Essays on the Study and Use of Poetry (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

Discover how to study poetry with clear, practical guidance from ancient thinkers. This edition presents Plutarch’s and Basil the Great’s approach to poetry as an art that imitates life, blends virtue and vice, and educates the reader. It explains how poetry connects to truth, philosophy, and the human good, while offering a framework for understanding how poets use language, myth, and metaphor.

The text frames poetry as a tool for moral and intellectual formation. It discusses how poets may depart from strict truth, the use of metonymy, and the careful reading required to distinguish fortune, virtue, and happiness in poetic language. It also covers how poetry should be taught to young readers, balancing reverence for classic names with discerning critique, and how study can cultivate equanimity, manners, and a grounded view of life.

• How imitation, diction, and variety shape poetic meaning without losing truth


• How to interpret terms like virtue and happiness when used metaphorically


• Guidance on teaching poetry to young readers and shaping their character


• Connections between poetry, philosophy, and education in the classical world

Ideal for readers of classical philosophy, ancient criticism, and literary history seeking a practical, education‑centered perspective.

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