be taken seriously by attributing their creation of words to madness, or the irrational. As Plato states clearly in the Ion, "no man, while he retains that faculty [reason], has the oracular gift of poetry". Plato seems to imply that one is naturally in his "right mind". However, under the influence of some divine power, poets "are only the interpreters of the gods by whom they are severally possessed" (Ion, ll.519-20). Poets are human beings deficient in reason; that is why they do not deserve a place in Plato's Republic. According to Plato, to be inspired by and towards poetry is to be irrational, or "under the influence of Dionysus". On the other hand, reason qualifies as a lack of inspiration. The merit of reason lies on a parallel plane with other virtues such as beauty, good, and justice. Ironically, Plato is a philosopher because he is a poet. Plato speaks eloquently at times and he always finds li
             ...