false 13270 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg 13270 56 2301058 book 335 Poetics total:1295|5:317|4:432|3:401|2:122|1:23| 1295 4783 1874 93 2192 3.78 5965 392 81919 3.72 1179 73 15524087 504424 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.70 1141 335 2 2 false Tue Feb 19 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 15 16:18:08 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 19 17:21:02 -0800 2008
Did you ever see "Dead Poet's Society"? You know that scene where it's the first day of school and Robin Williams has them read that essay out loud, with all sorts of formulae and things for analyzing poetry - where Robin Williams graphs a formula on the b...more...]]> 1142276 81131 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 4 1 false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu May 10 08:31:27 -0700 2007 Thu May 10 08:44:21 -0700 2007 more...]]> 79729371 175635 1240607 1854593331 9781854593337 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182182674m/1240607.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182182674s/1240607.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1240607.Poetics 4.00 2 335 5 8 false Wed Dec 02 22:22:14 -0800 2009 Wed Dec 02 22:22:28 -0800 2009 more...]]> 61172643 1605591 723089 048629577X 9780486295770 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177638694m/723089.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177638694s/723089.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/723089.Poetics 3.66 35 Poetics is really a treatise on fine art. It offers seminal ideas on the nature of drama, tragedy, poetry, music and more, including such concepts as catharsis, the tragic flaw, unities of time and place and other rules of drama. </div>]]> 335 4 2 false Fri Jun 26 07:30:38 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 26 07:37:30 -0700 2009 Poetics is one of those books that makes you admire the author while you want to strangle him. This work is highly influential, and you can see its influence in Western Literature in authors such as Shakespeare, Byron, and Miller. It also makes classical literature easy ...more...]]> 44285042 347271 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 2 1 false Tue Jan 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 25 09:47:23 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 20:46:49 -0800 2009
My dislike stems partially from the fact that I have been introduc...more...]]> 22059348 1149712 723089 048629577X 9780486295770 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177638694m/723089.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177638694s/723089.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/723089.Poetics 3.69 1295 Poetics is really a treatise on fine art. It offers seminal ideas on the nature of drama, tragedy, poetry, music and more, including such concepts as catharsis, the tragic flaw, unities of time and place and other rules of drama. </div>]]> 335 4 0 false Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Mon May 12 01:23:52 -0700 2008 Mon May 12 02:08:23 -0700 2008
This succinct and insightful comment is among the first of many in Aristotle's Poetics. I read this little gem around the same time I entered a class on creative writing, and the insights were extremely he...more...]]> 19454082 991266 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 4 0 false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 04 11:28:51 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 04 11:34:17 -0700 2008
I read the ...more...]]> 18590874 929972 115580 0472061666 9780472061662 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171704243m/115580.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171704243s/115580.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/115580.Poetics 3.89 9 </div>]]> 335 3 0 false Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 -0800 1988 Tue Mar 25 09:42:25 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 27 07:33:03 -0700 2009 4 more...]]> 41677238 1857516 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 5 0 false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 02 20:28:08 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 05 13:43:17 -0800 2009 more...]]> 40687235 974210 6021483 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229975732m/6021483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229975732s/6021483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6021483.Aristotle_s_Poetics_A_Translation_Commentary_for_Students_of_Literature 4.00 1 "Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that's serious, complete & of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; thru pity & fear effecting the proper catharsis of these emotions."
Aristotle distinguishes between genres in three ways: differences in means, objects & modes of their imitations. Means cover language, rhythm & harmony, used separately or in combination. Objects refer to actions, virtuous or vicious, & agents, good or bad. As a complete whole having beginning, middle & end, every tragedy has six parts: plot (mythos), character (ethos), thought (dianoia), diction (lexis), melody (melos) & spectacle (opsis). The key elements of the plot are reversals (peripeteia), recognitions (anagnorisis) & suffering (pathos). Ideal tragedy has a plot that is "complex." It imitates actions arousing horror, fear & pity. A hero's fortune changes from happiness to misery because of some tragic mistake (hamartia). The horrific deed may be done consciously (Medea), unknowingly (Oedipus) or unknowingly but with timely discovery. Characters must be good, appropriate, consistent, or consistently inconsistent.]]> 335 4 0 false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 1969 Mon Dec 22 11:51:39 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 11:55:18 -0800 2008 1
Having students read the Poetics prior to reading the Greek tragedies is pro...more...]]> 53732082 2217938 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 5 0 false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1984 Thu Apr 23 11:45:38 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 23 11:53:52 -0700 2009 The main reason I give this five stars is that I think it's compulsory reading if you're going to study literature. Too many people quote this work or reference it, sometimes unconscious...more...]]> 62682216 869064 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 0 0 false Wed Jul 08 15:49:19 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 21:47:54 -0700 2009 more...]]> 33502938 810832 723089 048629577X 9780486295770 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177638694m/723089.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177638694s/723089.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/723089.Poetics 3.69 1295 Poetics is really a treatise on fine art. It offers seminal ideas on the nature of drama, tragedy, poetry, music and more, including such concepts as catharsis, the tragic flaw, unities of time and place and other rules of drama. </div>]]> 335 0 0 false Mon Sep 22 05:18:59 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 22 22:01:54 -0700 2008 Theater of the Oppressed Brazilian author/director Augusto Boal cites Aristotle's work as the foundation of what he calls "tragi-drama"—the cathartic antithesis of Boal's brand of populist theater. I've read Boal, studied his techniques, studied with him personally and adopted much ...more...]]> 46593049 1450311 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 3 0 false Mon Feb 16 20:45:09 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 16 20:50:40 -0800 2009 I may not have understood it all,
but hopefully another reading will allow a little of Aristotle's great mind to meld with my sad, grey, alcohol damaged little sponge.

Also,
I'm not sure as yet on his ideas of plot being more important than character, but as someone...more...]]> 45983819 1195067 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 5 0 false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 10 17:48:45 -0800 2009 Sun May 24 19:52:53 -0700 2009
I love the following section on history versus poetry:

"The poet's function is not to report things that have happened, but rather to tell of such things as might ...more...]]> 56211942 1923320 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 0 0 false Fri May 15 14:37:05 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 14:46:05 -0700 2009
]]> 48682077 315607 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 5 0 false Mon Mar 09 07:17:25 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 09 07:20:03 -0700 2009 82028314 2850636 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 0 0 false Fri Dec 25 16:22:35 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 25 16:27:21 -0800 2009
It was a useful read, and I'm glad for that. It is canon. But I guess it was just a little too canon, too flat for me to really comment good or bad.]]> 66264935 2044060 13270 0140446362 9780140446364 71 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958m/13270.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550958s/13270.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13270.Poetics 3.69 1295 335 4 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Aug 05 02:21:16 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 05 02:25:34 -0700 2009 42669884 1597887 415627 0809005271 9780809005277 7 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174538991m/415627.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174538991s/415627.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415627.Aristotle_s_Poetics 3.54 39 Poetics perfectly readable, the better to impress people at parties when you say, "Of course, as Aristotle says..."]]> 335 5 0 false Sun Jan 11 08:10:16 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 11 08:11:33 -0800 2009 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=13270