The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms - Ross Murfin 2018

Mimetic criticism

Mimetic criticism: A type of literary criticism inaugurated by fourth-century B.C. Greek philosopher Plato that assumes literary works to be reflections or representations of life and the world in general. Mimetic critics evaluate works based on whether they accurately portray their subject matter. Representations of the subject should be “true,” according to this school of thought; consequently, realism would be among the more modern genres meeting with the approval of mimetic critics.