Personal myth and its connotations in modern poetry
|
StatusThe thesis was presented on the 17 June, 2009Approved by NCAA on the 1 October, 2009 Abstract – 0.33 Mb / in romanian |
Summary
The Doctor thesis comprises theoretical treatment of the psycho-critical method elaborated by French scientist Charles Mauron (1899-1966) and its application towards the works by five contemporary Romanian writers (George Bacovia, Lucian Blaga, Grigore Vieru, Anatol Codru, Ion Vatamanu), writers who were selected based on the requirements stipulated by the corresponding critical approach.
Psycho-criticism is a literary research method based on psychoanalysis, which was programmatically expounded in the reference work by Charles Mauron – From obsessive metaphors to personal myth (1963). In comparison with classical literary criticism the author of the method gives priority to the unconscious part of the writer’s personality, which is expressed through personal myth. With this aim he singles out 4 basic operations of the approach:
- 1. Superposition of different works by an author aimed at determination of the favourite groups of words („obsessive metaphors”).
- 2. Observation of the repetition mode of chains, groups, structures revealed by the first operation.
- 3. Personal myth and its avatars are interpreted as the expression of the unconscious part of the writer’s personality and its evolution.
- 4. Verification of the accuracy of such image of the unconscious part of the writer’s personality in his biography and works.
Following the application of corresponding terms of textual criticism (structural semiotics, tel quelism, deconstructivism), imagology (myth criticism, myth analysis, symbols), literary language (style, artistic image) in the thesis there have been introduced innovations to the method. Consequently the notion of the „personal myth” was redefined.
Application of the thesis in practice involved meticulous identification of the personal myth of five authors mentioned above. Our research allows us to state the following:
Personal myth of George Bacovia is formed of the following 14 obsessive images and groups of images, built on the basis of symbolic images: Vault (cemetery), funereal, sinister; Darkness, night, black, twilight; Song, cry, sound; Loneliness; Trees, poplars, leaves; Burning (smoke), destruction; Weeping; Rain; Bullet; Snowfall, winter; Crows; Silence (falling asleep); Violet; Wind.
In works by Lucian Blaga obsessive images and groups of images are concentrated around two archetypes: Mystery and Light, establishing in many cases tangent points. From the first archetype – Mystery – the image of secrecy and such image groups as silence, quietness and night, black, extinction, dream, death are derived. The second archetype – Light – forms the image group star, celestial body, the sun, aurora; substance (light); image of the moon; groups of images fire (lightning, flame, spark, candle) and eyes, brooks.
Structure of the personal myth of Grigore Vieru comprises the following 15 obsessive images and groups of images: eyes; tear; voice (song); bread (wheat); light; star; brook; white; flow (floating); dew; grass; ground; warmth; green (leave); blue. These predominant images and image groups of Vieru’s imagination, being reciprocally implicit, can be put in order in compliance with four essential natural elements: Brook → (implies) white – tear – dew – flow (floating): WATER; Light → star – white – blue: AIR; Bread (wheat) → ground – grass – green (leave): EARTH; Warmth → bread (wheat) – light – star: FIRE; Eyes – Voice (song): QUINTESSENCE.
Stone in the works by Anatol Codru, based on superposition technique, expresses four fundamental meanings: stone – ontological principle; stone – dialectic principle; stone – principle of creativity and stone – principle of the nation sustainability.
Personal myth of Ion Vatamanu reveals central archetype leave, the "states" of which configure the obsessive phantasm of the author, his unconscious part of personality. The leave denoting creativity principle – song, poetry and word itself; leave can denote transition – thus expressing dialectic principle. The leave can also denote personal destiny revealed through the image of eyes, bird.
Oficial Reviewers
- Anatol Gavrilov
doctor habilitat, professor, Institute of Philology - Timofei Roşca
doctor habilitat, professor
Theses
