The poet is the sayer, the namer, and represents beauty. He is a sovereign, and stands on the centre. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, from "The Poet""[The poet] is a seer.... he is individual... he is complete in himself.... the others are as good as he, only he sees it and they do not. He is not one of the chorus. " -- Walt Whitman, from the preface to Leaves of GrassPoetry has always given rise to interpretation, judgment, and controversy. Indeed, the history of poetry criticism is as rich and varied a journey as the history of poetry itself. But classic writings such as Emerson's essay "The Poet" and Whitman's preface to Leaves of Grass serve as more than a critical "call and response": the works are striking examples of how the finest poets themselves have written on poetics and the works of their peers and predecessors -- revealing, in the process, much about the theory and passion behind their own works. Spanning thousands of years and including thirty-three of the most influential critical essays ever written, Classic Writings on Poetry is the first major anthology of criticism devoted exclusively to poetry. Beginning with a survey of the history of poetics and providing an introduction and brief biography for each reading, esteemed poet and critic William Harmon takes readers from Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Poetics to the Norse mythology of Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál. John Dryden's An Essay of Dramatic Poesy and Shelley's A Defence of Poetry are included, as is an excerpt from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's verse novel Aurora Leigh, arriving, finally, at the modernist sensibility of "Poetic Reality and Critical Unreality," by Laura (Riding) Jackson. For anyone interested in the art and artifice of poetry, Classic Writings on Poetry is a journey well worth taking. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 10 1. Plato......Page 18 The Republic (excerpt)......Page 20 2. Aristotle......Page 48 Poetics......Page 50 3. Horace......Page 80 “Ars Poetica”......Page 81 4. Publius Cornelius Tacitus......Page 92 Germania (excerpt)......Page 93 5. Longinus(?)......Page 96 “On the Sublime” (excerpt)......Page 97 6. Snorri Sturluson......Page 124 Skaldskaparmal......Page 126 7. Sir Philip Sidney......Page 132 The Defence of Poesy......Page 134 8. John Milton......Page 170 “Of Education” (excerpt)......Page 172 9. John Dryden......Page 174 An Essay of Dramatic Poesy......Page 176 10. Alexander Pope......Page 224 An Essay on Criticism......Page 226 Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot......Page 246 11. Samuel Johnson......Page 260 “Life of Thomas Gray”......Page 280 “Life of Milton”......Page 262 “Preface to Abraham Cowley”......Page 270 "Life of Dryden"......Page 273 12. Thomas Gray......Page 286 The Progress of Poesy......Page 288 13. William Wordsworth......Page 294 Observations Prefixed to Lyrical Ballads......Page 296 14. Samuel Taylor Coleridge......Page 314 Biographia Literaria, Chapter XIV......Page 316 15. Francis Jeffrey......Page 322 The State of Modern Poetry (excerpt)......Page 324 16. William Hazlitt......Page 330 On Poetry in General (excerpt)......Page 332 17. Thomas Love Peacock......Page 334 The Four Ages of Poetry (excerpt)......Page 335 18. George Gordon, Lord Byron......Page 348 English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (excerpt)......Page 350 19. Percy Bysshe Shelley......Page 366 A Defence of Poetry......Page 368 20. William Cullen Bryant......Page 392 The Poet......Page 394 21. John Keats......Page 396 Poems......Page 398 22. Ralph Waldo Emerson......Page 402 The Poet (excerpt)......Page 404 23. Elizabeth Barrett Browning......Page 422 Aurora Leigh, Fifth Book (excerpt)......Page 424 24. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow......Page 440 Poems......Page 441 25. Edgar Allan Poe......Page 446 The Philosophy of Composition......Page 448 26. Walt Whitman......Page 458 Preface to Leaves of Grass, first edition (1855, excerpt)......Page 460 27. Matthew Arnold......Page 478 The Study of Poetry......Page 480 28. Emily Dickinson......Page 502 Poems......Page 504 29. Rudyard Kipling......Page 510 “Proofs of Holy Writ”......Page 512 30. Ezra Pound......Page 524 A Retrospect......Page 525 31. T. S. Eliot......Page 536 The Possibility of a Poetic Drama......Page 538 32. Laura (Riding) Jackson......Page 544 Poetic Reality and Critical Unreality......Page 546 Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Introduction 10 1. Plato 18 The Republic (excerpt) 20 2. Aristotle 48 Poetics 50 3. Horace 80 “Ars Poetica” 81 4. Publius Cornelius Tacitus 92 Germania (excerpt) 93 5. Longinus(?) 96 “On the Sublime” (excerpt) 97 6. Snorri Sturluson 124 Skaldskaparmal 126 7. Sir Philip Sidney 132 The Defence of Poesy 134 8. John Milton 170 “Of Education” (excerpt) 172 9. John Dryden 174 An Essay of Dramatic Poesy 176 10. Alexander Pope 224 An Essay on Criticism 226 Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot 246 11. Samuel Johnson 260 “Life of Thomas Gray” 280 Lives of the Poets (excerpts) 262 “Life of Milton” 262 “Preface to Abraham Cowley” 270 "Life of Dryden" 273 12. Thomas Gray 286 The Progress of Poesy 288 13. William Wordsworth 294 Observations Prefixed to Lyrical Ballads 296 14. Samuel Taylor Coleridge 314 Biographia Literaria, Chapter XIV 316 15. Francis Jeffrey 322 The State of Modern Poetry (excerpt) 324 16. William Hazlitt 330 On Poetry in General (excerpt) 332 17. Thomas Love Peacock 334 The Four Ages of Poetry (excerpt) 335 18. George Gordon, Lord Byron 348 English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (excerpt) 350 19. Percy Bysshe Shelley 366 A Defence of Poetry 368 20. William Cullen Bryant 392 The Poet 394 21. John Keats 396 Poems 398 22. Ralph Waldo Emerson 402 The Poet (excerpt) 404 23. Elizabeth Barrett Browning 422 Aurora Leigh, Fifth Book (excerpt) 424 24. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 440 Poems 441 25. Edgar Allan Poe 446 The Philosophy of Composition 448 26. Walt Whitman 458 Preface to Leaves of Grass, first edition (1855, excerpt) 460 27. Matthew Arnold 478 The Study of Poetry 480 28. Emily Dickinson 502 Poems 504 29. Rudyard Kipling 510 “Proofs of Holy Writ” 512 30. Ezra Pound 524 A Retrospect 525 31. T. S. Eliot 536 The Possibility of a Poetic Drama 538 32. Laura (Riding) Jackson 544 Poetic Reality and Critical Unreality 546 The poet is the sayer, the namer, and represents beauty. He is a sovereign, and stands on the centre.—Ralph Waldo Emerson, from "The Poet" "[The poet] is a seer.... he is individual... he is complete in himself.... the others are as good as he, only he sees it and they do not. He is not one of the chorus. "—Walt Whitman, from the preface to Leaves of Grass Poetry has always given rise to interpretation, judgment, and controversy. Indeed, the history of poetry criticism is as rich and varied a journey as the history of poetry itself. But classic writings such as Emerson's essay "The Poet" and Whitman's preface to Leaves of Grass serve as more than a critical "call and response": the works are striking examples of how the finest poets themselves have written on poetics and the works of their peers and predecessors—revealing, in the process, much about the theory and passion behind their own works. Spanning thousands of years and including thirty-three of the most influential critical essays ever written, Classic Writings on Poetry is the first major anthology of criticism devoted exclusively to poetry. Beginning with a survey of the history of poetics and providing an introduction and brief biography for each reading, esteemed poet and critic William Harmon takes readers from Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Poetics to the Norse mythology of Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál . John Dryden's An Essay of Dramatic Poesy and Shelley's A Defence of Poetry are included, as is an excerpt from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's verse novel Aurora Leigh, arriving, finally, at the modernist sensibility of "Poetic Reality and Critical Unreality," by Laura (Riding) Jackson. For anyone interested in the art and artifice of poetry, Classic Writings on Poetry is a journey well worth taking.
the First Major Anthology Of Criticism Devoted Exclusively To Poetry. Spanning Thousands Of Years And Including Some Of The Most Influential Critical Essays Ever Written, This Is A Collection Of Influential Writings On Poetry Ranging From Aristotle To Laura (riding) Jackson.
library Journal
controversy Has Long Surrounded The Poem. Sliding Like An Amoeba From One Philosophy, Culture, And Generation To The Next, It Has Only One Truly Defining Feature: That It Cannot Be Defined. In This Groundbreaking Anthology Of Criticism Devoted Strictly To Poetry, Poet And Critic Harmon (humanities, Univ. Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) Collects Some Of The Most Influential Writing On Poetry By Such Philosophical Royalty As Plato, Aristotle, Milton, Sir Philip Sidney, Wordsworth, And Emily Dickinson. Readers Are Given A Peek Through The Hole Of History's Fence Into The Lives And Worlds Of Our Poetic Geniuses And Reminded Of The Poem's Matchless Role In Conveying Reverence, Remembering Wars, Recording History, Entertaining, Expressing Deep Emotion, And Above All, Allowing The Finite Mind, For One Moment, To Contain Infinity. Where Plato Would Consider Poetry A Corruptible Force For Youth, Sir Philip Sidney Saw Poetry As God's Creative Nature Shown In Humankind. Harmon Not Only Supplies A Useful Survey Of The History Of Specific Poetics In The General Introduction, But He Also Presents An Introduction To Each Reading And A Brief Biography Of Each Author. Recommended For Upper-level Academia And Special Collections In History And Poetics.-kim Harris, Rochester P.l., Ny Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
A collection of essays written by various authors critically analyzing poetry and poems. Includes a variety of sources ranging from Aristotle's "Poetics" to academic essays by Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot
