Expert: Maria - 1/17/2011

Question
What is the Greek definition of the word poiésis? I heard it means ‘making’ but not in the technical sense (like fabricating, manufacturing or assembling) but in the conceptual sense—like Mozart creating music in his head before writing it down as finished product. Is this right? Some tell me it means exclusively creating poetry but others have said that the conceptual meaning predates the poetry meaning and can even be applied to Archimedes conceiving forms of artifacts and plans of inventions in his mind first after which the objects are built by hand (technē). If so than was poiésis a common art theory all Greeks artisans were guided by?

Answer
Hello,

Actually the ancient Greek noun Ποίησις (transliterated as “poiēsis” or “póiesis”  and  derived from the ancient Greek term ποιέω (poiéo) meaning  "I  make") can mean:

1-generally “fabrication”, “creation”, “production”, “making” as opposite to πρᾶξις (“práxis” meaning “ action”).
See e.g. Thucydides 3.2: “καὶ νεῶν ποίησιν” (fabrication of  ships) or Plato, Gorgias 449d “οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ μουσικὴ περὶ τὴν τῶν μελῶν ποίησιν;"( And music, likewise, with the making of tunes?)

2-"creation of poetry", as in Plato, Gorgias 502a :“ἡ τῶν διθυράμβων ποίησις” (the composing of dithyrambs)

3-“poetic composition”,” poem” as in Plato, Ion 531d : “οὐ ταῦτά ἐστι περὶ ὧν Ὅμηρος τὴν ποίησιν πεποίηκεν;” (Are not these the subjects of Homer's poetry?).

As you can see, “poiēsis “means ‘making’ either in the technical sense (like fabricating, manufacturing or assembling) or in the conceptual sense—like Mozart creating music in his head before writing it down as finished product.

So, such a term can even be applied to Archimedes conceiving forms of artifacts and plans of inventions in his mind first after which the objects are built by hand (technē).

Best regards,
Maria
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