The Poetics of Latin Didactic Lucretius, Vergil, Ovid, Manilius [Hardcover]

This is a study of ancient didactic poetry, a type of literature which uses verse as the medium for teaching theoretical knowledge or practical skills. Volk combines a general discussion of didactic poetry as a genre in Greek and Latin literature with detailed interpretations of four famous Latin didactic poems by Lucretius, Vergil, Ovid, and Manilius.

1.Tell me, Muse: characteristics of the self-conscious poem
2. Improbable art: the theory and practice of ancient didactic poetry
3. The teacher's truth: Lucretius'De rerum natura
4. The poet's choice: Vergil'sGeorgics
5. The poem's success: Ovid'sArs amatoriaandRemedia amoris
6. The song of the stars: Manilius'Astronomica
Conclusion

[This] is the product of a superior mind steeped in the literature, both ancient and modern, relevant to her subject. [Volk's] analyses of her four didactic poets...are clearly and elegantly written, persuasive, and sympathetic, revealing a dry but attractive sense of humour. --Greece & Rome

Katharina Volk is Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics, Bucknell University