John Barton
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265420
- eISBN:
- 9780191760471
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265420.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Readers of ancient texts often assume that they are looking for the meaning intended by the author. Trends in modern literary theory, from the ‘New Criticism’ to structuralism and postmodern ...
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Readers of ancient texts often assume that they are looking for the meaning intended by the author. Trends in modern literary theory, from the ‘New Criticism’ to structuralism and postmodern deconstruction, have called this into question. In its place readers look either for meanings supposedly inherent to the text regardless of the author's intention, or for meanings attributable to the text through creative ‘readings’, without any implication that the text has a ‘real’ meaning. Theorising of this kind has been more typical of the study of modern literature than of ancient texts, but the fact that so much ancient writing is anonymous or pseudonymous might make it an even more suitable case for a literary-theoretical treatment. However, such reading can produce meanings that are completely arbitrary. The work of Umberto Eco can provide a middle way between a textual determinism and total arbitrariness, through his concept of the intentio operis.Less
Readers of ancient texts often assume that they are looking for the meaning intended by the author. Trends in modern literary theory, from the ‘New Criticism’ to structuralism and postmodern deconstruction, have called this into question. In its place readers look either for meanings supposedly inherent to the text regardless of the author's intention, or for meanings attributable to the text through creative ‘readings’, without any implication that the text has a ‘real’ meaning. Theorising of this kind has been more typical of the study of modern literature than of ancient texts, but the fact that so much ancient writing is anonymous or pseudonymous might make it an even more suitable case for a literary-theoretical treatment. However, such reading can produce meanings that are completely arbitrary. The work of Umberto Eco can provide a middle way between a textual determinism and total arbitrariness, through his concept of the intentio operis.
D. C. Greetham
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198119937
- eISBN:
- 9780191671265
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198119937.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
Theories of the Text is a comprehensive account of the changing practice of bibliography, textual criticism, and scholarly editing in the light of the diverse currents of contemporary ...
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Theories of the Text is a comprehensive account of the changing practice of bibliography, textual criticism, and scholarly editing in the light of the diverse currents of contemporary critical theory. It offers both an introduction to the history of textual debate and an account of the current debates over such issues as authorial intention, textual organicism, the socialization of the text, and intertextuality. Despite the positivist tradition of textual scholarship, the author argues, such work is a hermeneutic activity taking place within certain (usually unacknowledged) social and cultural conceptual constraints.Less
Theories of the Text is a comprehensive account of the changing practice of bibliography, textual criticism, and scholarly editing in the light of the diverse currents of contemporary critical theory. It offers both an introduction to the history of textual debate and an account of the current debates over such issues as authorial intention, textual organicism, the socialization of the text, and intertextuality. Despite the positivist tradition of textual scholarship, the author argues, such work is a hermeneutic activity taking place within certain (usually unacknowledged) social and cultural conceptual constraints.
Timothy Bellamah, O.P.
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199753604
- eISBN:
- 9780199918812
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753604.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Chapter 3 considers William’s exegesis. Thirteenth-century biblical interpretation was marked by an increasing interest in the literal sense and a progressive tendency to identify it with the ...
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Chapter 3 considers William’s exegesis. Thirteenth-century biblical interpretation was marked by an increasing interest in the literal sense and a progressive tendency to identify it with the author’s intention. William designates this sense as the intention of the divine author, which he in turn identifies with that of the human author. Even by the norms of his period, he is particularly keen to grasp it. For doing so, he uses several procedures for textual, linguistic, and rhetorical analysis and also considers the individual verse’s context within its passage, its chapter, its book, and the Bible as a whole. Spiritual interpretation is also integral to his exegetical project. His allegorical and tropological expositions are particularly revealing of his purpose of preparing students for preaching. All of this is consistent with his view of biblical history as a continuing reality encompassing even the present.Less
Chapter 3 considers William’s exegesis. Thirteenth-century biblical interpretation was marked by an increasing interest in the literal sense and a progressive tendency to identify it with the author’s intention. William designates this sense as the intention of the divine author, which he in turn identifies with that of the human author. Even by the norms of his period, he is particularly keen to grasp it. For doing so, he uses several procedures for textual, linguistic, and rhetorical analysis and also considers the individual verse’s context within its passage, its chapter, its book, and the Bible as a whole. Spiritual interpretation is also integral to his exegetical project. His allegorical and tropological expositions are particularly revealing of his purpose of preparing students for preaching. All of this is consistent with his view of biblical history as a continuing reality encompassing even the present.
Timothy F. Bellamah
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199753604
- eISBN:
- 9780199918812
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199753604.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
A Dominican friar and regent master at Paris during the mid-thirteenth century, William of Alton was an important representative of university exegesis at a time of remarkable intellectual ...
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A Dominican friar and regent master at Paris during the mid-thirteenth century, William of Alton was an important representative of university exegesis at a time of remarkable intellectual development. Though he is less well known than his contemporaries Albert the Great, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas, the writings ascribed to him, consisting of biblical commentaries and sermons, are of great interest to the history of biblical interpretation. And yet, they have attracted very little study, in part because they have never been printed and in part because they pose numerous problems of attribution. This study proposes to move beyond the resulting ambiguity by considering heretofore unexamined sources of information, specifically, by supplementing available external manuscript evidence with the indications of each commentary’s methodology and style. Rather than pretend to make definitive determinations with respect to every commentary’s authorship, this inquiry sets for itself the more modest task of constituting a list of works whose authenticity can be a matter of confidence and thus providing a basis for studying William’s exegesis. The establishment of a sound bibliography brings into view a broad picture of his work, which falls squarely within the genre of university exegesis. Even by the standards of his time, William was particularly attentive to the author’s intention. To discern it, he made use of an extensive range of procedures for textual, linguistic, and rhetorical analysis. At the same time, he remained attentive to the spiritual senses and to the demands of assimilating the diverse elements of the exegetical and theological tradition of which he was a part.Less
A Dominican friar and regent master at Paris during the mid-thirteenth century, William of Alton was an important representative of university exegesis at a time of remarkable intellectual development. Though he is less well known than his contemporaries Albert the Great, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas, the writings ascribed to him, consisting of biblical commentaries and sermons, are of great interest to the history of biblical interpretation. And yet, they have attracted very little study, in part because they have never been printed and in part because they pose numerous problems of attribution. This study proposes to move beyond the resulting ambiguity by considering heretofore unexamined sources of information, specifically, by supplementing available external manuscript evidence with the indications of each commentary’s methodology and style. Rather than pretend to make definitive determinations with respect to every commentary’s authorship, this inquiry sets for itself the more modest task of constituting a list of works whose authenticity can be a matter of confidence and thus providing a basis for studying William’s exegesis. The establishment of a sound bibliography brings into view a broad picture of his work, which falls squarely within the genre of university exegesis. Even by the standards of his time, William was particularly attentive to the author’s intention. To discern it, he made use of an extensive range of procedures for textual, linguistic, and rhetorical analysis. At the same time, he remained attentive to the spiritual senses and to the demands of assimilating the diverse elements of the exegetical and theological tradition of which he was a part.
Nicholas Jardine
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198250395
- eISBN:
- 9780191681288
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198250395.003.0012
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
This chapter begins by reviewing the question-oriented account of historical understanding of explaining scenes of inquiry, local reality, and interpretation. It follows with an argument of an ...
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This chapter begins by reviewing the question-oriented account of historical understanding of explaining scenes of inquiry, local reality, and interpretation. It follows with an argument of an account that avoids the most blatant forms of hermeneutic circularity, unlike related question-oriented accounts. It then discusses the main topic, the relation between the explication of historical understanding and the craft of historical interpretation. In particular, it examines the validity of two additional criteria of adequacy of interpretation: faithfulness to authorial intention and imputation of consistency. It argues that the theoretical account pointed out in this chapter entails definite stances on these issues, and that these stances are in good accord with common sense and sound historical practice. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the prospects for extension of this account from the history of philosophy and the sciences to the history of writings in general.Less
This chapter begins by reviewing the question-oriented account of historical understanding of explaining scenes of inquiry, local reality, and interpretation. It follows with an argument of an account that avoids the most blatant forms of hermeneutic circularity, unlike related question-oriented accounts. It then discusses the main topic, the relation between the explication of historical understanding and the craft of historical interpretation. In particular, it examines the validity of two additional criteria of adequacy of interpretation: faithfulness to authorial intention and imputation of consistency. It argues that the theoretical account pointed out in this chapter entails definite stances on these issues, and that these stances are in good accord with common sense and sound historical practice. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the prospects for extension of this account from the history of philosophy and the sciences to the history of writings in general.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804759137
- eISBN:
- 9780804774871
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804759137.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
In his Me'irat 'Einayim, a metacommentary on Nahmanides' work Commentary on the Torah, Isaac ben Samuel of Akko interprets meaning as unfixed or flexible, but does not assert the full autonomy of the ...
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In his Me'irat 'Einayim, a metacommentary on Nahmanides' work Commentary on the Torah, Isaac ben Samuel of Akko interprets meaning as unfixed or flexible, but does not assert the full autonomy of the individual reader/interpreter. Rather, he argues that the legitimacy of each reading is determined by its reception from a reliable source, the “intention” of which should be clear to the recipient. Thus, despite the persistent argument for the instability of kabbalistic meaning on Isaac's part, he highly values “authorial” or “transmissional” intent. Me'irat 'Einayim is considerably taken up with the process of establishing Nahmanides' authorial intent with respect to a host of esoteric exegetical issues. The authenticity of Isaac's role as transmitter is contingent on his ability to theorize Nahmanides' real authorial intention. This chapter explores authorial intentions and meaning, as well as the self-perception of authorship and the act of writing in Me'irat 'Einayim.Less
In his Me'irat 'Einayim, a metacommentary on Nahmanides' work Commentary on the Torah, Isaac ben Samuel of Akko interprets meaning as unfixed or flexible, but does not assert the full autonomy of the individual reader/interpreter. Rather, he argues that the legitimacy of each reading is determined by its reception from a reliable source, the “intention” of which should be clear to the recipient. Thus, despite the persistent argument for the instability of kabbalistic meaning on Isaac's part, he highly values “authorial” or “transmissional” intent. Me'irat 'Einayim is considerably taken up with the process of establishing Nahmanides' authorial intent with respect to a host of esoteric exegetical issues. The authenticity of Isaac's role as transmitter is contingent on his ability to theorize Nahmanides' real authorial intention. This chapter explores authorial intentions and meaning, as well as the self-perception of authorship and the act of writing in Me'irat 'Einayim.
Geoffrey Galt Harpham
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780226480787
- eISBN:
- 9780226480954
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226480954.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
The American system gives extraordinary prominence not just to the humanities, but also to the discipline of English, which was thought to be the central discipline of the curriculum. In order to be ...
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The American system gives extraordinary prominence not just to the humanities, but also to the discipline of English, which was thought to be the central discipline of the curriculum. In order to be able to assume the responsibilities allotted to it in the post-WWII system, English had to be a discipline in which textual interpretation was the focus of both undergraduate pedagogy and research. Fortuitously, this was precisely the form that the discipline had taken in the United States. Less
The American system gives extraordinary prominence not just to the humanities, but also to the discipline of English, which was thought to be the central discipline of the curriculum. In order to be able to assume the responsibilities allotted to it in the post-WWII system, English had to be a discipline in which textual interpretation was the focus of both undergraduate pedagogy and research. Fortuitously, this was precisely the form that the discipline had taken in the United States.
Martin Camper
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190677121
- eISBN:
- 9780190677152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190677121.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
Chapter 4 turns its attention to the stasis of letter versus spirit. Traditionally, this stasis has been understood as pitting the exact words of a text against the author’s intent, but the chapter ...
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Chapter 4 turns its attention to the stasis of letter versus spirit. Traditionally, this stasis has been understood as pitting the exact words of a text against the author’s intent, but the chapter expands the notion of spirit to include other animating forces of textual meaning, such as an overarching principle of interpretation brought by readers to the text. The chapter shows how both the letter and spirit of a text can be divided, with arguers disputing the text’s real versus apparent letter or the author’s real versus apparent intent. To demonstrate how arguers construe authorial intention for their own ends, the chapter analyzes the controversy during the 2008 presidential campaign over the “God damn America” sound bite extracted from a sermon preached by Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s then-pastor. Critics dismissed Wright’s defense of his intentions, pointing to the sermon’s exact wording as evidence of his, and by extension Obama’s, anti-Americanism.Less
Chapter 4 turns its attention to the stasis of letter versus spirit. Traditionally, this stasis has been understood as pitting the exact words of a text against the author’s intent, but the chapter expands the notion of spirit to include other animating forces of textual meaning, such as an overarching principle of interpretation brought by readers to the text. The chapter shows how both the letter and spirit of a text can be divided, with arguers disputing the text’s real versus apparent letter or the author’s real versus apparent intent. To demonstrate how arguers construe authorial intention for their own ends, the chapter analyzes the controversy during the 2008 presidential campaign over the “God damn America” sound bite extracted from a sermon preached by Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s then-pastor. Critics dismissed Wright’s defense of his intentions, pointing to the sermon’s exact wording as evidence of his, and by extension Obama’s, anti-Americanism.
Martin Jay Stone
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- June 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190456368
- eISBN:
- 9780190456399
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190456368.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
Positively, this chapter sets out various structural differences between literary and legal interpretation. Negatively, it criticizes views of legal and literary interpretation that attempt to derive ...
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Positively, this chapter sets out various structural differences between literary and legal interpretation. Negatively, it criticizes views of legal and literary interpretation that attempt to derive their features from an account of interpretation-in-general. The thesis that a successful interpretation always recovers an author’s intention is specifically rejected. A “naïve” view of interpretation is defended—the one that appears when we are sunk in practical activity—as opposed to theories of interpretation (e.g., “postmodern” ones) that tend to picture it as ubiquitous and endless.Less
Positively, this chapter sets out various structural differences between literary and legal interpretation. Negatively, it criticizes views of legal and literary interpretation that attempt to derive their features from an account of interpretation-in-general. The thesis that a successful interpretation always recovers an author’s intention is specifically rejected. A “naïve” view of interpretation is defended—the one that appears when we are sunk in practical activity—as opposed to theories of interpretation (e.g., “postmodern” ones) that tend to picture it as ubiquitous and endless.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804759526
- eISBN:
- 9780804769853
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804759526.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Jewish Studies
In its representation of the Jew, Notes from the House of the Dead looks backward to an older tradition, showing a good deal more in common with Gogol's Yankel than with the literary Jew of the ...
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In its representation of the Jew, Notes from the House of the Dead looks backward to an older tradition, showing a good deal more in common with Gogol's Yankel than with the literary Jew of the second half of the nineteenth century. The comic Jew that Dostoevsky needed in the novel was there for the taking in the works of his literary predecessors. Dostoevsky's readers have been disconcerted by the fact that the portrait of Isay Fomich is so firmly grounded in old stereotypes and that it does not incorporate the more problematic traits characteristic even in Dostoevsky's early fiction—a view that has led some readers to problematize Isay Fomich, finding in him redeeming traits or even existential agendas that go beyond the ostensible intentions of the author. This chapter explores the openings in the novel that support a deconstructive interpretation: that is, an interpretation that, set against authorial intention (the rhetoric of the novel), might lead to a more problematic—and perhaps more interesting—understanding of not only Isay Fomich but the narrator-hero as well.Less
In its representation of the Jew, Notes from the House of the Dead looks backward to an older tradition, showing a good deal more in common with Gogol's Yankel than with the literary Jew of the second half of the nineteenth century. The comic Jew that Dostoevsky needed in the novel was there for the taking in the works of his literary predecessors. Dostoevsky's readers have been disconcerted by the fact that the portrait of Isay Fomich is so firmly grounded in old stereotypes and that it does not incorporate the more problematic traits characteristic even in Dostoevsky's early fiction—a view that has led some readers to problematize Isay Fomich, finding in him redeeming traits or even existential agendas that go beyond the ostensible intentions of the author. This chapter explores the openings in the novel that support a deconstructive interpretation: that is, an interpretation that, set against authorial intention (the rhetoric of the novel), might lead to a more problematic—and perhaps more interesting—understanding of not only Isay Fomich but the narrator-hero as well.
Martin Camper
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190677121
- eISBN:
- 9780190677152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190677121.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Psycholinguistics / Neurolinguistics / Cognitive Linguistics
Chapter 2 examines disputes over ambiguity, in which interpreters argue over a single linguistic form that evokes distinct alternative meanings. The chapter classifies three types of ambiguity ...
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Chapter 2 examines disputes over ambiguity, in which interpreters argue over a single linguistic form that evokes distinct alternative meanings. The chapter classifies three types of ambiguity according to contemporary linguistic theory, details common lines of argument for supporting interpretations of ambiguities, and explains the differences between interpreting an ambiguity as unintentional versus intentional. The chapter offers an extended rhetorical analysis of the controversy surrounding Phillis Wheatley’s 1768 poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” which has been criticized as an expression of racial self-hatred. Literary critics in defense of Wheatley have argued the poem contains intentional ambiguities that covertly express Wheatley’s anti-racist and slavery views. This case illustrates that arguers can claim a text contains a coded message by uncovering additional meanings through its ambiguities. The various examples in the chapter highlight the important role ambiguity plays in shifting our interpretations of texts and their authors.Less
Chapter 2 examines disputes over ambiguity, in which interpreters argue over a single linguistic form that evokes distinct alternative meanings. The chapter classifies three types of ambiguity according to contemporary linguistic theory, details common lines of argument for supporting interpretations of ambiguities, and explains the differences between interpreting an ambiguity as unintentional versus intentional. The chapter offers an extended rhetorical analysis of the controversy surrounding Phillis Wheatley’s 1768 poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” which has been criticized as an expression of racial self-hatred. Literary critics in defense of Wheatley have argued the poem contains intentional ambiguities that covertly express Wheatley’s anti-racist and slavery views. This case illustrates that arguers can claim a text contains a coded message by uncovering additional meanings through its ambiguities. The various examples in the chapter highlight the important role ambiguity plays in shifting our interpretations of texts and their authors.
Lilah Grace Canevaro
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198729549
- eISBN:
- 9780191796401
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198729549.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Chapter 5 contextualizes the discussion, asking: is the Works and Days unique? This chapter argues that the Works and Days has two main selling points: the remarkable balance between modes of ...
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Chapter 5 contextualizes the discussion, asking: is the Works and Days unique? This chapter argues that the Works and Days has two main selling points: the remarkable balance between modes of reading, and the link between the demands Hesiod places on his audience and his particular Iron Age preoccupations. Moreover, this chapter puts together these two issues, showing how the two modes of reading, through the gaps they leave, challenge the Iron Age audience to aspire to intellectual self-sufficiency. Chapter 2 shows how Hesiod moulds structure to fit content; Chapter 5 adds that Hesiod uses structure also to fit didactic purpose. The very modes of reading the Works and Days function as another of Hesiod's didactic methods. However, this chapter also uses the work of scholars on the Catalogue of Women, Thucydides, Herodotus, Aristotle, and the Vita Aesopi to provide comparanda for Hesiod's Works and Days and this book's discussion of it.Less
Chapter 5 contextualizes the discussion, asking: is the Works and Days unique? This chapter argues that the Works and Days has two main selling points: the remarkable balance between modes of reading, and the link between the demands Hesiod places on his audience and his particular Iron Age preoccupations. Moreover, this chapter puts together these two issues, showing how the two modes of reading, through the gaps they leave, challenge the Iron Age audience to aspire to intellectual self-sufficiency. Chapter 2 shows how Hesiod moulds structure to fit content; Chapter 5 adds that Hesiod uses structure also to fit didactic purpose. The very modes of reading the Works and Days function as another of Hesiod's didactic methods. However, this chapter also uses the work of scholars on the Catalogue of Women, Thucydides, Herodotus, Aristotle, and the Vita Aesopi to provide comparanda for Hesiod's Works and Days and this book's discussion of it.
Siobhán Holland
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199249114
- eISBN:
- 9780191803383
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199249114.003.0008
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This chapter examines the state of publishing in Ireland between 1969 and 2000, with particular emphasis on the literary press. It considers how profits obtained from ‘original, creative’ work by ...
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This chapter examines the state of publishing in Ireland between 1969 and 2000, with particular emphasis on the literary press. It considers how profits obtained from ‘original, creative’ work by writers ‘solely resident in Ireland’ became exempt from income tax in 1969, followed by a discussion on the impact of the 1972 value-added tax on publishers. It also explores some of the shifting cultural and financial contexts in which the Irish book industry existed in the late twentieth century. More specifically, it looks at some of the infrastructural factors that have affected Irish publishing, the attempts by Irish authors and publishers to retain autonomy over the processes of literary and textual production, and the gravitational pull of publishing in London. Finally, the chapter analyses the influence of Irish books on authorial intention and reading.Less
This chapter examines the state of publishing in Ireland between 1969 and 2000, with particular emphasis on the literary press. It considers how profits obtained from ‘original, creative’ work by writers ‘solely resident in Ireland’ became exempt from income tax in 1969, followed by a discussion on the impact of the 1972 value-added tax on publishers. It also explores some of the shifting cultural and financial contexts in which the Irish book industry existed in the late twentieth century. More specifically, it looks at some of the infrastructural factors that have affected Irish publishing, the attempts by Irish authors and publishers to retain autonomy over the processes of literary and textual production, and the gravitational pull of publishing in London. Finally, the chapter analyses the influence of Irish books on authorial intention and reading.
Lilah Grace Canevaro
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198729549
- eISBN:
- 9780191796401
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198729549.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This book argues that the structure of Hesiod's Works and Days and the modes of reading the poem which it encourages reflect the interplay between self-sufficiency – Hesiod2019s Iron Age ideal – and ...
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This book argues that the structure of Hesiod's Works and Days and the modes of reading the poem which it encourages reflect the interplay between self-sufficiency – Hesiod2019s Iron Age ideal – and the very point of didactic literature. It considers Hesiod's didactic method from two perspectives: in terms of the gaps he leaves, and of how he challenges his audience to fill them. It places the Works and Days within a wider context, showing how it draws on and contributes to a tradition of usefulness. Hesiod's Works and Days was performed in its entirety, but was also relentlessly excerpted, quoted, and reapplied. This book situates the poem within these two modes of reading and argues that the text itself, through Hesiod's complex mechanism of rendering elements detachable whilst tethering them to their context for the purposes of the poem, sustains both treatments. One difficulty with the poem is that Hesiod gives remarkably little advice on how to negotiate different modes of reading. The seeds of reception are there in the poem's structure and formulation, but a fully worked-out schema of usage is not. This book argues that this reticence is linked to the high value Hesiod places on self-sufficiency, which creates a productive tension with the didactic thrust of the poem as teaching always involves a relationship of exchange and, at least up to a point, reliance and trust. Hesiod negotiates this potential contradiction by advocating not blind adherence to his teachings but thinking for oneself and working for one's lesson.Less
This book argues that the structure of Hesiod's Works and Days and the modes of reading the poem which it encourages reflect the interplay between self-sufficiency – Hesiod2019s Iron Age ideal – and the very point of didactic literature. It considers Hesiod's didactic method from two perspectives: in terms of the gaps he leaves, and of how he challenges his audience to fill them. It places the Works and Days within a wider context, showing how it draws on and contributes to a tradition of usefulness. Hesiod's Works and Days was performed in its entirety, but was also relentlessly excerpted, quoted, and reapplied. This book situates the poem within these two modes of reading and argues that the text itself, through Hesiod's complex mechanism of rendering elements detachable whilst tethering them to their context for the purposes of the poem, sustains both treatments. One difficulty with the poem is that Hesiod gives remarkably little advice on how to negotiate different modes of reading. The seeds of reception are there in the poem's structure and formulation, but a fully worked-out schema of usage is not. This book argues that this reticence is linked to the high value Hesiod places on self-sufficiency, which creates a productive tension with the didactic thrust of the poem as teaching always involves a relationship of exchange and, at least up to a point, reliance and trust. Hesiod negotiates this potential contradiction by advocating not blind adherence to his teachings but thinking for oneself and working for one's lesson.
