Plato Vs Shelley :: essays research papers

Many works of literature grant responses to much debated topics. Opinions ar brought forth by means of rhetorical devices and back up by some type of accepted truth. In two such(prenominal) pieces, The Republic by Plato and A Defense of Poetry by Shelley, Plato showes a belief about poem that Shelley disagrees with and responds to. Through rhetorical devices such as metaphors and symbolism and the use of deductive logic and Socratic writing, Plato provides a strong, real supported argument while Shelleys long sentence structure, analogies and metaphors are weak in comparison.The way in which Plato uses deductive logic to express his opinion allows him to fully develop his likings without making assertions that are incredible. Plato begins with the idea of the ultimate understandr of the bed, which he refers to as G-d which is easily accepted by the majority of an audience. Plato believed that there is only one who makes the essence of the bed, (44) the single idea and theref ore that is the truth. From there he goes to the carpenter. There is an a nonher(prenominal) (bed) which is the work of the carpenter. (44) And in conclusion Plato defines his thesis through metaphor. He uses a metaphor that compares the work of a poet to a mirror. Turning a mirror round and round you would soon enough make the sun and the heavens, and the earth and yourself, and other animals and plants, and all other things of which we were just speaking, in the mirror tho they would be appearances only. (44) The way in which the writing is interactive with two people creates contradictions, which challenge Platos beliefs, to that degree they are still proven throughout. Why not? For the duller eye whitethorn often see a thing sooner than the keener.Very true, but in your presence, even if I had any further notion, I could not muster courage to utter it. (43) While this Socratic writing helps Plato to make his argument even more concrete, Shelley uses essay ca-ca to portray h is ideas or so in response to beliefs like those of Plato.Shelleys writing differs in form from Platos in that Shelleys is more straight forward and seems some as if it were meant to be preached. Reason is to the imagination as the instrument to the agent, as the body to the spirit, as the shadow to the substance. (429) The analogy that Shelley uses portrays that reason is the basis of the imagination, implying that poetry holds truth, yet it is an idealized truth, which is determined by Plato in The Republic to be essentially false.