6/11/2023 0 Comments Aristotle's book of poetics 2![]() You have to read it for yourself to discover the many lessons he has to teach, but consider just a few of the things Aristotle has to say. And even though the manuscript history of the Poetics has left the text somewhat garbled and abbreviated (the entire second half on comedy is missing), it is a gem of a handbook for modern writers wanting to publish a bestselling novel or Hollywood screenplay. The title might lead you to believe it’s only about poetry, but since practically everything in ancient Greece was written in verse from sweeping epics like the Iliad and Odyssey to obscene comedies, it’s actually about literature in general. ![]() But as I went on to earn degrees in Greek and Latin and eventually become a Classics professor, I learned that Aristotle was much smarter than me in pretty much everything, including how to tell a story.Īristotle is widely known as a brilliant philosopher and inventor of practically every subject we study at universities today, but fewer people know that he wrote the first book on literary criticism, known as the Poetics. This seemed ridiculous to me since I knew Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived over two thousand years ago and people are obviously much smarter now. ![]() ![]() Back when I was a first-year college student and thought I knew everything already, I remember my English composition professor telling us that Aristotle’ s Poetics contained everything we needed to know about becoming great writers. ![]()
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