Aristotle’s Poetics is the first philosophical account of an art form and the foundational text in aesthetics. The Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle and the Poetics is an accessible guide to this often dense and cryptic work. Angela Curran introduces and assesses:

Aristotle’s life and the background to the Poetics

the ideas and text of the Poetics

the continuing importance of Aristotle’s work to philosophy today