(Extra)Ordinary evenings in New H(e)aven: the religious element in the poetics of Wallace Stevens

Bird, Darlene L. (2003) (Extra)Ordinary evenings in New H(e)aven: the religious element in the poetics of Wallace Stevens. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Wallace Stevens was profoundly affected by Nietzsche’s declaration of the death of God and his poetry reflects an ongoing struggle to understand what it means to be a poet in an age of disbelief. Although Steven’s early poetry suggests that this loss of belief created a sense of crisis in the poet, his later work indicates a full acceptance, even an embracing, of this loss, recognising it as the inspiration for poesis. The thesis considers Stevens alongside of such thinkers as Nietzsche and (the later) Heidegger and shows how the poet came to regard the shaking of the metaphysical foundations as a gift offering the possibility for poetry.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PS American literature; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General); P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0080 Criticism; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Supervisor, not known
• Date of Award: 2003
• Depositing User: Elaine Ballantyne
• Unique ID: glathesis:2003-1675
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 23 Mar 2010
• Last Modified: 10 Dec 2012 13:44
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1675