[393c]
as if he were someone else, shall we
not say that he then assimilates thereby his own diction is far as possible
to that of the person whom he announces as about to speak?”
“We shall obviously.” “And is not likening
one's self to another speech or bodily bearing an imitation of him to whom
one likens one's self?” “Surely.”
“In such case then it appears he and the other poets effect their
narration through imitation.” “Certainly.”
“But if the poet should conceal himself nowhere, then his entire
poetizing and narration would have been accomplished without imitation.1
1 In the narrower sense.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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