Literary Theory	Name	Assumptions	Methodology	Differentiation
	Imitation The poet must and do imitate nature. “Poesy therefore is an art of imitation”- Ars Poetica (Art of Poetry) Media of Poetic Imitation Imitation is produced by means of:         Rhythm          Language          Music Objects of Poetic Imitation         Imitative Artists Representation a.    Men In Action b.    Men who are necessarily either of: b.1. Good Character b.2. Bad Character The Manner of Poetic Imitation         It is possible that by using the same medium to represent the same subjects in a variety of ways: * By Narration Partly: a. By the assumption of a character other than one’s own. b. By speaking on one’s own person; c. By representing the characters as performing all the action dramatically.	Aristotle	Tragedy and Scope of Plot The emphasis of the elements or characteristics of which a work is composed began with Aristotle. Plot being the representation of an action, must represent is as unified whole (singleness of effect); and its various incidents must be so arranged that if any one of them is differently placed or taken away the effect of wholeness will be seriously disrupted.  Tragedy, an imitation of a noble and complete action, having the proper magnitude; it employs language that has been artistically enhanced by each of the kinds of linguistic adornment, applied-separately in the various parts of the play; it is presented in dramatic, not narrative form, and achieves, through the representation of pitiable and fearful incidents, the catharsis of such pitiable and fearful incidents. Tragedy is a representation NOT of men, but of action of life, of happiness and unhappiness. The purpose of living is an end which is a kind of activity, not a quality, it is their characters, indeed, that make men what they are but it is by reason of their actions that they are happy or the reverse A Description of Tragedy Elements: Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle (Stage Effects), Song Scope of the Plot -The arrangement of the incidents is important in Tragedy. -A whole has a beginning, middle and end. -Plots must be reasonable length, so that they may be easily held in the memory. In Tragedy: -The authors keep to the names of real people, the reason being is that what is possible is credible. -Fear and Pity are awaken, the effects of these heightened when things happen unexpectedly as well as logically, for then they will seem be mechanical or accidental.	Poetics Poetics, an esoteric work, a discussion of the components of a literary work (that continues to the present day). Said to be the most important critical influences on literary theory and criticism. Many critics and scholars mistakenly assume that the Poetics is a how-to manual, defining and setting the standards for literature (particularly tragedy) for all time. However, Aristotle’s purpose was NOT to formulate a series of absolute rules for evaluating a tragedy, but to state the general principles of tragedy as he viewed them in his time. The Origin and Development of Poetry -Generally, Poetry is due to two causes which both rooted in HUMAN and NATURE: Instinct for Imitation is inherent in man from his earliest days; Instinct for Imitation is natural to man, as is also the feeling for music and for rhythm. Aristotle’s Poetics focused on the Epic compared with Tragedy Epic keeps to a single meter and is in narrative form; Length: tragedy tries bas far as possible to keep within a single revolution of the sun, or only slightly to exceed it. Content: All of the elements of an Epic poem are found in Tragedy, but the elements of a Tragedy are not found in an Epic poem.	Both Plato and Aristotle decree that poets must and do imitate nature, but, Plato’s most concern is morality and while its emphasis on the elements or characteristics of which a work is composed began with Aristotle. Horace like Aristotle and Plato focuses on a work’s essence, the constituent parts of a work and literary taste, while Longinus concentrates on single elements of a text (On the Sublime). Horace also believes that poets must imitate other poets, particularly those of the past.