The Varieties of Enchantment

Early Greek Views of the Nature and Function of Poetry

By George B. Walsh

The Varieties of Enchantment

179 pp., 5 x 8

  • Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8078-4206-5
    Published: October 1988

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Walsh argues that the history of Greek poetics from Homer to Aristophanes was controlled by a preoccupation with enchantment -- the audience's emotional response to the performance of song. Homer made enchantment the pivotal topic of his account of his art; Hesiod and Pindar developed elaborate psychologies of forgetfulness and memory; Euripides and Aristophanes looked back at such theories in a mood that was both critical and nostalgic.

Originally published in 1984.

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Reviews

"Well-written, original, and intelligent."--Greece & Rome

"What makes the modest book refreshing is its rejection of well-worn approaches in poetics (rhetoric, themes of inspiration, distinctions of genre) and the inclusion of excellent critical passages."--Choice