Aristotle's Poetics - How We Tell Stories

In this lecture, Professor John Bowers introduces the Poetics, the first and most influential work of literary criticism in the Western tradition. He explains how Aristotle analyzed the elements of tragedy, comedy, and epic poetry, and how he defined the concepts of plot, character, action, catharsis, and mimesis. He also discusses how Aristotle’s Poetics influenced later writers and critics, and how it still offers valuable insights for modern readers and writers.

This lecture is part of the course “The Western Literary Canon in Context” by The Teaching Company. The course covers 36 works of literature from the ancient to the modern era, and examines their historical, cultural, and literary significance.