Why does Plato hate poets and poetry?

Question

Plato denies entry to poets in his ideal state in The Republic until they can prove their value. In the Ion, Plato famously portrays poets as possessed:

You know, none of the epic poets, if they're good, are masters of their subject; they are inspired, possessed, and that is how they utter all those beautiful poems. The same goes for lyric poets if they're good: just as the Corybantes are not in their right minds when they dance, lyric poets, too, are not in their right minds when they make those beautiful lyrics, but as soon as they sail into harmony and rhythm they are possessed by Bacchic frenzy." (Plato Ion, 533e-534a)

you have a point, evidently plato uses approving language (beautiful language, beuatiful music etc.) , a backhanded compliment? inadvertent praise? freudian slip? who knows.

Answer 1

I think often people resist the very thing needed to balance themselves...(opposites attract)still like magnets...they will be drawn one toward the other! In my opinion-Plato was a poet!

Answer 2

The short, simplistic answer:

Plato did not trust art. The arts -- including poetry -- are inferior, mere representations of pure forms, and vulnerable to human error, prejudice, etc. In Plato's view, the arts are the equivalent of lies. Read up on Plato's concept of immutable 'Forms' and his theory of 'Reminiscence'.

Answer 3

bcz he was evaluated everything with his mind and so with half of his knowledge! he didn,t look widely but just with a narrow point of view,he even couldn,t see he is a poet himself!!

Answer 4

It takes 7 seconds for the Yahoo Answers webpage to open for me to be able to click on the [add your answer] box. thus, is my laptop slow?