In the first place, I will except myself out of the number of those I would allow to be
poets: for one must not call it sufficient to tag a verse: nor if any person, like me, writes
in a style bordering on conversation, must you esteem him to be a poet. To him who has genius,
who has a soul of a diviner cast, and a greatness of expression, give the honor of this
appellation. On this acount some have raised the question, whether comedy be a poem or not;
because an animated spirit and force is neither in the style, nor the subject-matter: bating
that it differs from prose by a certain measure, it is mere prose. But [one may object to
this, that even in comedy] an inflamed father rages, because his.dissolute son, mad after a
prostitute mistress, refuses a wife with a large portion; and (what is an egregious scandal)
rambles about drunk with flambeaux by day-light. Yet could Pomponius, were his father alive,
hear less severe reproofs! Wherefore it is not sufficient to write verses merely in proper
language; which, if you take to pieces, any person may storm in the same manner as the father
in the play. If from these verses which I write at this present, or those that Lucilius did
formerly, you take away certain pauses and measures, and make that word which was first in
order hindermost, by placing the latter [words] before those that preceded [in the verse]; you
will not discern the limbs of a poet, when pulled in pieces, in the same manner as you would
were you to transpose ever so [these lines of Ennius]: “
When discord dreadful bursts the brazen bars,
And shatters iron locks to thunder forth her wars.
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