The Art of Poetry: An Epistle to the Pisos

Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus)Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.3

Word count: 209K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Art of Poetry: an Epistle to the Pisos by HoraceAuthor: Horace, 65 BCE-8 BCE,Language: Latin, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Oct 1, 2005

Editor's review

Horace's The Art of Poetry, written as a verse epistle to the Pisos, father and sons, is a classic text repeatedly cited in Western classical literary theory. It does not set out an abstract system but discusses unity, decorum, concision, consistency of character, tradition and innovation, and the relationship between genius and craft in the voice of an experienced practitioner; many of its formulations later became commonplaces of European literary criticism. This edition is the Latin original electronic text provided by Project Gutenberg, suitable for readers who wish to engage directly with the original and study it alongside translations. It is not long but highly dense in information, best read slowly in close reading, weighing its rhetoric and advisory tone paragraph by paragraph. For readers learning the classical languages, studying the origins of Western literary theory, or practicing the writing of literary criticism, it is a convenient and reliable primary resource; for casual reading alone, it should be used with notes or a translation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students studying Western classical literary theory and the history of literary criticism
Readers learning Latin who wish to practice close reading with a short text
Writers of poetry or drama seeking to understand classical ideas of composition
Researchers who need to cite the original text of The Art of Poetry in their papers

Not a good fit for

General literary enthusiasts seeking a Chinese translation
Beginners expecting a systematic textbook or a detailed annotated edition
Readers seeking light entertainment who do not wish to engage with classical background

Reading tips

First read through once to grasp the advisory tone of the verse epistle, then close-read key passages section by section.
Keep a reliable translation at hand for comparison; note terms as they appear and look them up together afterward.
After each section, summarize its views on composition in your own words to check your understanding.
Consider the Augustan context in which Horace lived to understand his ideas of tradition and restraint.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or the Latin original?

According to the Project Gutenberg record, this electronic edition is in Latin and falls under classical languages and literature. It is not a Chinese translation; reading it requires some Latin or the use of a translation alongside it.

Is The Art of Poetry suitable for readers with no classical background at all?

Not really for direct reading. The text is written in Latin verse and involves many classical allusions and poetic concepts, so the barrier to understanding is high without notes. It is advisable to read an annotated translation first, then return to the original for comparison.

Is it long? How long does it take to finish?

The Art of Poetry is itself a verse epistle of modest length but high density. Close reading section by section with lookups may take several weeks; a quick read for the general sense can be done in a few evenings.

Does the electronic edition include notes and an introduction?

According to the information provided, this edition is an electronic text released by Project Gutenberg and no notes or introduction are mentioned. Readers are advised to use an annotated edition or relevant research materials alongside it.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) Author · Ancient Roman

Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) was the most distinguished lyric poet of the Augustan age in ancient Rome. Born on 8 December 65 BCE in Venusia, Italy, and died in Rome on 27 November 8 BCE, he first joined Brutus and later, after the defeat at Philippi, came under the patronage of Maecenas, devoting himself to writing in Rome. His works cover a wide range of subjects: lyric pieces on love, friendship, feasting and rural pleasures, as well as satires and verse letters that criticise social manners and discuss morality and the philosophy of life. The Odes are noted for strict metre and concise language, while The Art of Poetry sets out poetic principles in epistolary form and has deeply influenced the Western poetic tradition and literary criticism. Nine of his works are held in the collection.