This book develops an authentic and at the same time revolutionary musical analysis of ancient Greek poetry. It departs from the abstract metrical analyses of the past in that it conceives the rhythmic and harmonic elements of poetry as integral to the whole expression, and decisive in the interpretation of its meaning. David offers a thoroughgoing treatment of Homeric poetics: here some remarkable discoveries in the harmonic movement of epic verse, when combined with some neglected facts about the origin of the hexameter in a 'dance of the Muses', lead to essential new thinking about the genesis and the form of Homeric poetry. He also gives a foretaste of the fruits to be harvested in lyric by a musical analysis, which applies a new theory of the Greek tonic accent and considers concretely the role of dance in performance.

About the Author
A. P. David completed his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.

Reviews
...David often asks important questions that the scholarly discourse tends to avoid, and soemtimes proposes fascinating answers... * Stefan Hagel, GNOMON *
develops a new approach to the interpretation of ancient Greek poetry * Massimo Giuseppetti, The Classical Review *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199292400
Author A. P. David
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 482g
Dimensions(mm) 223mm * 145mm * 21mm