Aristotle’s Poetics has arguably influenced modern culture more than any other ancient text. The Greek philosopher’s 4th century BCE treatise on what constitutes the best form of poetry is our earliest surviving piece of standalone literary criticism. It has had a profound influence on storytelling ever since.
The Poetics haunts theatre and film history. Today, you can find handbooks on the Poetics written for Hollywood screenwriters. Indeed, writer and director Aaron Sorkin urges screenwriters to be “evangelical” about the book. Yet despite its influence, the Poetics is frequently misunderstood.
