Poetics

One of the earliest surviving works on dramatic and literary theory, Aristotle s Poetics is a detailed account of poetic art. Aristotle further classifies it into verse drama, lyric poetry, and epic poetry. Poetics begins with a defense of poetry as opposed to Plato s criticism of it. Aristotle argues that the mimetic nature of poetry does not make it irrational or incapable of portraying the truth, as Plato suggests. Instead, he sees poetry as a means to improve the existing society, thereby making poets both imitators and creators.
However, the main area of discussion in Aristotle s Poetics is concerned with Drama and, in extension, Tragedy. While Aristotle discusses Comedy as a relevant genre of verse drama, he places Tragedy at a higher pedestal, even higher than Epic Poetry. The main role of Tragedy, he suggests, is to purge the spectators through catharsis or tragic pleasure by producing a feeling of fear and pity in the spectators. Aristotle gives a detailed explanation of the different elements of a Tragedy that are crucial for catharsis.
Poetics is a detailed account of literary theory that is still used as a crucial reference for modern-day poetry and drama.