of the ancient classical literature. : the neoclassical critics attempt to systematize the rules for writing good poetry. To Imitate To Assess To Revive To Systematize

Horace Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) is more interested in how the poet may delight and instruct an intelligent reader than he is in defining what a poem is or what literature is. This is connected to his famous catchphrase “utile et dulce” which means that literature must be both enjoyable and useful. Horace’s Art of Poetry also contains a number of catchphrases that influence particularly the neo- classical movements of the seventeenth century in France and England.

Horace Horace’s version of imitation differs from that of Plato’s and Aristotle’s It recognizes the importance of copying nature But, it emphasizes imitation of the methods of the great classical writers. This emphasis is echoed by neoclassical writers like Dryden and Pope

Horace Horace emphasizes decorum, by which he means the rightness of each part to the whole. His concept is also influential in the neoclassical movements. His most influential work remains the Art of Poetry, which summarizes entirely his critical thoughts and influence many neoclassicist writers.

Horace: Artist as a Craftsman Horace was the classicist who established the classical sets of belief rules and orders, restraint and correct expression. He wished that The writer should choose correct and right words; He should use meters maintaining their appropriateness; He should be able to choose a proper subject; He should make use of proper poetic diction; He should follow the rules of ancient arts.

Horace: The Rules of Decorum For Horace: A writer must choose a subject within his power and appropriate to his gifts; He must say at any given moment what needs to be said, and no more. He must choose vocabulary, meter and form that are right for his subject, whether noble, exciting, erotic or joyous.

Horace: The Rules of Decorum Horace warns against extravagant improbability and inappropriateness. Indeed the prevailing emphasis throughout is on the need for consistency, coherence and decorum. It is the writer's business to refine and polish his text that the highest standards of propriety and artistry are maintained. However, Horace demands a craft man’s skill in an artist; he does not utterly neglect the role of natural talent in art. In fact, he is insisting on a complementary relationship between learned artistry and genius. 

Horace: Art for poetry His Art for poetry can also he read as a useful advice to the perspective writers. It remained an influential document for the Neoclassical writers. He equates poetry with painting: In poetry, words are like various colors that are put beautifully. He focuses on decorum in poetry: the rightness of each part to the whole. There should be the harmony of each parts of poetry to the whole. These ideas become laws for neo-classical writers.

Decorum: Elements of Good Poetry He outlines the following rules of decorum to be in good poetry so that the pragmatic effect of poetry (Teach and delight) can be achieved: Unity and simplicity of forms: Simplicity refers to clarity that is everyone understands. Unity is the perfect combination of beginning, middle and ending. Everything should be matching so that it creates decorum and the sense of propriety. (Correctnes + Suitable)

Elements of Good Poetry Form and content matched:  The style should be proper. By proper, he means that the trivial and serious matters should not be written in grand style. And in the same way, the treatment of serious matter should not be in trivial form. Therefore, from and content should be matched. Poets and painters should not create monotony by showing dolphin in the forest and elephant in the sea. Such unnatural combination fails to teach and give the delight.

Elements of Good Poetry Appropriate use of words: The words come and go like the leaves of a tree. The words need to be used in proper places according to the nature of the words. Cliché should not be used and the language of common people should be magnified. Poets should use familiar words in quite different way. If characters want to speak words then it is okay but it should have its origin in Greek.

Elements of Good Poetry Appropriateness of meter: Horace prefers Virgil's opinion that to follow Homer is to follow nature. Homer says it is appropriate to use hexameter in epic, iambic pentameter in tragedy and hexameter and iambic pentameter in elegy.

Elements of Good Poetry Consistency of characters: The characters should be consistent and life like. His views on characters are identical to Aristotle. Character traits should be based on age, there should not be any exaggeration, that is which is not possible to the character must not be presented. Therefore, characters should be convincing, probable and consistent.

Elements of Good Poetry Style (Starting and ending): The writer can take one of the following techniques to present the content: Prolepsis (flash back): What happened before the action takes place. Analepsis (foreshadowing): What happens next to on going action.  Anachronistic (random): Mixture of all techniques.  

Elements of Good Poetry Whatever the technique there is, the end of poetry should teach and delight. To teach, actions should be physical than verbal because whatever people see, they are likely to believe. Therefore, it is better to perform everything. But scenes of murder, violence etc should not be shown on the stage. Deus ex machina (God from the machine) is to be hidden.

Longinus How does Longinus define the "sublime”? How is the "true sublime" differentiated from the “false sublime"? What according to him are the sources of the "sublime"?

Definition of Sublime Longinus defines sublime as a kind of greatness and excellence in language raising the style of the ordinary language. Sublimity springs from a great and lofty soul, thereby becoming " one echo of a great soul". It should not only be distinct and excellent in composition. It should move the readers along with the effects of pleasure and persuasion. Such effects should be subtle, flashing at the right moment, scattering everything before it like a thunder bolt and at once displaying the power of plentitude.

Definition of Sublime sublime is lofty and excellent poetic creation with power to please, persuade and move the readers through lifting up their souls. Sublimity is thus the aesthetic improvement or refinement of the soul through the reconciliation of the (innate) poetic inspiration and (acquired/learned) rhetorical mastery of the writers. Longinus believes that sublimity is achieved by a clever handling of Nature (innateness) and Art,(learning) which is inborn genius and learned skills.

The Five sources of the Sublime The five sources, Longinus mentions for the sublime, are either innate or acquired Two innate sources are related to the author and three acquired sources are related to the poem. Power of forming great conceptions. Vehement and inspired passion. The due formation and use of figures of speech Noble diction Dignified and elevated composition

1. Power of forming great conceptions: It is concerned with the grandeur of thought in writers. It is the first essential source of sublime. Lofty and natural expression is possible when there are noble and lofty thoughts. The great thoughts come from the imagination of a great creative genius and from a sound interpretation of the imitation of nature and of the great predecessors.

2. Vehement and inspired passion: The second source of sublime is the genuine emotion. The emotion should be strong and natural expressed in lofty and elevated language. So, it can move the readers with pleasure and persuasion. It should match with the grandeur of subject, thought and lofty style.

3. The Use of Figures of Speech: The third source of sublime is the poetic use of language. The formation and use of figures help the elevated expression if they are properly used. Such a use of figures should not be mechanical and forceful. They should be used genuinely and as per the demands of the contextual environment. Example The proper use of rhetorical question makes an immediate appeal to the emotions. It is a statement in question form that suggests its own answer.

4. Noble diction The fourth source of sublime is diction It includes choice and arrangement of words. Longinus says that the use of proper and striking words captivate (hold attention) the hearers. The words, to him, should be noble corresponding to the subject matter and emotion. So as to convey grandeur and beauty, giving breath in to dead things.

5. Dignified and elevated composition: The last source of sublime is the dignified and elevated arrangement of the diction for the grandeur of composition. The verbal order should be rhythmic and harmonious which helps pull off persuasion and pleasure. Such a composition appeals to the soul and enables the readers to participate in the emotions of the author.

The Factors of the False Sublime while discussing the sources of true sublime, Longinus also deals with the factors of the false sublime or what is not sublime. To him, the vices of the sublime emerge out of the lack of passion sincerely and inadequacy of communication caused by faulty techniques. The following factors are described to mention how they cause sublime to be false: Bathos or bombast: all that overwrought, pseudo-tragic clap-trap (trivial and unbelievable talk) associated with melodrama Inflated and hyperbolic Language: that is used, inappropriately, to heighten subjects that do not deserve such a treatment Fashionable expressions and fanciful images: especially when sincerity is sidelined in favor of the obsession for fashionable style