Description
Book SynopsisCombining literary and philosophical analysis, this study defends an innovative reading of the early history of poetics. It argues that there is a distinctively Socratic view of poetry and connects the Socratic view of poetry with earlier literary tradition.
Trade Review"Ledbetter's argument is original and will excite discussion."--Choice
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Abbreviations xi Introduction: Poetry, Knowledge, and Interpretation 1 Chapter One: Supernatural Knowledge in Homeric Poetics 9 Poetry and Knowledge 15 The Object of Knowledge 19 The Poet 22 The Audience 26 The Sirens 27 Does the Theory Apply to the Poem? 34 Chapter Two: Hesiod's Naturalism 40 Poetry and Skepticism 42 Poetic Therapy as Mimesis 48 Personality in Hesiod 54 Chapter Three: Pindar: The Poet as Interpreter 62 Poetry, Truth, and Deception 68 Poetry and Its Effect 74 Chapter Four: Socratic Poetics 78 A Rhapsode's Knowledge 79 Ion's Virtuosity 84 Poetic Inspiration and Socratic Interpretation (533d-536d) 87 The Rhapsode's Speech (536d-542b) 95 Chapter Five: Toward a Model of Socratic Interpretation 99 Protagoras as Critic 101 Socrates as Sophistic Interpreter 104 The Puzzle 108 Socrates against the Sophists 111 The Oracle, a Socratic Interpretation 114 Bibliographic References 119 Index 125
