In this short excerpt of dialogue from “Ion” by Plato, the titular character and Socrates have a conversation about Ion’s inability to speak on poets other than Homer. Plato, through Socrates, subsequently argues that the production of inspiration wholly derives from divine intervention. The author reasons that art and knowledge is not where men get their special prowess, but from their great fortune of being chosen by the heavens. Plato begins his argument by clarifying that Ion is not an artist just because he can recite and praise one great poet. If he was, Socrates explains, he would be able to discuss and judge all types of poets at length, not just Homer. From this he discerns that neither artistic capacity or skill play any part in …show more content…
Plato likens this god-like energy to that of a magnet or “stone of Heraclea” (Plato 15). Like the divine strength of a “Muse” (Plato 15), a magnet does not just attract the rings of iron it compels, it also places on the rings a force of its own, allowing it to attract a ring the same as the original magnetic stone. For this reason, a chain begins to form, attracting more rings that are hanging from each other. The same can be said of the Muse, whose magnetism trickles down from heavenly source to the poets who then posses that same strength to attract other beings. This gives power to all of the subsequent individuals who are initially tethered to the Muse. According to Plato, this is how Ion is affected by the Divinity. The Muse is what creates inspiration in a poet, and the resulting enthusiasm that ensues from this creation arouses actors to become inspired themselves. All of this, however, still depends solely on the original stone or magnet to initiate the chain of attraction. In this way, Plato reasons that poets and actors are part of a chain of divine power that causes them to be inspired either directly or indirectly by the