BETWEEN ‘URBILD’ AND ‘ABBILD’: THE CONCEPTION OF THE IMAGE IN CELAN'S POEMS ‘BEI WEIN UND VERLORENHEIT’, ‘TENEBRAE’, AND ‘HALBZERFRESSENER’

Julian Johannes Immanuel Koch

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

This article contends that the image is a central trope in Paul Celan's poetry. It suggests that Celan's rejection of metaphor and his opposition to readings of his poetry as mere imagery constitute only one side of his understanding of the image. On the other hand, Celan embraces the image when it goes beyond the merely figurative or imitative and approaches a form of ‘Urbild’. This article traces Celan's understanding of the image as split between ‘Urbild’ and ‘Abbild’ in his mature poems ‘Bei Wein und Verlorenheit’, ‘Tenebrae’, and ‘Halbzerfressener’, through which we will also gain a fuller sense of how Celan conceives of language and poetic voice.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftGerman Life and Letters
Vol/bind74
Udgave nummer2
Sider (fra-til)183-202
ISSN0016-8777
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2021
Udgivet eksterntJa

Citationsformater