2019 - EXTRACTS FROM TIMBER, OR DISCOVERIES - BEN JONSON - SHAKESPEARE - 1 REMEMBER, THE PLAYERS

Sep 18, 2026

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2019年文献摘录讨论莎士比亚与本·琼森的写作品格与文学观念。内容聚焦“诗人职能”的界定，强调诗歌是模仿与虚构并兼具对人性的呈现，区分诗作、诗艺与诗人三者之不同，并阐释诗性“平和而甜美的哲学”如何引导行动与培养德行。文中进一步提出诗人需具备天赋与本能，同时依赖学习、训练与反复工夫，最终以作品的价值与效用来检验诗艺。

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

THE FUNCTION OF THE POET

A Poet

LITERARY CRITICISM: A READING

A Poem AS DISTINCT FROM POESY

Poesy, the Poeme, and the Poet

2019 EXTRACTS FROM TIMBER,ORDISCOVERIES BEN JONSON SHAKESPEARE 1 REMEMBER,THE PLAYERS have often mentioned it asan honour to Shakespeare,that in his writing,(whatsoever hepennd)hce never blotted out (a)line.My answer hath beene,would he had blotted a thousand.Which they thought a male-volent speech.I had not told posterity this,but for their ignorance,who choose that circumstance to commend their friend by.wherenhe most faulted.And to justifie mine owne candor,(for I lov'dthe mani,and doe honour his memory(on this side Idolatry)asmuch as any.)Hee was(indeed)honest,and of an open.and freenature:had an excellent Phantsie;brave notions,and gentle ex·pressions:wherein hee flow'd with that facility,that sometimeit was necessary he should be stop'd:Sujlaminndus erat;asAugustus said of Haterius.His wit was in his owne power;wouldthe rule of it had beene so too.Many times hee fell into thosethings,could not escape laughter:As when hee said in the personof Caesar,one speaking to him;Caesar thou dost me wrong.Hee replyed:Caesar did never wrong,but with just cctse:andsuch like,which were ridiculous.But hee redeemed his vices,with his vertues.There was ever more in him to be praysed,thento be pardoned. # THE FUNCTION OF THE POET A Poet is that,which by the Greeks is call'd Kap'ezokhen,0Poietes,a Maker,or a fainer:His Art,an Art of imitation,orfaining;expressing the life of man in fit measure,numbers,andharmony,according to Aristotle:From the word poiein whichsignifies to make,or fayne.Hence,hee is call'd a Poet,not heewhich writeth in measure only;but that fayneth and formeth a # LITERARY CRITICISM:A READING fable,and writes things like the Truth.For,the Fable and Fic-tion is(as it were)the forme and Soule of any Poeticall worke,or Pocme. # A POEM AS DISTINCT FROM POESY A Poeme,as I have told you,is the worke of the Poet;the end,and fruit of his labour,and studye.Poesy is his skill,or Crafteof making:the very Fiction it selfe,the reason,or forme of theworke.And these three voices differ,as the thing done,the doing,and the doer;the thing fain'd,the faining,and the fainer:so thePoeme,the Poesy,and the Poet.Now,the Poesy is the ihabit,orthe Art:nay,rather the Queene of Arts:which had her Originallfrom heaven,received thence from the 'Ebrewes,and had inprime estimation with the Greeks,transmitted to the Latines,and all Nations,that profess'd Civility.The Study of it (if weewill trust Aristotle)offers to mankinde a certain rule,and ,Pat-terne of living well,and happily;disposing us to all Civill officesof Society,If wee will believe Tully,it nourisheth,and instruc-teth our Youth;delights our Age;adornes our prosperity;com-forts our Adversity;entertaines us at home;keeps us companyabroad,travailes with us;watches;divides the times of our ear-nest,and sports;shares in our Country recesses,and recreations;insomuch as the wisest and best learned have thought her theabsolute Mistresse of manners,and neerest of kin to Vertue.And,wheras they entitle Philosophy to bee a rigid,and austerePoesie:they have(on the contrary)stiled Poesy,a dulcet andgentle Philosophy,which leades on,and guides us by the handto Action,with a ravishing delight,and incredible Sweetnes.But,before wee handle the kindes of Poems,with their speciall diffe-rences:or make court to the Art it selfe,as a Mistresse,I wouldleade you to the knowledge of our Poet,by a perfect Informa-tion,what he is,or should bee by exercise,by imitation,byStudie;and so bring him downe through the disciplines of Gram-mar,Logicke,,Rhetoricke,and the Ethicks,adding somewhat,out of all,peculiar to himselfe,and worthy of your Admittance,or reception. First,wee require in our Poet,or maker,(for that Title our Language affordes him,elegantly,with the Greeke)a goodnesof naturall wit.For,wheras all other Arts consist of Doctrine,and Precepts;the Poet must bce able by nature,and instinct,topowre out the Treasure of his minde;and,as Seneca saith,Aliquando secundum Anacreontem insanire,jucundum

FAQs

文中如何界定“诗人的职能”？

文中把诗人界定为“制造者/作家”，其艺术在于模仿与“使之成形”，不仅写在格律之内，更是通过创造与编排来表达并呈现人的生命。

作者如何区分“Poeme（诗作）”“Poesy（诗艺/诗性）”与“Poet（诗人）”？

文中强调三者差异：诗作是成品，诗性/诗艺是做事的技能与居所，而诗人是执行与做出者；并进一步用“thing done / doing / doer”的关系来概括。

诗人需要具备哪些条件，才能写出有价值的作品？

文中先要求天赋与自然的机敏，指出仅靠教条与规训不够；同时也主张通过学习与练习来磨炼能力，若一时不成应反复尝试与调整。

Sep 18, 2026

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