From Plato to Post-modernism: Understanding the Essence of Literature and the Role of the Author

By: Louis Markos, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Louis Markos

Any lover of Shakespeare or the Romantic poets can concede that poetry is pleasurable. But is it good for you? Can it teach you anything? These are questions that have beguiled and engaged eminent critics for millennia, and now you can develop your own answers and options with these 24 lectures.

The source of poetry's wellspring; the relationship between poetry and human progress; the possible truths (and lies) involved in the literary arts; the role of the author; these lectures tap into an enormous range of material to explore these and other provocative issues. You'll follow the strands of this "conversation" between philosophy and the literary arts down the millennia, profiting from in-depth analyses of works by Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Sir Philip Sidney, Dryden, Pope, Wordsworth, Shelley, Coleridge, Matthew Arnold, T.S. Eliot, Northrop Frye, Foucault, Derrida, and more.

Throughout these lectures, you'll meet the poet in many guises. These include: the divine poet (a supernatural creator who transcends the laws of nature), the alchemical poet (the inspired individual who fuses humanity's divided nature into one), the common poet (the poet who roots himself or herself in the real world and speaks for the common individual), the playful poet (who champions sensitivity of feeling, contradictory truths, and uncertainties), and the prisoner poet (who's a product of, and a slave to, his or her own subconscious suppositions).

By concentrating on critical reflections about poetry - the oldest of the literary arts - you'll come away with lessons on how to understand literature, and all of the arts, more generally. More importantly, you'll be prepared to join in these critical conversations yourself.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1999 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1999 The Great Courses

this might be the most beneficial thing on audible

huge fan of getting the great courses from audible for less than the cost of a fast food combo, but this one really resonated with me. i did read Plato's republic after the first lecture and I think I have several other titles to get through before i re listen to this. I'm always impressed at the abilities of great teachers to summarize thousands of years of human thought into digestible chunks. markos is among the best. well worth your time.

too advanced for my understanding at this point

the course is too advanced for me at this point, I'm lacking the knowledge or the time to sit down and study it properly

Great!

Very informative. We are listening to this from our seminary class. There is so much to learn from this it takes several times listening to really take it in. Thank you

Aside from his views on feminism...

Prof Louis Markos makes no bones about his personal leanings. He is a long-time professor at an evangelical Christian college. But don't let that deter you if you are left-leaning like myself. There's plenty to love here. I intend to listen to this multiple times. My only displeasure is his dismissal of Feminist theory. But I can get my Kristeva hit elsewhere.

Great series of lectures by the brilliant Louis Markos

Louis Markos is an amazing lecturer and Professor and this expansive course brought me back to the place I love -- studying literature. But it is Prof Markos that made it work for me. I'm going to get his other course. INSPIRING!