A pamphlet against anthologies

Summary

This polemical pamphlet opens by defending a previous literary collaboration against reviewers who repeatedly misattributed it to the male author, and it lists examples of that criticism as evidence of bias. It then turns to the history of anthologies, arguing that early collections of short poems were legitimate practical gatherings of otherwise fugitive pieces, but that later compilers increasingly imposed classification, authority, and literary fashion. The discussion traces this shift from Meleager and Philippus to later Byzantine and classical uses, contrasting a personal anthology with the more mechanical trade-anthologist.

Language: English · EPUB · 0.4 MB