hstry

Aristotle on metaphor

c. 335–322 BCE, Athens (Lyceum). His own words, in the Poetics.

Where and when

c. 335–322 BCEAthens (Lyceum)

about 2,353 years ago

Explore
Aristotle, 384 – 322 BCE3000 BCE2900 BCE2800 BCE2700 BCE2600 BCE2500 BCE2400 BCE2300 BCE2200 BCE2100 BCE2000 BCE1900 BCE1800 BCE1700 BCE1600 BCE1500 BCE1400 BCE1300 BCE1200 BCE1100 BCE1000 BCE900 BCE800 BCE700 BCE600 BCE500 BCE400 BCE300 BCE200 BCE100 BCE1 CE100 CE200 CE300 CE400 CE500 CE600 CE700 CE800 CE900 CE1000 CE1100 CE1200 CE1300 CE1400 CE1500 CE1600 CE1700 CE1800 CE1900 CE2000 CEGreat Pyramid of Giza built, c. 2600 BCERome founded (traditional date), 753 BCELast western Roman emperor deposed, 476 CEGutenberg's printing press, c. 1440 CEColumbus reaches the Americas, 1492 CEFirst people on the Moon, 1969 CEToday, 2026sometime in these 13 years

Swipe the line. Bars: entries. Dots: events.

Aristotle

, Athens (Lyceum)His own words, in the Poetics

In plain words, ours

The greatest gift by far is a talent for metaphor. No one can teach it; it marks genius, because good metaphors need an eye for likenesses.

But the greatest thing by far is to have a command of metaphor. This alone cannot be imparted by another; it is the mark of genius, for to make good metaphors implies an eye for resemblances.

Aristotle, Poetics 22Translated by S. H. Butcher (1895)Read the full passage (Aristotle, Poetics 22, opens gutenberg.org)

What was going on, our summary

In the Poetics, Aristotle is discussing how a poet chooses words: compound words, rare words and metaphors, and which kind suits which type of poetry.

Checked claim by claim against: the passage around the quote.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 431–400 BCEabout 87 years earlier Thucydides on how he wrote the speeches Also about speech and persuasion
  2. c. 386 BCEabout 58 years earlier Socrates on Aspasia's funeral speech Also about speech and persuasion
  3. c. 348/347 BCEabout 19.5 years earlier Plato dies, aged about eighty Also in Athens
  4. 335/334 BCEabout 7 years earlier Aristotle opens his school at the Lyceum Also in Athens
  5. 336–323 BCEDuring it Diogenes meets Alexander Same years
  6. 334–323 BCEDuring it Alexander writes to Aristotle Same years
  7. c. 335–322 BCEThis momentAristotle on metaphor
  8. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on being angry the right way More from Aristotle
  9. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on becoming just by just acts More from Aristotle
  10. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on one swallow and happiness More from Aristotle
  11. 323 BCEabout 4.5 years later Alexander dies in Babylon Same years
  12. c. 324–321 BCEabout 5 years later Diogenes the Cynic dies in Corinth Same years
  13. by 323 BCEabout 5 years later Diogenes makes a tub his home Also in Athens

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

It is precisely because such phrases are not part of the current idiom that they give distinction to the style. This, however, he failed to see. It is a great matter to observe propriety in these several modes of expression, as also in compound words, strange (or rare) words, and so forth.

The quote: But the greatest thing by far is to have a command of metaphor. This alone cannot be imparted by another; it is the mark of genius, for to make good metaphors implies an eye for resemblances.

Of the various kinds of words, the compound are best adapted to Dithyrambs, rare words to heroic poetry, metaphors to iambic. In heroic poetry, indeed, all these varieties are serviceable. But in iambic verse, which reproduces, as far as may be, familiar speech, the most appropriate words are those which are found even in prose. These are,--the current or proper, the metaphorical, the ornamental. Concerning Tragedy and imitation by means of action this may suffice.

Aristotle, Poetics 22Translated by S. H. Butcher (1895)Read the full passage (opens gutenberg.org)

When, and whose words

Date
c. 335–322 BCE. His works are hard to date; they are usually placed in his Lyceum years in Athens, 335–322 BCE.
Whose words
His own words, in the Poetics. Who was Aristotle?
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

See it among its momentsMore from AristotleSee it in the feed