The Continued Relevance of Aristotle’s "Poetics"

I must say, writing a “review” for a book thousands of years old, seems ridiculous. What’s more ridiculous, is how long I had trekked down the grueling writer’s road without having read Poetics. More so, I didn’t understand its importance and relevancy to writers.

Being a writer is tough enough as we spend most of our life in our heads. The last thing we need is to overcomplicate a fairly simple process, only to muddy our creative workflow. Then what? We can’t write and chalk it up as writer’s block? I know I’ve been there. The world we live in as it relates to modern technology is a blessing and a curse. It doesn’t take an expert in sociology to hypothesize that. On the contrary, it has made the life of a writer a much more fascinating case study. In modern times, we have (relatively) unlimited access to information. For writers existing in the days before the World Wide Web, wouldn’t the internet be a cure for “writer’s block”? You’d think, but, it’s far from the case. As everyone knows, the internet comes with an array of distractions. It’s probably a 1:1 ratio of distractions to information. That’s where we must train discipline. Arguably the writer’s biggest asset.

Naturally with the advancements in technology, more was published. It’s become significantly easier to write and publish literary material since the Genesis of the earth. With this, the influx of information can be a detriment to the writer. I can’t speak for every writer, but when you hop online and search “storytelling basics” and see hundreds of blog articles, random videos, and links to books on How to Write Better, you can’t help but feel the overwhelming sense of misdirection with the countless contradicting theories. Aristotle’s?Poetics, is the blueprint, where the foundations of drama formed. They’re not hard rules but rather the guidelines of making artistic literature.

Around c.335 BC, a devoted student of Plato, Aristotle, wrote Poetics. The goal for Poetics was a few things. The biggest takeaway for me, as previously mentioned, was that Aristotle defined the rules of Drama. He discusses what makes Tragedy, what makes Comedy. These “rules” Aristotle states are not complex rules you’d think they are. From my comprehension, they were direct and to the point. Practical storytelling basics. If not for the subsequent literary theories for decades to come, the words of Poetics would be even less ambiguous.

To me, Aristotle presents the bare basics of dramatic storytelling. It’s also important not to overcomplicate and think too deeply into the word “Drama”. Aristotle easily explains the differences and definitions of what Drama, Tragedy, and Comedy are as well as defining poetry. He also provides invaluable insight on character and plot. The information is succinct, timeless, and intrinsic. This is relevant to screenwriters, dramatists, novelists, and dare I say the non-fiction writer as well. I believe this book provides value to all writers alike.

Non-writers can benefit just as much as the writer in reading Poetics. It’s a fun read from a historical standpoint. To see how the ideas, thousands of years ago, hold true, is worth delving into. It’s touched, in some ways, every piece of literature to come after.

Depending on the translation you go with, it’s a fast read. The publication of?Poetics that I own clocks in at about ninety pages. That includes translations, chapter notes, summaries, etc. It’s so short it’s often included with other writings from Aristotle. For instance, the?Poetics?I own?includes Aristotle’s?Rhetoric (which is much longer than ninety pages). On top of that, it’s so old with so many different translations, it’s almost always inexpensive. Better yet, most translations seem consistent, removing some “grey area” behind his teachings.

For all writers, if you haven’t read or at least put Poetics on your reading list, you’re missing out on the essentials of not only dramatic, but literary theory.

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