08 Feb 21 Ars Poetica #04: Muses Musing

 Ars Poetica - #4: Back to the Master! & Stenzel’s “Muses Musing”

'Great poetry is always written by somebody straining to go beyond what he can do.'

Stephen Spender

'I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is prose; words in their best order; - poetry; the best words in the best order.'

S.T.Coleridge

 

Bet you thought Horace got lost. No, he just shares his space with other writers. Today, we are back to sit at the Master’s foot for the fourth installment in the series, Ars Poetica, Horace’s essay-like epistles wherein he writes about writing and all it can be. It occurs to me that I need to expand on the sentence preceding this one. If you are not a writer, think again. Most people in North America are literate to some degree, but may not write much. Still, opportunities exist for nearly all literate persons to set hand to paper, fingers to keyboard – even if it is merely texting. My point is that just about anyone can benefit from studying Ars Poetica. I mean, even if the only writing you do is texting, you still don’t want to sound illiterate. That said, let’s recap the first three posts between 28 December 2020 and today – the fourth.

So far, Horace has explained that in addition to choosing a subject wisely, other primary requisites include unity, harmony, and proportion. To quote, “. . . be your subject what it will, let it be merely simple and uniform.” (See the Horace excerpt from the 28 December 2020 post) His second instruction – actually caution – to the writer is to match the chosen subject to your abilities, to be aware of strengths and weaknesses, as a now common phrase instructs. (See Spender epigram above and the Horace excerpt from the 4 January 2021 post). In the third Horace excerpt in the 11 January 2021 post, Horace tells the writer to take great care with choice of words, being both cautious and deeply sensitive in those choices.

That’s the recap.

Today’s excerpt speaks to moving the heart of the audience. Several ancient references appear, so check out the footnotes, if you are so inclined.

A word on today’s poem. For those in my select audience, you will probably notice that my poem, “Muses Musing” has been seen in this post before; however, since it speaks about the difficulty of writing and waiting for inspiration while the ethereal muses are lazing about, I am publishing it again. Anyway, its first publication was quite a while ago, so you may not remember it – especially if you are approaching or past my 70 years.

Fourth Excerpt from Horace’s Ars Poetica with Brief Comments by JPSavage

Homer has instructed us in what measure the achievements of kings, and chiefs, and direful war might be written.

Plaintive strains originally were appropriated to the unequal numbers [of the elegiac]: afterward [love and] successful desires were included. Yet what author first published humble elegies, the critics dispute, and the controversy still waits the determination of a judge.

Rage armed Archilochus[1] with the iambic of his own invention. The sock and the majestic buskin[2] assumed this measure as adapted for dialogue, and to silence the noise of the populace, and calculated for action.

To celebrate gods, and the sons of gods, and the victorious wrestler, and the steed foremost in the race, and the inclination of youths, and the free joys of wine, the muse has allotted to the lyre.

If I am incapable and unskillful to observe the distinction described, and the complexions of works [of genius], why am I accosted by the name of "Poet?" Why, out of false modesty, do I prefer being ignorant to being learned?

A comic subject will not be handled in tragic verse: in like manner the banquet of Thyestes[3] will not bear to be held in familiar verses, and such as almost suit the sock. Let each peculiar species [of writing] fill with decorum its proper place. Nevertheless, sometimes even comedy exalts her voice, and passionate Chremes[4] rails in a tumid strain: and a tragic writer generally expresses grief in a prosaic style. Telephus[5] and Peleus[6], when they are both in poverty and exile, throw aside their rants and gigantic expressions if they have a mind to move the heart of the spectator with their complaint.

Commentary: Peppering this excerpt with mentions of various well known (at the time) persons, writers, and heroes (see footnotes), Horace refers to that father of the epic, Homer, suggesting that particular forms and styles of writing are most suited to “kings” and war. Along with both of these subjects, inevitably, elegiac eulogies arise naturally and poignantly. He goes on to make the point that each subject type has corollary writing styles that suit it. How many of us follow this simple rule. Or is it so simple. Those who don’t write anything more than a paragraph may have one style. This is a problem because, as Horace says, several styles must be in our pencil pouches to be in accord with the event or purpose. That’s no small accomplishment, but the skill is there for the taking. Practice is required.

NEXT TIME: Horace alternates between speaking to the writer about his craft and sharing thoughts about one’s audience. In the next Ars Poetica post, Horace speaks to us about emotions as an integral part of any composition. The writing must “affect” the reader whether that be through comic, tragic, or passionate writing. He emphasizes that if a writer hopes to “move” a reader, he must first express his own emotion. Humanity, Horace intimates is a web of emotions that provide a canvass for the writer’s brush – or pen – or keyboard.

Muses Musing

                       What is it muses muse upon?

            Artists plead for their preferential inspiration

            but what if the muses’ muse or even snooze

            and care less than a pot of ink for artists’ wishes

Why do muses always hover above the floundering artist?

            god or goddess-like dispensing stingy favors

            Scrooge-like in their lack of generosity

            and always garbed in debutant gossamer

            Scarlet prancing for Rhett, but neither would know

            a muse if one rested on their heads

 

Muses, no flights of angels, to be sure

            too busy musing on their own bright “wings”

            while the poet slouches, pen in drooping hand

But wait – muses musing must have an object holding their attention

 

Aha! Muses muse with one another while

            the musician’s fingers halt upon the keys or strings

            the painter’s brushes turn color-hardened

            the actor forgets lines memorized

            the dancer trips on nothing and goes down

Interpret as you will. The muses’ favorite topic is each other and us

in particular humans born smelling of artistic musk

But to dispense help is another thing entirely

 

                        “Why just look at that one,” Melinda Muse points a long, thin finger

                                    She directs the muse-ish circle drinking vaporous tea

                                    pinkies wagging above their cups

                        “She actually believes she has a phrase or two. How amusing!”

 

                        “Poor dear,” sympathizes Mabel Muse. “So sad and so mistaken.”

                        “Someone should disabuse her of her notion,” Maynard Muse suggests.

 

[What!? You assumed a muse must be of the female gender.]

 

            “Well, it won’t be me does that deed!” sniffs Melinda

                        as her nose ascends toward the ceiling

            “Why ever not?” parries Maynard. “Of all of us, you are

                        the least likely to go a-musing.”

            “I beg your pardon,” Melinda snorts as her nose retreats toward her clavicle

 

“Now, now, you two,” tsks Mabel. “We all need our breaks now and then.”

“Now and then!” Mindy Muse chimes in. “While you are jawing, I’m out there

            with a workload of hundreds groveling in their muesli for inspiration crumbs.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Melinda queries knowingly

“I’m on my way to my next gig, thank you very much, you skinny bitch.”

            Mindy bristles, not amused

 

“Now, now ladies,” Maynard gently cautions. “This is why we boys get a bad rap.

Every artist thinks we’re in league with you withholding spider widows.

Not one of you has artistic muscle sitting in your musty muslin

“Speak for yourself, you mustachioed lethargic know-it-all.!” Mabel sniffs.

            “I’m out there with a caseload that rivals an underpaid social worker.”

 

“Blah. Blah. Blah. And Ho-hum,” Melinda pats her open mouth.

            “Some of us choose to only take on guaranteed talent.”

“Even so, I think one of us should help,” says Mabel hopefully.

“Then you go, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes,” challenges Melinda

 

“Oh, to purgatory with all this. I’ll go,” Maynard musters his gallantry.

            “Here, hold this cup of tea for me. I’ll be back in a flash.”

            (Maynard gathers his height and exits downward)

The three remaining muses calm down, exhausted from their conversations

            that fail to inspire even themselves

 

. . . See how they prattle. See how they run on.

Not a fragment of their discourse discerns the artists’ plight

Note the shiny navel-gazing and paucity of empathy

The plot so predictable. The characters all set in their ways.

The muses abide in the lower case and have no creative capital to give

 

We poets, singers, dancers, actors are on our own

Muses may muse on us, but not our songs nor on our poems.

Background

Poets, perhaps, are more fortunate that writers of prose in that we crafters of verse frequently experience the happy event of chunks of ideas dropping into our heads and out from our hands. Then again, in less blessed times, we slog along with the rest, writing draft after draft, without coming to a finished product. At least, this has been my experience. 

Exploration 1: Do you think anyone who writes anything, even just texting, can benefit from studying Ars Poetica, from what you’ve seen so far?

Exploration 2: So far, of the material in the four Horace excerpts from Ars Poetica, what do you believe is his most important advice?

Exploration 3: What do you think the author of “Muses Musing” is saying about inspiration?

NOTES:

1. Archilochus was a Greek lyric poet from the island of Paros in the Archaic period. He is celebrated for his versatile and innovative use of poetic meters, and is the earliest known Greek author to compose almost entirely on the theme of his own emotions and experiences.

2. Buskin - a thick-soled laced boot worn by an ancient Athenian tragic actor to gain height. The style or spirit of tragic drama.

3. In Greek mythology, Thyestes was a king of Olympia. Thyestes and his brother, Atreus, were exiled by their father for having murdered their half-brother, Chrysippus, in their desire for the throne of Olympia. 

4. Chremes - Athenian nobleman friend and peer of Simo, father of Philumena. From 'chremptomai', to spit.

5. Telephus was the son of Heracles and Auge in Greek mythology, father of Eurypylus. His grandfather on the side of his mother, Aleus, was the king of the region of Tegea, and he had received a prophecy that he would be overthrown by his grandson.

6. In Greek mythology, Peleus was a hero, king of Phthia, husband of Thetis and the father of their son Achilles. This myth was already known to the hearers of Homer in the late 8th century BC.