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as in the noun； no part is in itself significant。 For 'man' or 'white'
does not express the idea of 'when'； but 'he walks' or 'he has walked'
does connote time； present or past。
Inflection belongs both to the noun and verb； and expresses either
the relation 'of；' 'to；' or the like； or that of number； whether one
or many； as 'man' or 'men'； or the modes or tones in actual
delivery； e。g。； a question or a command。 'Did he go？' and 'go' are
verbal inflections of this kind。
A Sentence or Phrase is a composite significant sound； some at least
of whose parts are in themselves significant； for not every such group
of words consists of verbs and nouns… 'the definition of man；' for
example… but it may dispense even with the verb。 Still it will
always have some significant part； as 'in walking；' or 'Cleon son of
Cleon。' A sentence or phrase may form a unity in two ways… either as
signifying one thing； or as consisting of several parts linked
together。 Thus the Iliad is one by the linking together of parts；
the definition of man by the unity of the thing signified。
POETICS｜21
XXI
Words are of two kinds； simple and double。 By simple I mean those
composed of nonsignificant elements； such as ge； 'earth。' By double or
compound； those composed either of a significant and nonsignificant
element （though within the whole word no element is significant）； or
of elements that are both significant。 A word may likewise be
triple； quadruple； or multiple in form； like so many Massilian
expressions； e。g。； 'Hermo…caico…xanthus ＇who prayed to Father Zeus＇。'
Every word is either current； or strange； or metaphorical； or
ornamental； or newly…coined； or lengthened； or contracted； or altered。
By a current or proper word I mean one which is in general use among
a people； by a strange word； one which is in use in another country。
Plainly； therefore； the same word may be at once strange and
current； but not in relation to the same people。 The word sigynon；
'lance；' is to the Cyprians a current term but to us a strange one。
Metaphor is the application of an alien name by transference
either from genus to species； or from species to genus； or from
species to species； or by analogy； that is； proportion。 Thus from
genus to species； as： 'There lies my ship'； for lying at anchor is a
species of lying。 From species to genus； as： 'Verily ten thousand
noble deeds hath Odysseus wrought'； for ten thousand is a species of
large number； and is here used for a large number generally。 From
species to species； as： 'With blade of bronze drew away the life；' and
'Cleft the water with the vessel of unyielding bronze。' Here arusai；
'to draw away' is used for tamein； 'to cleave；' and tamein； again
for arusai… each being a species of taking away。 Analogy or proportion
is when the second term is to the first as the fourth to the third。 We
may then use the fourth for the second； or the second for the
fourth。 Sometimes too we qualify the metaphor by adding the term to
which the proper word is relative。 Thus the cup is to Dionysus as
the shield to Ares。 The cup may； therefore； be called 'the shield of
Dionysus；' and the shield 'the cup of Ares。' Or； again； as old age
is to life； so is evening to day。 Evening may therefore be called；
'the old age of the day；' and old age； 'the evening of life；' or； in
the phrase of Empedocles； 'life's setting sun。' For some of the
terms of the proportion there is at times no word in existence；
still the metaphor may be used。 For instance； to scatter seed is
called sowing： but the action of the sun in scattering his rays is
nameless。 Still this process bears to the sun the same relation as
sowing to the seed。 Hence the expression of the poet 'sowing the
god…created light。' There is another way in which this kind of
metaphor may be employed。 We may apply an alien term； and then deny of
that term one of its proper attributes； as if we were to call the
shield； not 'the cup of Ares；' but 'the wineless cup'。
A newly…coined word is one which has never been even in local use；
but is adopted by the poet himself。 Some such words there appear to
be： as ernyges； 'sprouters；' for kerata； 'horns'； and areter；
'supplicator'； for hiereus； 'priest。'
A word is lengthened when its own vowel is exchanged for a longer
one； or when a syllable is inserted。 A word is contracted when some
part of it is removed。 Instances of lengthening are： poleos for
poleos； Peleiadeo for Peleidou； of contraction： kri； do； and ops； as
in mia ginetai amphoteron ops； 'the appearance of both is one。'
An altered word is one in which part of the ordinary form is left
unchanged； and part is recast： as in dexiteron kata mazon； 'on the
right breast；' dexiteron is for dexion。
Nouns in themselves are either masculine； feminine； or neuter。
Masculine are such as end in N； R； S； or in some letter compounded
with S… these being two； PS and X。 Feminine； such as end in vowels
that are always long； namely E and O； and… of vowels that admit of
lengthening… those in A。 Thus the number of letters in which nouns
masculine and feminine end is the same； for PS and X are equivalent to
endings in S。 No noun ends in a mute or a vowel short by nature。 Three
only end in I… meli； 'honey'； kommi； 'gum'； peperi； 'pepper'； five end
in U。 Neuter nouns end in these two latter vowels； also in N and S。
POETICS｜22
XXII
The perfection of style is to be clear without being mean。 The
clearest style is that which uses only current or proper words； at the
same time it is mean… witness the poetry of Cleophon and of Sthenelus。
That diction； on the other hand； is lofty and raised above the
commonplace which employs unusual words。 By unusual； I mean strange
（or rare） words； metaphorical； lengthened… anything； in short； that
differs from the normal idiom。 Yet a style wholly composed of such
words is either a riddle or a jargon； a riddle； if it consists of
metaphors； a jargon； if it consists of strange （or rare） words。 For
the essence of a riddle is to express true facts under impossible
combinations。 Now this cannot be done by any arrangement of
ordinary words； but by the use of metaphor it can。 Such is the riddle：
'A man I saw who on another man had glued the bronze by aid of
fire；' and others of the same kind。 A diction that is made up of
strange （or rare） terms is a jargon。 A certain infusion； therefore； of
these elements is necessary to style； for the strange （or rare）
word； the metaphorical； the ornamental； and the other kinds above
mentioned； will raise it above the commonplace and mean； while the use
of proper words will make it perspicuous。 But nothing contributes more
to produce a cleanness of diction that is remote from commonness
than the lengthening； contraction； and alteration o