This newly abridged version of Aristotle's foundational treatise on epic poetry and tragedy has been carefully edited for the benefit of contemporary readers. 'Poetics' examines the various kinds of classical Greek poetry, the essential quality of each, their plot structure, and the number and nature of the parts of which a poem is composed. In addition to a close edit of the entire work, I have provided occasional paragraph headings as quick summaries along the way. No thought or idea is absent from this original, essential work. Wm. P.