in and get to know him and
regulate your whole life according to him, we may love and honour those
who say these things--they are excellent people, as far as their lights
extend; and we are ready to acknowledge that Homer is the greatest of
poets and first of tragedy writers; but we must remain firm in our
conviction that hymns to the gods and praises of famous men are the
only poetry which ought to be admitted into our State. For if you go
beyond this and allow the honeyed muse to enter, either in epic or
lyric verse, not law and the reason of mankind, which by common consent
have ever been deemed best, but pleasure and pain will be the rulers in
our State.

That is most true, he said.

And now since we have reverted to the subject of poetry, let this our
defence serve to show the reasonableness of our former judgment in
sending away out of our State an art having the tendencies which we
have described; for reason constrained us. But that she may impute to
us any harshness or want of politeness, let us tell her that there is
an ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry; of which there are
many proofs, such as the saying of 'the yelping hound howling at her
lord,' or of one 'mighty in the vain talk of fools,' and 'the mob of
sages circumventing Zeus,' and the 'subtle thinkers who are beggars
after all'; and there are innumerable other signs of ancient enmity
between them. Notwithstanding this, let us assure our sweet friend and
the sister arts of imitation that if she will only prove her title to
exist in a well-ordered State we shall be delighted to receive her--we
are very conscious of her charms; but we may not on that account betray
the truth. I dare say, Glaucon, that you are as much charmed by her as
I am, especially when she appears in Homer?

Yes, indeed, I am greatly charmed.

Shall I propose, then, that she be allowed to return from exile, but
upon this condition only--that she make a defence of herself in lyrical
or some other metre?

Certainly.

And we may further grant to those of her defenders who are lovers of
poetry and yet not poets the permission to speak in prose on her
behalf: let them show not only that she is pleasant but also useful to
States and to human life, and we will listen in a kindly spirit; for if
this can be proved we shall surely be the gainers--I mean, if there is
a use in poetry as well as a delight?

Certainly, he said, we shall the gainers.

If her defence fails,