The Art of Biblical Poetry

Here are my reading status updates, which weave together observation and appreciation. I really don't have much evaluative critique or any counter-proposals to offer. Chapter one helpfully outlines and explores the various functions of parallelism in Hebrew biblical poetics. The word “kenning” is fun......more

Recomendo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ É um livro que se situa entre o o texto técnico e o texto para o leitor leigo, contudo, mais informado sobre a poesia Hebraica Bíblica, e poesia Ocidental. Contudo, se for o primeiro livro a ser lido nesta área, também terá seus proveitos. Robert Alter é especialista neste campo d......more

Every time I read Alter, it makes me feel like my own writing amounts to a middle schooler’s LA homework. But it’s not just his command of language that makes this book weighty — it’s his conviction in the nature and power of poetry. I will never read biblical poetry the same. I’ll never read poetry......more

This book holds a deservedly classic position in both literary studies and Bible studies. It's not as epochal a contribution as Alter's companion volume, The Art of Biblical Narrative, which truly trains you to see the Bible in new ways, counterposing literary forms to the plain meaning of the text......more

Two dear friends and trusted bibliophiles (Brian Volk and Leslie Leyland Fields) recently commented in these Goodreads electronic annals concerning Robert Alter's poetic translations of the Psalms. I have little to add to their thoughtful words except to concur that Alter's singing translation are w......more