Horace Quint
The Science of Poetry
Quintus Horace Flaccus
The Science of Poetry
Had a woman's head to the neck of a horse painter
I thought of attaching and, having gathered various members from everywhere,
I dazzled them with feathers so that a beautiful woman from above
Ended at the bottom with an ugly fish, - looking at such
Exhibition, folks, could you stop laughing?
Believe, Pisons! This picture should look like
A book in which all thoughts are like delirium in a patient with a fever.
Where is the head, where is the leg - without agreement with the whole squad!
I know: everyone dares a poet with a painter - and everything is possible for them,
10 Whatever they want. We ourselves are not averse to such freedom,
And they are ready to allow it to another; but with the condition
So that wild animals are not together with tame ones,
Snakes in the community of birds, and fierce tigers with lambs!
To the lush, promising start loudly
Often shining from afar l_o_skut is sewn purple,
Or Dean's altar is described, or a frisky source,
Winding between flowering meadows, or majestic Rhine,
Or a colorful rainbow in a cloudy, rainy sky.
But is she in the right place? You may be very good at
20 Cypress write? But why, where ordered broken
Storm a ship with a hopeless swimmer? You worked the amphora
And you spun, spun the wheel - and the mug worked!
Know, artist, that simplicity and unity are needed in everything.
For the most part, Pisons, father and worthy children!
We poets are outwardly deceived by brilliance.
Do I want to be brief - I express myself darkly, do I want to
Gentle to be - I seem weak; be tall
I fall into a frenzy!
This one is timid and, fearing the storm, crawls down the valley;
This one, loving miracles, presents us with a dolphin in the forest,
30 Boars floating in the waves! - And believe me, not knowing the art,
If you avoid one mistake, you are exposed to a larger one!
Close to the school of Emilia was an artist who could
Nails and soft hair in bronze sculpt excellently.
In general, he was unsuccessful, hugging without knowing how to unite.
If I write anything, I would not like to be like him;
Just as I don't want to be an ugly nose, having
Black eyes or beautiful black curls.
Every writer choose a subject, corresponding to strength;
Look at it for a long time, try how I carry it, whether it will raise my shoulders.
40 If someone chooses a subject according to himself, neither order nor clarity
They will not leave him: the expression will be free.
The strength and charm of order, I think, is that the writer
I knew exactly what to say where, and everything else - after,
Where does what go; so that the creator of the poem knows what to take, what to throw away,
Also, that he was not generous with words, but also stingy and choosy.
If a well-known word, skillful with another combination,
Make it new - great! But if with a new speech
It is necessary to name something, hitherto unknown, - then you have to
To find a word such that it was unheard of by the Cethegs.
50 This freedom, when you are careful in your choice,
You can afford: the new expression is true
It will be accepted when its source is harmonious
Greek is a wonderful language. What the Roman Plautus allowed
Or Caecilia - how to forbid you, Virgil and Varius? ..
Why do they reproach me if I find expressions again?
Ennius with Cato, after all, there are rich names of new things
Ancestors endowed the language; always allowed, and now
They also allowed us, and it will always be allowed
Introduce a new word, marking it with a modern stigma.
60 As the leaves on the branches change with the years,
The old ones will fly around everything, - so the words in the language. Those who grow old
They die, and new ones, born again, will flourish and grow stronger.
We and all ours are a tribute to death! Is the sea compressed into a pier
(A feat worthy of a king!), Protects ships from a storm,
Or a barren swamp, once fit for oars,
Feeds neighboring cities, blown up by heavy plow,
Or the river will change its course to a comfortable and better one,
Formerly dangerous to the harvest: everything that is mortal must perish!
Well, is it really the honor of words and their pleasantness - to those who live forever?
70 Many fallen ones will be reborn; others, now
Taking advantage of honor, they will fall, only an imperious custom will require,
In the will of which everything - both the laws and the rules of speech!
Homer showed us all how to measure
Terrible battles, deeds of kings and famous leaders.
Previously, unequal verses contained only a complaint of the heart,
After the same feeling of delight and fulfillment of sweet desires!
Who invented the kind of elegy is disputed by learned people,
But to this day their dispute remains unresolved.
Furious iambic was invented by Archilochus, - and low sokki,
80 Together with a high cothurn, they learned a new foot.
Capable of talking, loud, as if born
To the action of life she, to the overcoming of the people's noise.
The ringing lyre strings were bestowed by the immortal Muse
Praise the gods and their sons, fighters crowned with victory,
Battle horses, and the fun of wine, and the worries of the young!
If in a poem I cannot observe all the shades,
All its colors, why call me a poet?
Isn't ignorance shameful? ashamed to study?
The comedian finds the tragic verse indecent to the subject;
90 Dinner Fiesta - it is equally unworthy to simply tell
Colloquial verse, language suitable for comedy.
Each thing is decently given by nature to its given place!
So irritated Khremet blames the insane son
Speech full of power; often a tragic tragic
Complaints groan publishes language and simple and humble.
So Tel_e_f and Peleus are both in exile and poverty,
Throwing magnificent speeches, they touch the heart with a complaint!
Not! not enough beauty verses; but to delight the spirit
100 And wherever the poet wants, they were carried away!
People's faces laugh with those who laugh, they cry with those who cry.
If you want me to cry, then be moved yourself:
Only then will Teleph and Peleus, and the misfortune of their kind
touch me; otherwise, or I'll fall asleep from boredom,
Or I will laugh. Sad speeches are decent
A sad, formidable face - anger, and a cheerful one - jokes;
Important speeches go to the appearance of an important and strict:
For this is how nature arranges us inwardly
To a change of fate, so that we all express on our faces
110 It rejoices, or angers, or brings sadness to the earth,
Does the heart aches, or does the soul pour out its delight with words!
If the language disagrees with the fate of the poet's face,
In Rome, both the rider and the people on foot will be ridiculed mercilessly!
There is a difference in this: Dove says, or a famous hero,
An old man, or a husband, or a young man, boiling with blooming life,
Noble by birth matron, or nurse; also
Assyrian, Colchian, plowman, or peddler,
Whether a resident of Greek Thebes, or a Greek is a pet of Argos.
Follow the tradition, poet, or invent like the truth!
120 If your hero Achilles, so famous in songs, let it be
Ardent, not inert and quick, and in his anger adamant,
In addition to his sword, he who does not want the law to recognize.
Medea must be proud and fierce; Ino - deplorable;
Io is a wanderer; gloomy - Orestes; Ixion is a treacherous.
If you entrust the stage with something new, if you dare
By creative power to create a face unknown before,
Then try to support him to the end as such,
As you showed at the beginning, I agree with myself.
It is difficult, however, to give general personality, back in the Iliad
130 Action to find again than to present an unfamiliar object.
The common will be rightfully yours, as soon as you
Together with the mediocre crowd you are spinning in an ordinary circle,
If you do not, following in the footsteps, a timid imitator,
Word by word to lead, you will escape the crampedness from which
Shame and even the very rules forbid going back.
Be afraid to start like a cyclical poet of the past:
"I sing the fate of Priam and the glorious war of Troy!"
How to fulfill a promise, with your mouth open so wide?
The mountain tormented, but what was born? funny little mouse!
140 Better a hundredfold, who does not want to start anything beyond their strength:
"Muse! tell me about the husband who, having destroyed Troy,
I saw many people of the city and customs in wanderings!
He did not want to let the smoke out of the flame, but out of the smoke
To extract the flame in order to present a wonderful look in the brilliance:
Antiphatus and Scylla, or with the Cyclops Charybdis!
He will not begin Diomedes' return from Meleagor's death,
Nor the Trojan War with two eggs, the offspring of Leda.
He hurries straight to the point; telling the familiar, quickly
Past those events, he captivates those who listen;
150 What others sang, that will not be taken to decorate;
He mixes truth with a fable in such a way, combining skillfully,
What the middle is to the beginning, the end answers to the middle!
Listen to what I want and our people want with me:
If you want the viewer from the moment the veil falls
He listened with attention, silently, to the word: "Beat your hands,"
Then try to present morals of all ages decently,
It is similar to nature, how people change over the years.
Of particular note is the last "Message" - "Epistle to the Pisos" ("Science of Poetry"). This message was already singled out by the ancients as a separate work, considering it as a presentation of the theory of poetic art. Horace formulates the most important aesthetic principles of classicism about the unity, simplicity and integrity of the work. He talks about the content of art, about the means of influencing the audience, about the social significance of poetry and about the role of the poet. Much attention is paid to the artistic form and composition of the work, the criteria for assessing poetic skill. The poet himself says this about the tasks that he sets for himself in this, in his opinion, theoretical guide.
In presenting his advice to the Pisons, Horace proceeds both from personal literary experience and from the experience of the Hellenic masters of verse so beloved by him. His aesthetic principles are in harmony with the philosophy of the "golden mean". Horace is a supporter of a serious attitude to creativity, does not approve of extremes, proceeds from common sense, wisdom. This determines the laws of artistic creativity formulated by him.
The presentation is conducted by Horace in a free manner, in the spirit of a lively conversation. The poet moves from one topic to another, reinforcing theoretical calculations with references to well-known, proven literary devices or analogies. At the heart of his reasoning is the requirement of unity of form and content. Horace, convinced of the high purpose of art, is rightfully considered the theorist of Roman literary classicism. His ideal is clarity, simplicity, logic.
The "Science of Poetry" by Horace is a monument of ancient classical aesthetics. This work served as the basis for N. Boileau's Poetic Art.
Consciousness of creativity - characteristic Horace. The future author of The Science of Poetry pays great attention to theoretical issues, and his poetic practice never diverges from theoretical postulates. Satires, indeed, are distinguished by both oratorical and poetic merits. Maintaining a tone of casual conversation as a whole, Horace shines with a wealth of stylistic shades; sometimes familiar, sometimes parodic-elevated style of satyrs always remains visual and expressive.
The last decade of Horace's life also includes the second book of the Epistles, devoted to questions of literature. It consists of three letters. The first is addressed to Augustus, who expressed his displeasure at the fact that he had not yet been among the addressees of the Horatian epistles. We find the most complete explanation of Horace's theoretical views on literature in the third letter, in the "Epistle to the Pisons", which later received - back in ancient times- the name of "Science of Poetry". The poetic message of Horace is not a theoretical study, which at one time was Aristotle's Poetics. The work of Horace belongs to the type of "normative" poetics, containing dogmatic "prescriptions" from the standpoint of a certain literary movement. But the Roman poet does not aim to give an exhaustive treatise. The free form of the "message" allows him to dwell only on some issues, more or less relevant, from the point of view of the struggle of literary trends in Rome. "The Science of Poetry" is, as it were, a theoretical manifesto of Roman classicism in the time of Augustus. From the very beginning of his activity, Horace waged a struggle against unprincipled trends that cultivated only formal stylistic achievements. As a theorist, he denounces "meaningless rhymes and resounding trifles" and emphasizes the fundamental importance of content: "wisdom is the basis and source of true literary art." Like Cicero for an orator, so Horace requires a philosophical education for a poet. At the same time, Horace accepts the slogan put forward by the neotherics for a long and careful finishing of a poetic work. The aesthetics of the "Science of Poetry" is classical. The work should be simple, holistic and harmonious.
By the beginning of the 1st c. BC. comedy-palliata is exhausted and gives way to comedy with a national Roman content.
In the 1st century BC. as a result civil wars The republic in Rome fell. Octavian-Augustus becomes the sovereign ruler of Rome and establishes a military dictatorship. Understanding the importance of the theater, Augustus contributed to its development, but at the same time he sought to turn the theater into a means of improving and educating his citizens. These aspirations of Augustus-Octavian were supported by one of the outstanding Roman poets, Horace, and are reflected in his ʼʼScience of Poetryʼʼ.
Horace(Quintus Horace Flaccus) lived in 65 - 8 gᴦ. BC, like most people of his generation, parted with republican ideals and became the defender and conductor of Augustus' policy in the field of ideology.
ʼʼScience of poetryʼʼ - ϶ᴛᴏ third letter from the second book ʼʼMessagesʼʼ Horace, addressed to the Piso brothers, the eldest of whom was engaged in literature. We are talking here mainly about tragedy, since it was this genre that Augustus wanted to revive. Horace proposes to return to the stage the Greek tragedy with its three actors and the choir as a full participant in the action, a simple and harmonious plot. Such a tragedy seems exemplary to Horace. He stands for ideological, meaningful art, the basis of which is wisdom. The poet must be a highly educated person, as he acts as an educator and mentor of citizens. His art must be emotional, elegant, in this regard, he needs to carefully polish his works before presenting them to the public.
ʼʼScience of poetryʼʼ played important role in the formation of the poetics of classicism in the 17th century. The theorist of French classicism N. Boileau, creating his treatise ʼʼPoetic Artʼʼ, relied on Horace's ʼʼScience of Poetryʼʼ.
At the same time, all the efforts of Augustus to revive a serious genre on the Roman stage were unsuccessful. The theater spreads throughout Italy and the provinces. But the performances are purely entertainment.
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The public role of the theater is further reduced. Roman tragedy was in decline. Separate spectacular scenes were staged, giving the actors the opportunity to show their skills. Their performances were reduced mainly to singing, because the actors' arias made up the main part of the performance.
From the tragedies of the imperial era, nothing has come down to us, except for the plays of the philosopher SENECI (4-65 ᴦ.ᴦ. AD). Seneca was the tutor of Emperor Nero, at one time he held the highest positions in the state, but then he was accused of conspiring against the emperor and, on his orders, committed suicide by opening his veins.
It should be noted that according to his philosophical views, Seneca was a O ikom, and this influenced the ideological orientation of his tragedies. St O iki (Greek philosophers of the 4th century BC) taught that the meaning human life- in the pursuit of virtue. Virtue helps to suppress destructive passions and affects, be indifferent to wealth, meekly endure all hardships and face death with dignity. Fatum (fate) dominates everything, it is pointless to resist.
Seneca began to write tragedies at the end of his life, when Nero's attitude towards him changed, and he had to more carefully express his views on the existing order.
9 tragedies of Seneca have come down to us. The plots are borrowed from Greek mythology and from the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles. Yes, in ʼʼMedeeʼʼ and ʼʼPhaedreʼʼ he reworks the tragedies of Euripides ʼʼMedeaʼʼ and ʼʼHippolytusʼʼ. Tragedy Oedipus writes on the tragedy of Sophocles ʼʼ Oedipus Rexʼʼ.
The tragedies of Seneca in their structure differed little from the Greek ones: the parts of the choir alternate with the parts of the heroes, there are no more than three actors on the stage at the same time. But the tragedies of Seneca took on a new direction. The heroes of his tragedies are people endowed with strong, sizzling passions, leading the heroes to death. Monstrous vices, close to pathology, the image of strong passions - all this becomes the main thing for the poet. Heroes in their cruelty, revenge, atrocities do not stop at nothing. The characters are single-line. Tragedies are filled with scenes of terrible revenge, violent death and other horrific crimes. All this, apparently, reflected the atmosphere of the then reality with its bloody repressions. The tragedies of Seneca are devoid of dynamics, some of their scenes are technically impossible to perform, in this regard, they were probably intended not for staging, but for reading in aristocratic houses, as detailed remarks indicate. The theater experienced the rivalry of the circus and gladiatorial fights, and therefore the spectacle of murders was familiar to the Roman public.
The role of Seneca in the history of the Western European theater is very noticeable: through him, the humanists of the Renaissance began their acquaintance with ancient tragedy.
Horace Quint
The Science of Poetry
Quintus Horace Flaccus
The Science of Poetry
Had a woman's head to the neck of a horse painter
I thought of attaching and, having gathered various members from everywhere,
I dazzled them with feathers so that a beautiful woman from above
Ended at the bottom with an ugly fish, - looking at such
Exhibition, folks, could you stop laughing?
Believe, Pisons! This picture should look like
A book in which all thoughts are like delirium in a patient with a fever.
Where is the head, where is the leg - without agreement with the whole squad!
I know: everyone dares a poet with a painter - and everything is possible for them,
10 Whatever they want. We ourselves are not averse to such freedom,
And they are ready to allow it to another; but with the condition
So that wild animals are not together with tame ones,
Snakes in the community of birds, and fierce tigers with lambs!
To the lush, promising start loudly
Often shining from afar l_o_skut is sewn purple,
Or Dean's altar is described, or a frisky source,
Winding between flowering meadows, or majestic Rhine,
Or a colorful rainbow in a cloudy, rainy sky.
But is she in the right place? You may be very good at
20 Cypress write? But why, where ordered broken
Storm a ship with a hopeless swimmer? You worked the amphora
And you spun, spun the wheel - and the mug worked!
Know, artist, that simplicity and unity are needed in everything.
For the most part, Pisons, father and worthy children!
We poets are outwardly deceived by brilliance.
Do I want to be brief - I express myself darkly, do I want to
Gentle to be - I seem weak; be tall
I fall into a frenzy!
This one is timid and, fearing the storm, crawls down the valley;
This one, loving miracles, presents us with a dolphin in the forest,
30 Boars floating in the waves! - And believe me, not knowing the art,
If you avoid one mistake, you are exposed to a larger one!
Close to the school of Emilia was an artist who could
Nails and soft hair in bronze sculpt excellently.
In general, he was unsuccessful, hugging without knowing how to unite.
If I write anything, I would not like to be like him;
Just as I don't want to be an ugly nose, having
Black eyes or beautiful black curls.
Every writer choose a subject, corresponding to strength;
Look at it for a long time, try how I carry it, whether it will raise my shoulders.
40 If someone chooses a subject according to himself, neither order nor clarity
They will not leave him: the expression will be free.
The strength and charm of order, I think, is that the writer
I knew exactly what to say where, and everything else - after,
Where does what go; so that the creator of the poem knows what to take, what to throw away,
Also, that he was not generous with words, but also stingy and choosy.
If a well-known word, skillful with another combination,
Make it new - great! But if with a new speech
It is necessary to name something, hitherto unknown, - then you have to
To find a word such that it was unheard of by the Cethegs.
50 This freedom, when you are careful in your choice,
You can afford: the new expression is true
It will be accepted when its source is harmonious
Greek is a wonderful language. What the Roman Plautus allowed
Or Caecilia - how to forbid you, Virgil and Varius? ..
Why do they reproach me if I find expressions again?
Ennius with Cato, after all, there are rich names of new things
Ancestors endowed the language; always allowed, and now
They also allowed us, and it will always be allowed
Introduce a new word, marking it with a modern stigma.
60 As the leaves on the branches change with the years,
The old ones will fly around everything, - so the words in the language. Those who grow old
They die, and new ones, born again, will flourish and grow stronger.
We and all ours are a tribute to death! Is the sea compressed into a pier
(A feat worthy of a king!), Protects ships from a storm,
Or a barren swamp, once fit for oars,
Feeds neighboring cities, blown up by heavy plow,
Or the river will change its course to a comfortable and better one,
Formerly dangerous to the harvest: everything that is mortal must perish!
Well, is it really the honor of words and their pleasantness - to those who live forever?
70 Many fallen ones will be reborn; others, now
Taking advantage of honor, they will fall, only an imperious custom will require,
In the will of which everything - both the laws and the rules of speech!
Homer showed us all how to measure
Terrible battles, deeds of kings and famous leaders.
Previously, unequal verses contained only a complaint of the heart,
After the same feeling of delight and fulfillment of sweet desires!
Who invented the kind of elegy is disputed by learned people,
But to this day their dispute remains unresolved.
Furious iambic was invented by Archilochus, - and low sokki,
80 Together with a high cothurn, they learned a new foot.
Capable of talking, loud, as if born
To the action of life she, to the overcoming of the people's noise.
The ringing lyre strings were bestowed by the immortal Muse
Praise the gods and their sons, fighters crowned with victory,
Battle horses, and the fun of wine, and the worries of the young!
If in a poem I cannot observe all the shades,
All its colors, why call me a poet?
Isn't ignorance shameful? ashamed to study?
The comedian finds the tragic verse indecent to the subject;
90 Dinner Fiesta - it is equally unworthy to simply tell
Colloquial verse, language suitable for comedy.
Each thing is decently given by nature to its given place!
So irritated Khremet blames the insane son
Speech full of power; often a tragic tragic
Complaints groan publishes language and simple and humble.
So Tel_e_f and Peleus are both in exile and poverty,
Throwing magnificent speeches, they touch the heart with a complaint!
Not! not enough beauty verses; but to delight the spirit
100 And wherever the poet wants, they were carried away!
People's faces laugh with those who laugh, they cry with those who cry.
If you want me to cry, then be moved yourself:
Only then will Teleph and Peleus, and the misfortune of their kind
touch me; otherwise, or I'll fall asleep from boredom,
Or I will laugh. Sad speeches are decent
A sad, formidable face - anger, and a cheerful one - jokes;
Important speeches go to the appearance of an important and strict:
For this is how nature arranges us inwardly
To a change of fate, so that we all express on our faces
110 It rejoices, or angers, or brings sadness to the earth,
Does the heart aches, or does the soul pour out its delight with words!
If the language disagrees with the fate of the poet's face,
In Rome, both the rider and the people on foot will be ridiculed mercilessly!
There is a difference in this: Dove says, or a famous hero,
An old man, or a husband, or a young man, boiling with blooming life,
Noble by birth matron, or nurse; also
Assyrian, Colchian, plowman, or peddler,
Whether a resident of Greek Thebes, or a Greek is a pet of Argos.
Reading diary. Horace. Science of Poetry.
This work of Horace is also called The Art of Poetry or On the Art of Poetry. He is another property of the poet and all ancient literature (and all literature in its broadest sense). The work is written in the form of a letter addressed to the Pisons. It reveals the features of poetry: the complexity of its creation and teaching, features and personal perception, the need for analysis and other tricks committed by Horace himself. This letter is written in poetic form, thus, the poet speaks about poetry in verse (again “cleans carrots with carrots”). These letters reveal the laws of literature, but in great contradiction: some see it as Hellenistic poetry, and some as classical. However, in general, this is a lively dialogue with the reader, or rather with the addressees, on the topic of the peculiarities of literature and poetic experience. I will present the theses of the letter and try to interpret them.
- "Everything needs simplicity and unity." Horace begins the work with a rather entertaining reflection. He imagines that some work of art will gradually transform and take on a different, even opposite, look. This, of course, will break the original harmony and may even lead to such an absurdity that it will cause laughter and even disgust among viewers or readers. Therefore, it is important not to change, rather not to be smart when creating a work. It is necessary that all its parts correspond to the general plan. The plot should be simple and understandable to everyone, otherwise it may be misinterpreted by critics. The composition must be united, because only unity reflects a holistic picture of the worldview of the inventor.
- "Every writer chooses a subject that corresponds to his strength." The author sees one of the keys to success in the proportionality of the forces of the chosen work. The degree of complexity of the created is not so important as its skill, and skill is noticeable only when you can cope with the task. Otherwise, there may again be distrust among the audience and further disinterest in the work of this "dared man". To get started, says Horace, you need time to think about his theme, idea and technique. Long searches, inevitable mistakes, torment and throwing - this is the state of a real, thinking, creator.
- “In whose will everything is both the laws and the rules of speech.” We are talking about the need to saturate your work with beautiful, competent speech, because its true charm is not in the frills, wisdom and turns, but again in its simplicity, correctness. It is important not to distract the reader from its content, from the very subject of reflection with errors and inaccuracies. This will lead not only to the violation of that semantic and stylistic unity, but also to the loss of the authority of the author himself. For Horace, the rules of speech are everything; mastering the speech, you own the statement, and hence the conviction.
- “The complaint of the heart, after the feeling of delight and the fulfillment of sweet desires.” However, the work cannot be devoid of the personal perception of the author. His experiences, doubts, sorrows and jubilations should be clearly shown in the text. One should not confine oneself to monotonous, insensitive, empty speech, although correct and unified. One should be filled with the most sincere emotions, only then it will become lively and interesting, will be able to lure the reader and bind him to herself. Moreover, each genre of literature has its own characteristics that need to be properly disclosed, without mixing them or missing them. The lyrics are characterized by melodiousness, which means the sincerity of intonations; for epic - straightforwardness (moderate), for drama - entertainment and vigor - that is, passion and excitement.
- "Observe all the shades, all its colors." Without disregarding personal feelings, the poet must depict the true color of reality. The writer has in mind not only the colors of the surrounding world, but also the colors of speech, that is, visual means. You can only influence the reader with beautiful speech, which incorporates not only impeccable literacy, but also those means (skillfully selected and useful in this work) that are able to convey the palette of feelings that overwhelm the author.
- "Follow the tradition, poet, or invent like the truth." The ingenuity and sensuality of the creator should in no case overshadow truth, history, reality. Everything that the writer says must be true, otherwise his work will become an empty outpouring of the soul on an unthinkable object. Speech should be rich not only interesting images, but also facts, names, names. Only then will she become closer to the people, which means she will be able to bring them closer to herself.
- "Try to present morals of all ages decently." When portraying reality, one must rely on those who listen to the story, and respect their views and beliefs. Accordingly, one cannot speak of an unacceptable older generation, although beloved by the younger one, and vice versa. Respect for the opinions of both sides of the time, of both ages is the way to win public love. Touching upon the important problems of our time and not depriving either side of it is a real talent and even a feat of the creator of literature.
- “I would make up my syllable from expressions familiar to all, so that it could seem easy to everyone at first.” This idea is very close to the first - simplicity and unity are important. But here we are talking not only and not so much about the content of the conclusion, but about the construction of speech. Despite the importance of the correctness, beauty and figurativeness of the syllable, one should not forget about the simplicity of speech structures that are easily perceived when reading.
- “A syllable after a short one is called iambic in verse”. A person who knows the literary art necessarily knows the tact, size and pace of speech. He understands the significance of each stress in his phrase. Therefore, such concepts as iambic, trochee, etc. he must not only distinguish, but also competently use, conveying not only the essence of the expressed thought, but also its meaning in one or another rhythmic pattern.
- “Before you begin to write, learn to think decently!” According to Horace, a true writer is a talented philosopher. It is important not only to share thoughts - it is important to share smart thoughts that are essential for a particular time and people and have been convincingly proven. Wisdom must come first. Only then the work will interest, captivate, when it touches the strings of the soul and the reader's brain, touches their consciousness and shakes it. Philosophy is the engine of progress and life; one cannot argue about what is not there or what seems to be wrong. The author turns his students to famous philosophers, and in fact he shares his wisdom and experience with them. And not empty thoughts should be reflected in the works, but thoughts about the lived. That is why Horace turns us to actions, experiences and even suffering as the foundation of a real person who has faced adversity and steadfastly overcome them: “I advise you to study morals by observing life.”
- "I do not see what our teaching would be without a gift and a gift without science." For Horace, a true master of literature is one who is talented by nature, but also one who studies at the same time strives for improvement, for the desire for knowledge is the desire for truth and ideal. He says that talent in itself, uncultivated, untrained, does not mean anything, just like empty stubborn teaching, for which there is no ability.
- "It is difficult to comprehend: why does he write poetry incessantly." The main thing for every novice literary figure should be the desire for personal knowledge. He cannot stop at the usual expression of his will and presentation to the public of his views and interests. Even if they are built according to all the above rules, but if a person is satisfied with his work and writes another only for the next pleasure, or even does not write at all, then he has no right to call himself a writer. His soul-searching must continue indefinitely. Poems pour from the soul, the mind works tirelessly, the heart beats from every invasion of otherworldly forces and phenomena - these are the signs of a real creator, whose memory will never die.
