Perspective

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who wrote over three hundred years before the common era. While reading the Poetics it is important to understand that many of the conventions mentioned in it are very much specific to his time and place. For example, the distinctions between the various genres, at least as Aristotle gives them, are more or less irrelevant in a culture far removed from ancient Greece. It is also clear that Aristotle's poetic theory is largely influenced by the artistic conventions of his time; in fact, he goes so far as to say that the conventions which have evolved for tragedy and poetry are perfect. It is, therefore, necessary to understand his historical position when reading the Poetics.

Like most Greeks, Aristotle is greatly enamored with the works of Homer, and it is clear that the way in which the Homeric poems are composed largely influences...