Chapter 16

This chapter aims to present, in as simple a form as possible, some of the fundamental questions in aesthetic theory as far as they bear upon the study of poetry. James Sully's article on "Aesthetics" in the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_, and Sidney Colvin's article on "The Fine Arts," afford a good preliminary survey of the field. K. Gordon's _Aesthetics_, E. D. Puffer's _Psychology of Beauty_, Santayana's _Sense of Beauty_, Raymond's _Genesis of Art Form_, and Arthur Symons's _Seven Arts_, are stimulating books. Bosanquet's _Three Lectures on Aesthetic_ is commended to those advanced students who have not time to read his voluminous _History of Aesthetic_, just as Lane Cooper's translation of _Aristotle on the Art of Poetry_ may be read profitably before taking up the more elaborate discussions in Butcher's _Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art_. In the same way, Spingarn's _Creative Criticism_ is a good preparation for Croce's monumental _Aesthetics_. The student should certainly make some acquaintance with Lessing's _Laokoon_, and he will find Babbitt's _New Laokoon_ a brilliant and trenchant survey of the old questions.

It may be, however, that the teacher will prefer to pass rapidly over the ground covered in this chapter, rather than to run the risk of confusing his students with problems admittedly difficult. In that case the classroom discussions may begin with chapter II. I have found, however, that the new horizons which are opened to many students in connection with the topics touched upon in chapter I more than make up for some temporary bewilderment.