Ontology and the art of tragedy : an approach to Aristotle's Poetics /

The Poetics, Aristotle's analysis of the literature of Ancient Greece, is considered by many to be the origin of Western literary criticism. His examination of comedy, tragedy, and the Greek epic form is perhaps the first and most influential formal analysis in the Western literary tradition. As such, the Poetics has been subjected to considerable dissection and critical analysis since its appearance around 330 B.C.E. In this intriguing new work, Husain argues that the Poetics should be read in light of another of Aristotle's works, the Metaphysics. Husain states in her introduction that her study "is not a new translation, nor primarily a new exegesis of the Poetics, but a sustained reflection on the principles and criteria that should guide an approach to the text. It aims at developing a canon for establishment, translation, and exegesis of the text." To this end, Husain succeeds admirably in demonstrating the close links between the Poetics and the Metaphysics and provides valuable tools for future analysis of the work. Recommended for all academic and larger public libraries. Terry C. Skeats, Bishop's Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.