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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section III.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Aristotle says what type of poetry imitates the "lower" types of men?
(a) Tragedy.
(b) Comedy.
(c) Greek poetry.
(d) Roman poetry.

2. Aristotle explains that the poet can err through lacking the artistic capacity to do what?
(a) Manipulate history.
(b) Tell a story using rhyme.
(c) Write non-fiction with a fictional flair.
(d) Properly imitate his subject.

3. Aristotle says that a poet must understand what in order to write a scene of love effectively between a man and a woman?
(a) How the human body works.
(b) The notion of love.
(c) The use of analogies.
(d) Chemistry.

4. How does Aristotle differentiate poetry from prose?
(a) Poetry uses language alone.
(b) Poetry uses rhythm in the form of meter.
(c) They are the same.
(d) Prose uses pictures and music.

5. Per Aristotle, in which of the following ways does poetry NOT differ from history?
(a) Poetry is a higher pursuit than history.
(b) Poetry depicts what happens according to the "laws of probability and necessity."
(c) History is concerned simply with facts.
(d) Poetry tells the future, and history tells the past.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to "Poetics", what would be the analogy between the pen of a writer and the plow of a farmer?

2. In the context of poetry and according to Aristotle's teachings, why is man naturally attracted to imitation?

3. Based on Aristotle's "Poetics", what does tragedy effectively achieve?

4. Aristotle believes that a poet can turn a complex plot into a simple one by doing what?

5. What type of stories does Aristotle identify as more fit for epic poems than tragedies?

(see the answer key)

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