Studies in Poetry

Description

Studies in Poetry comprises a collection of diverse critical studies, all focused on poetry and adhering to the method of textual explication, or close reading, meaning “detailed critical reading.” This method requires the critic to refrain from generalizations without a thorough analysis of the text’s structure, language, and figurative language, and without providing supporting evidence. The reader will notice that the texts analyzed in these studies strive to follow this method, although there is a clear emphasis on figurative language. The author has endeavored to avoid prioritizing form over content, or vice versa. He prefers to approach the text at the point where form and content intersect, allowing the content to express itself through form. Separating the two is only an analytical necessity. The book is divided into two parts. The first addresses methodological issues such as the relationship between literature, thought, and reality. The second part consists of diverse applied studies, including one on poetry and the problem of death, another on poets and time, a third on national anthems, and a fourth on Japanese haiku. The book also includes studies of Palestinian resistance poetry and English and American Romantic poetry.