Poetics
by Aristotle · Περὶ ποιητικῆς
Assigned by 5 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 335 BCE
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Short · 60 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendPoetics, translated by Malcolm HeathPenguin Classics, 1996Clear, inexpensive, with a long introduction that explains the technical terms.
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A short and partly fragmentary treatise on poetry as imitation, concentrating on tragedy. Aristotle defines tragedy as the imitation of a serious and complete action that arouses pity and fear, ranks plot above character, and describes reversal, recognition and the tragic flaw, using Sophocles' Oedipus as the model. Later chapters treat diction and compare tragedy with epic; the book on comedy is lost.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Poetics are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
