Aristotle's Poetics is acclaimed as a seminar work on western aesthetics, in general and on literary theory, in particular. However, critical ideas on aesthetics were not altogether wanting in pre-Aristotelian writings such as those of Plato and Xeonphon. Aristotle's distinction lies in being the first author in western intellectual history to have authored a whole treatise on aesthetics and poetics. Notwithstanding the still extant controversy as to ...
