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Poetry · Chapter
CXVI explained
The critic's theories are limited by their own perspective, just as a physiognomist uses their own face as the standard of judgment.
What happens
The critic's theories are limited by their own perspective, just as a physiognomist uses their own face as the standard of judgment.
Themes in this chapter
Art and Criticism
The chapter critiques how critics impose their own limitations as universal standards.
Key passages
“As the physiognomist takes his own face as the highest type and standard, so the critic’s theories are imposed by his own limitations.”
Just as a physiognomist judges others by their own face, a critic's theories are shaped by their personal limitations.
This aphorism highlights the subjective nature of criticism.