Dichtkunst Virgils

In a discussion in which a comparison of Vergil and Homer becomes the pivot of criticism, the author analyzes basic themes, outlines the Vergilian structure, and indicates the way in which the characters and the events concerning them are related to the whole poem. The author shows how Vergil enlarged upon Homeric similes until they became transparent signs for inner events. He also examines the architecturally structured sequence of mood and argues that, since Vergil, mood has become to poetry what light is to painting.