1. "To delight" (Latin: *delectare*): Literature should be enjoyable and entertaining for the reader. This involves creating beautiful and engaging language, captivating plots, and relatable characters.
2. "To instruct" (Latin: *docere*): Literature should also teach the reader something, whether about morality, history, or other aspects of life. This involves conveying important messages, exploring complex themes, and offering insightful commentary on the human condition.
Horace expresses these ideas in his Ars Poetica, a famous work of literary theory. He believed that these two functions should not be mutually exclusive but rather work together to create a truly effective and lasting literary experience.