Ars poetica

Ars Poetica, or "The Art of Poetry," is a poem written by Horace c. 19 BC, in which he advises poets on the art of writing poetry and drama. The Ars Poetica has "exercised a great influence in later ages on European literature, notably on French drama" and has inspired poets and authors since it was written.

The poem was written in hexameter verse as an Epistle (or Letter) to Lucius Calpurnius Piso (the Roman senator and consul) and his two sons, and is sometimes referred to as the Epistula Ad Pisones, or "Epistle to the Pisos". The first mention of its name as the "Ars Poetica" was c. 95 by the classical literary critic Quintilian in his Institutio Oratoria," and since then it has been known by that name.

"Written, like Horace’s other epistles of this period, in a loose conversational frame, Ars poetica consists of 476 lines containing nearly 30 maxims for young poets." There are aspects of the topic, such as recognition, reversal, or catharsis, that not there in Ars Poetica, but that are found in Aristotle’s Poetics. And parts of Ars Poetica, like the "five-act law", seem as though they are being repeated perfunctorily. But Ars Poetica is not a systematic treatise of theory, and it wasn’t intended to be. It is an inviting and lively poetic letter, composed for friends who appreciate poetic literature.

Horace approaches poetry from a practical standpoint—as a craft, or ars—rather than the theoretical approach of his predecessors, Aristotle and the philosopher Plato. He also holds the poet in high regard, as opposed, for instance, to Plato, who distrusts mimesis and who has philosopher Socrates say in Book 10 of the Republic that he would banish poets from the ideal state.

The following is a brief outline of the main subjects of the work:

"Many of...[the] apt phrases [of the Ars Poetica]...have passed into common literary parlance." Four quotations in particular are associated with the work:

The work is also known for its discussion of the principle of decorum (the use of appropriate vocabulary and diction in each style of writing) (l.81-106), and for Horace's criticisms of purple prose (purpureus pannus, l.15-16), a term coined by him to mean the use of flowery language.

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