The Role of Critical Theory in Creative Writing: An Evaluation of Horace’s Ars Poeticaas a Prototype

Anandita Sharma

doi:10.24113/ijellh.v9i5.11030

Abstract

Critical Theory and Creative Writing as disciplines are considered antithetical to each otherand a prevailing tendency is to confine them to their own fields.However, this paper argues that critical theory plays a crucial role in the discipline of creative writing. To further my point, I analyse, Horace’s Ars Poetica, a text that deserves worthy attention by scholars and students of literature and acts as a guide to the art of writing. Although, the text dates back to the ancient times, the advice given by Horace to the Pisos family are relevant to the art of writing in general. The paper has been divided into two sections. The first section aims to study the establishment of creative writing as an academic discipline and the role of critical theory in creative writing. The second section discusses how Horace’s Ars Poetica as a critical writing text offers some essential rules in creative writing. The aim is to promote creative inspiration, expand cognition processand bring in a new outlook to stimulate creative thinking.

Highlights

The question ‘Can writing be taught and learnt?’is a topic of discussion among writers, academicians and scholars since classical times
In conformity with the approach of applying critical theory to creative writing,I put forward that Horace’s Ars Poetica is a text worthy of serious attention as it stimulates “curiosity, aspiration, a willing, almost spontaneous effort” (Wendell “Mystery” 27) amongst students to indulge in the art of writingwhich according to Wendell is "the test of living study”(Wendell “Mystery” 27).This paper has been divided into two sections
Foerster emphasized a study of areas of literary study whose importance had been disregarded in order to revive "the traditional alliance of scholarship and criticism, the divorce of which” had “worked injury to both and played havoc with education” (Foerster “American Scholar” 42).He introduced two subjects, Criticism and Creative Writing to the field of literary study3