Imagination in Romantic Poetry Essay Example for Free

Imagination in Romantic Poetry EssayA large part of those extracts on Romantic imagination which are contained in the fascicule on pages D64 and D65 are strictly related to an ancient theory about Art and Realitys imitation, the Theory of Forms concieved by a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician Plato in Greek , Pltn, broad from 424/423 BC to 348/347 BC. The Theory of Forms in Greek typically refers to the teaching expressed by Socrates in some of Platos dialogues, that the material world as it assemblems to us is not the real world, but only an image or imitate of the real world. Socrates spoke of forms in formulating a solution to the problem of universals. The forms, according to Socrates, are roughly speaking archetypes or abstract representations of the many types of topics, and properties we feel and see around us, that can only be perceived by reason in Greek that is, they are universals.In other words, Socrates sometimes seems to recognise two worlds the Apparent world, which constantly changes, and an unchanging and unseen world of forms, which may be a cause of what is apparent. This theory is proposed in different ways in Blakes, Coleridges Shelleys extracts. The former says that This world of Imagination is the world of Eternity (A Vision of the Last Judgement, 1810) a place which resembles to a sort of otherworldly realm where experience the Permanent Realities of E actually Thing (the Form) which we see reflected in this Vegetable Glass of Nature (the Apparent world). A similar thing is exposed by Samuel Coleridge an side romantic poet who divides Imagination in Primary and Secondary. The former is the living Power and prime Agent of all human Perception, and as a repetition in the finite mind of the eternal act of creation in the infinite, the latter is an echo of the former who dissolves, diffuses, dissipates, in order to re-create (Biographia Literaria, 1817) a thing which is totally different from Fancy.Even in Shell ey the poetry is presented as something of divine not like reasoning (A Defence of Poetry, 1821) which beholds as the poet, the present, the past, and the future. In Keats and Wordsworth the poetry became the voluntary overflow of powerful feelings originating from emotion recollected in tranquillity (Preface to Lyrical Ballads) and the poet the most unpoetical of any thing in existence because he has no Identity (A garner to Richard Woodhouse, October 27th 1818). So Art is imitation, a feature of both of Platos theories. In the Republic, Plato says that art imitates the objects and events of ordinary life. In other words, a work of art is a copy of a copy of a Form. It is even more of an illusion than is ordinary experience. On this theory, works of art are at best entertainment, and at worst a delusion. This theory actually appears in Platos short early dialogue,the Ion. Socrates is questioning a poet named Ion, who recites Homers poetry brilliantly but is no good at reciting a nything else. Socrates is puzzled by this it seems to him that if Ion has an art, or skill, of reciting poetry he should be able to apply his skilled knowledge to other poets as well. He concludes that Ion doesnt really sustain skilled knowledge. Rather, when he recites Homer, he must be inspired by a god. The Ion drips with sarcasm. Plato didnt take the art by divine inspiration theory very seriously. But many ancient, medieval, and modern artists and aestheticians have found it irresistible.