Analysis of The Poetics - Chapter 21
There are two types of words - simple and compound. Simple words are those that are made up of non-significant elements, such as ‘ge’ (earth). Compound words are those that are made up of significant and non-significant elements or two or more significant elements. However these significant elements do not have any meaning with the compound word. A noun can be made up of two, three, four or many parts like the word Hermo-caico-xanthus (who prayed to father Zeus).
Every word is either a word in current use, or a strange word, or a metaphor or an ornamental one, or a coined word, or a word lengthened or curtailed or altered.
A current word is a word which is used by everyone. A strange word is that which is used by others. Thus the same word can be current or strange at the same time though not for the same group of people. For instance the word, Sigunon (lance) is a current word for the Cypriots while a strange word for the others.
Metaphors is the application of an alien name to a thing by transferring it from genus to species or from species to genus or from species to species or it can be based on analogy. An example of genus to species is ‘Here lies my ship’. In this sentence, lies has been used which suggests ‘lying at anchor’. The word lie has been used in place of the particular ‘lying at anchor’ which is a species of ‘lie’. The change from species to genus is illustrated in the following sentence : ‘Verily ten thousand noble deeds hath Odysseus wrought’. Here ‘ten thousand’ is a species for the word ‘many’. Next is the change from species to species, for example ‘drawing off the life with the bronze’ and ‘severing with the enduring bronze’. Here ‘draw’ is used to mean sever and ‘sever’ is used to mean ‘draw’, both are the species of taking away. Metaphor by analogy occurs when there are four things in such a manner that the second thing is related to the first in the same way as fourth is related to the third. Then the fourth thing can be used in the place of the second. For example old age is related to the life in the same manner as evening is related to the day. So we can use the metaphor that old age is the evening of life or we can say that evening is the old age of the day. Sometimes all the four terms are not present in the analogy, still a metaphor can be formed. For example, ‘scattering of the seeds’ is related to ‘sowing’ but there is no word for the ‘scattering of the sun’s rays’. Scattering of seeds and sun’s rays are similar to each other. Hence arises the poet’s expression, ‘sowing his God created flame’. There is another form related to such analogy that is on using one thing in place of the other, one denies it one of it’s attribute, hence if we call the shield of Ares as the cup of Ares because of it’s similarity then that cup will be attributed as a wine less cup.
A coined word is that which has never been popular in use but is made by the poet himself. For example ‘sprouters’ for ‘horns’ and ‘supplicator’ for ‘priest’.
A lengthened word is that which has been made long either by replacing the vowel by a longer one or by the addition of an extra syllable. For example ‘Poleos’ for ‘Poleos’ (of the city) and ‘Peleiades’ for ‘Peleiades’ (of the son of Pelens). A curtailed word is that which has been made short by dropping a part of it such as ‘kri’ for ‘krittey’ (barley), ‘do’ for ‘doma’ (house) and ‘ops’ for ‘Opsis’ (eye, face).
An altered word is that in which a part remains unchanged and another word coined. For example ‘dexiteron’ is used for ‘dexion’ in ‘dexiteron katamaron’
Every word is either a word in current use, or a strange word, or a metaphor or an ornamental one, or a coined word, or a word lengthened or curtailed or altered.
A current word is a word which is used by everyone. A strange word is that which is used by others. Thus the same word can be current or strange at the same time though not for the same group of people. For instance the word, Sigunon (lance) is a current word for the Cypriots while a strange word for the others.
Metaphors is the application of an alien name to a thing by transferring it from genus to species or from species to genus or from species to species or it can be based on analogy. An example of genus to species is ‘Here lies my ship’. In this sentence, lies has been used which suggests ‘lying at anchor’. The word lie has been used in place of the particular ‘lying at anchor’ which is a species of ‘lie’. The change from species to genus is illustrated in the following sentence : ‘Verily ten thousand noble deeds hath Odysseus wrought’. Here ‘ten thousand’ is a species for the word ‘many’. Next is the change from species to species, for example ‘drawing off the life with the bronze’ and ‘severing with the enduring bronze’. Here ‘draw’ is used to mean sever and ‘sever’ is used to mean ‘draw’, both are the species of taking away. Metaphor by analogy occurs when there are four things in such a manner that the second thing is related to the first in the same way as fourth is related to the third. Then the fourth thing can be used in the place of the second. For example old age is related to the life in the same manner as evening is related to the day. So we can use the metaphor that old age is the evening of life or we can say that evening is the old age of the day. Sometimes all the four terms are not present in the analogy, still a metaphor can be formed. For example, ‘scattering of the seeds’ is related to ‘sowing’ but there is no word for the ‘scattering of the sun’s rays’. Scattering of seeds and sun’s rays are similar to each other. Hence arises the poet’s expression, ‘sowing his God created flame’. There is another form related to such analogy that is on using one thing in place of the other, one denies it one of it’s attribute, hence if we call the shield of Ares as the cup of Ares because of it’s similarity then that cup will be attributed as a wine less cup.
A coined word is that which has never been popular in use but is made by the poet himself. For example ‘sprouters’ for ‘horns’ and ‘supplicator’ for ‘priest’.
A lengthened word is that which has been made long either by replacing the vowel by a longer one or by the addition of an extra syllable. For example ‘Poleos’ for ‘Poleos’ (of the city) and ‘Peleiades’ for ‘Peleiades’ (of the son of Pelens). A curtailed word is that which has been made short by dropping a part of it such as ‘kri’ for ‘krittey’ (barley), ‘do’ for ‘doma’ (house) and ‘ops’ for ‘Opsis’ (eye, face).
An altered word is that in which a part remains unchanged and another word coined. For example ‘dexiteron’ is used for ‘dexion’ in ‘dexiteron katamaron’
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