"What is poetry, how many kinds of it are there, and what are their
specific effects?"
Aristotle's Poetics is the most influential book on poetry ever written.
A founding text of European aesthetics and literary criticism, it has
shaped much of our modern understanding of the creation and impact of
imaginative writing, including poetry, drama, and fiction. This brief
volume brims with Aristotle's timeless insights into such topics as the
nature of tragedy and plot-a veritable gold mine for writers and anyone
with a serious interest in literature.
Moreover, this volume boasts a marvelous new translation by our greatest
living historian of philosophy, Anthony Kenny, who also provides an
illuminating introduction to this classic work. Kenny sheds light on the
philosophical underpinnings of Aristotle's literary criticism and he
illuminates the ideas about poetry, drama, and tragedy that have
influenced writers and dramatists ever since. Kenny also includes
excerpts from key responses to Aristotle, ranging from Sir Philip
Sidney's Apology for Poetry and Shelley's Defense of Poetry, to
Dorothy L. Sayers' Aristotle on Detective Fiction.
The book also features helpful notes, a glossary of key terms, an index,
a useful bibliography, and a chronology of Aristotle's life.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has
made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the
globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other
valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.
