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Vagueness, poetry
An experiment in improvisatory critical theory, this article seeks to reconceptualise the relation in aesthetic thinking between "precision" and "vagueness" from the point of view of a practising poet. It asks whether the value of precision in literary art might not be newly questionable in a world where precision bombing is the greatest weapon in the arsenal of imperialism. The article traces the history of aesthetic and philosophical defenses of precision, and dismissals of vagueness, from Ezra Pound's insistence on "le mot juste" through Bertrand Russell's denial that vagueness has any existence outside cognitive error, to poetic writing of the contemporary moment. The article asks how trustworthy might be my subjective confession of "feeling vague" and examines how the ambiguity of that feeling is and might be exploited in poetry.
History
Publication status
- Published
Publisher
Northwestern University PressPage range
175-184Pages
384.0Book title
Contemporary poeticsPlace of publication
Evanston, IllISBN
9780810123601Department affiliated with
- English Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Editors
Louis ArmandLegacy Posted Date
2012-07-16Usage metrics
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