The textbook studies the connection between literature and general concepts and problems of aesthetics, highlights the place of literature among other types of arts and notes their similarities and differences. An overview of the historical development of aesthetic teachings from the Ancient world to modern theories is presented in the book. Separate sections are dedicated to the aesthetic theories and concepts of prominent philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Boileau, Lessing, Kant, Hegel, etc.). The integral connection between the main philosophical and aesthetic trends and the theory of literature is revealed through the course of studies. Literary movements (Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Symbolism, Naturalism, Futurism, Expressionism, Existentialism, etc.) are observed both in a literary-historical and aesthetic context. Various art and literary schools and methodological trends of the 19th-20th centuries are presented: mythological, neo-mythological, cultural-historical, psychological, historical-comparative, etc. The main aesthetic categories (Beauty, Sublime, Tragic, Comic, etc.), their manifestation in literature and other forms of art are considered. The last chapter is of a purely literary, theoretical nature, as it covers the principles of literary types and genres differentiation, the characteristic features of epicism, lyricism and drama, and the forms of their epitomizing in art.

The textbook can be useful not only for students, but also for specialists who are engaged in the field of literary theory and aesthetics issues.