Overview
Some poems can change our lives; they lead us to look at the world through new eyes. In this book, inspired by Martin Heidegger - who found in poetry the most fundamental insights into the human condition - John Lysaker develops a concept of ur-poetry to explore philosophically how poetic language creates fresh meaning in our world and transforms the way in which we choose to live in it. Not limited to a single poem or collection of poems, ur-poetry arises when, in the interaction of an author's principal tropes, the origin of poetry is exposed as a process whereby words with inherited meaning take on a new poetic life that draws our attention to the ""birth of sense"" - the manner in which the manifold realities that surround us are revealed. And it is precisely through an experience of the birth of sense that we are able to understand and dwell differently among these realities. To demonstrate ur-poetry in action, the book frequently refers to such poets as Akhmatova, Ammons, Celan, Mandelstam, and Stevens, but it focuses on the work of Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Simic. By addressing the nature of human existence, the origins of sense, and the significance of history in and for human action, Lysaker argues that Simic's writing exemplifies the import that poetry can have for how we understand and live our lives.
Full Product Details
Author: John T. Lysaker (University of Oregon)
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press
Imprint: Pennsylvania State University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.540kg
ISBN: 9780271022284
ISBN 10: 0271022280
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 17 October 2002
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
General
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
An engaging exploration of the power of poetry, this book offers something new and refreshing: drawing thoughtfully on Heidegger's approach to poetic language, Lysaker brings it into dialogue with the striking work of Charles Simic. - Richard Polt, Xavier University
"""An engaging exploration of the power of poetry, this book offers something new and refreshing: drawing thoughtfully on Heidegger's approach to poetic language, Lysaker brings it into dialogue with the striking work of Charles Simic."" - Richard Polt, Xavier University"
""An engaging exploration of the power of poetry, this book offers something new and refreshing: drawing thoughtfully on Heidegger's approach to poetic language, Lysaker brings it into dialogue with the striking work of Charles Simic."" - Richard Polt, Xavier University
Author Information
John T. Lysaker is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oregon.
