Oracular, or Delphi at its Worst*
In Homer’s time, no word existed for
Art. Praxiteles and Sappho had no term
For it. The Greeks had not even the spore
Of such a word, so Plato spoke no firm
Ideals about that thing which we call art.
He had too much, perhaps, to say about
The worth of poetry. It hit the heart
Too truly for his liking, made him pout
That it was not as clear as thinking in
Philosophy, and made him fearful of
Its purpose and effects—far too like skin.
Some lines might sing like snake tongues touching love.
The verse might be beautiful as wine-dark eyes
Or toxic in appeal to those not wise.
* “The Greeks had no word to denote those activities that we now subsume under the term ‘art’.” ~
Penelope Murray, Plato on Poetry, p. 1