In a series of essays devoted to some of the most important Roman poets – Virgil, Propertius, Ovid – this book addresses a crucial issue of method: does the literary text convey a clearly defined meaning, or is it a blank canvas where readers can project their own personal interpretations? In a spirited reaction against the excesses of deconstruction, Conte reaffirms that the fundamental task of philological criticism is the determination of the original meaning of texts as intended by their authors. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of classical literature and literary theory.