Ars Poetica?

The poem makes heavy use of daimonions/demons, where they function as a symbol of artistic inspiration. They tie “Ars Poetica’s” reflections on poetry to the roots of Western tradition in Ancient Greece and Rome, enhancing the presence of time and memory in the text. “Ars Poetica?” explores the idea of genius or inspiration in the Hellenistic era. During this time, genius was not thought of as belonging to the individual but as an outside force, a daimonion, or daemon, or supernatural entity. Much like the Roman idea of genius, the Greek idea of daemons painted them as pseudo-divine entities which watched over and gave inspiration to their assigned individuals. Like the Christian understanding of a guardian angel (or a tempting demon), ancient Greek daemons either helped or hindered the person to which they were tied. In the “Ars Poetica?” there is a division between the “good spirits” or “evil ones” (Line 36), which can manifest in poetry.

The poem refers to daimonions metaphorically, such as when asking “what reasonable man would like to be a city of demons” (Line 13). The poem presents them in an argument about art, not metaphysics. By using the Hellenistic daimonion as a symbol of inspiration, the poem accomplishes three major effects.