The Art of Biblical Poetry

From a renowned literary scholar, the definitive guide to the poetry of the Hebrew Bible 

“Intelligent, precise and exciting” (Peter Levi, The New York Times Book Review)

Renowned literary expert Robert Alter’s translation of the Hebrew Bible has electrified readers worldwide. In his classic The Art of Biblical Poetry, Alter radically expands the horizons of biblical scholarship by recasting the Bible as not only a human creation but a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. In The Art of Biblical Poetry, his companion to the seminal The Art of Biblical Narrative, Alter investigates the use of Hebrew poetry in the Bible. He analyzes the compact, complex, and exciting rhythms of Hebrew and the larger poetic form and poetic achievement of the Hebrew Bible. 

Including passages from Alter’s own critically acclaimed biblical translations, The Art of Biblical Poetry is an indispensable tool for understanding the Bible and its poetry.