The Beginnings of Poetry

A scholarly inquiry into where poetry comes from, tracing verse back to song, ritual and the communal life of early peoples. A thoughtful study of the origins of the poetic impulse.

At a glance Where does poetry begin, not in any single poet, but in the human race itself? The Beginnings of Poetry takes up that large and fascinating question, reaching back… What it's about This is a work of literary scholarship concerned with the origins of… It considers the roots of rhythm and refrain, the communal rather than individual…

This is a work of literary scholarship concerned with the origins of poetry, exploring how verse may have grown out of song, dance, ritual and the shared life of early communities.