The Principles of Aesthetics (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Dewitt Henry Parker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0484090003 ISBN 13: 9780484090001

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Exploring how art forms fuse and what each gains—and loses—in the union.

This edition surveys music, poetry, dance, and drama to reveal how blending disciplines creates new meanings while often sacrificing some freedom or scope. It explains why some unions feel natural, while others dilute the distinct power of each art.

It argues that poetry is a music with meaning, and that music expresses inner life most vividly when its tone and content align with human feelings. The discussion covers how dance can anchor music and deepen emotion, while song and opera face unique limits when content and form must be coordinated with stage action. The text uses examples from Wagner and other composers to illustrate both the potential and the dangers of mixing arts.

• How dance and music reinforce each other and what is gained in emotional power.
• Why poetry and music don’t always blend smoothly, and what is sacrificed in the process.
• How opera and song handle narrative, rhythm, and meaning differently from pure music.
• How the union of arts creates a new value that may be equal to, but is not greater than, its parts.

Ideal for readers of philosophy of art and aesthetics, this edition clarifies the practical and imaginative stakes of cross‑art fusion.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0484090003
• ISBN 13: 9780484090001
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 382