focusing mainly upon language, communication, textuality, etc., as is overwhelmingly todays fashion, we miss the very raison dêtre of literature and language itself. moving a step further in our investigation of the anthropologico-ontopoietic sources of the life-significance of literature by unravelling the function of imaginatio creatrix in mans self interpretation-in-existence, this collection seeks to bring forth the royal role of allegory in the fostering of culture. a conjoint work of human elemental passions and of the human spirit, allegory mediates between lofty ideals of the highest human strivings and the pedestrian realm of facts. interpretative or theoretical studies encompass allegory -- mediaeval, modern and post-modern -- in various literatures. among the authors are: tymieniecka, kronegger, jorge garcia gomez, v. osadnik, h. hellerstein, h. rudnick, r. kiefer, v. fichera, k. haney, ch. raffini, j. williamson, b. ross and sitansu ray.