Summary: Ion is a famous rhapsode, a profession who recites poetry. He specializes in the works of Homer only whom he considers the greatest. Rhapsodes are experts of their poems that they recite, Ion claims that they are experts of their poems. But what about when a poem goes into a subject like warfare or medicine? Ion agrees that only an expert in a subject can make judgement, but still thinks rhapsodes know more than experts about the subjects in say Homers poetry. Socrates resolves this conondrum by claiming it is divine inspiration that leads the rhapsodes. He brings up an example of how when a magnet connects with iron the iron also gains the power to attract other metals. In the same manner the poets are inspired by the gods, and in turn the rhapsodes channel this influence and finaly the audience receives it. The rhapsodes speak not from knowledge but from divine inspiration.

Observations Nowdays we do not really attribute divine inspiration to people. What would be a modern example of this? Maybe with musicians without a formal education making genial music. The Beatles or Kurt Cobain in Nirvana for example.

The Gorgias dialogue explores how oratory, which persuays without knowledge, is a form of flattery that produces pleasure without any knowledge of what is good. How does poetry fit into this with how it substitutes knowledge with divine inspiration?

Republic makes a negative judgement of poetry, but I don't remember if it comments on any divine inspiration.

Is this conveying the views of Plato or the historic Socrates? It does remind me a lot of Euthyphro with its short length and simple argumentation, so maybe it is the later.