The Romantic era in England and Germany saw a sudden renewal of prophetic modes of writing. Biblical prophecy and, to a lesser extent, classical oracle again became viable models for poetry and even for journalistic prose. Notably, this development arose out of the new-found freedom of biblical interpretation that began in the mid-eighteenth century, as the Bible was increasingly seen to be a literary and mythical text. Taking Walter Benjamin’s thinking about history as a point of departure, the author shows how the model for Romantic prophecy emerges less as a prediction of the future than as a call to change in the present, even as it quotes, at key turns, texts from the past. After surveying developments in eighteenth-century biblical hermeneutics, as well as the numerous instances of prophetic eruption in Romantic poetry, the book culminates in close readings of works by Blake, Hölderlin, and Coleridge. Each of these writers interpreted the Bible in strong, variously radical and conservative ways, and each reworked prophetic texts in often startling fashion. The author’s reading of Blake focuses on the complex temporal and rhetorical dynamics at work in a prophetic tradition, with attention paid to the key mediating figure of Milton. The chapter on Hölderlin investigates the truth-claim of poetry and the consequences of Hölderlin’s insight into the necessarily figural character of poetry. The analysis of Coleridge correlates his theory of allegory and symbol with his theory and practice of political writing, which often relies on mobilizing prophetic authority. Together, the readings force us to reexamine the claims and practices of Romantic poets and thinkers and their ideas and ideologies, not without engendering some allegorical resonance with issues in our own time.
This special issue of SAQ commemorates and interrogates--with varying measures of appreciation and critique--the late work of the philosopher Jacques Derrida. Resisting simple memorialization of Derrida since his death in 2004, this collection contends that the late work of this prolific theorist remains to be better understood. The contributors explore the peculiar intensity--a combined sense of both patience and urgency--that characterizes Derrida's late writing, suggestive, among other things, of his preoccupation with mortality, of time running out, and of so many pressing things to be done. The essays address a wide array of Derrida's concerns: human rights, justice, religion, the performative, "the gift of death," mourning, and sovereignty. They often put Derrida's texts in conjunction with the works of others--Wordsworth, Agamben, Schelling, and Benjamin, to name a few--that resonate with and on occasion resist Derrida's own thinking and writing. One essay offers a reading of Wordsworth's elegy "Distressful gift!" as a dialogue with questions posed by Derrida, using as its frame the kind of nonnormative mourning that Derrida advocated, together with a haunting analysis of the character of survival. Other essays look at Derrida's theory of performativity as advanced in his late works, continuing his emphasis on the power of language, and in general they emulate his vigilance in attending to force and violence everywhere. Contributors. Ian Balfour, David L. Clark, Mary Jacobus, David E. Johnson, David Lloyd, J. Hillis Miller, Marc Redfield, Rei Terada, Elisabeth Weber
From the bestselling author of The Balfour Conspiracy. Elected to the board of a top London bank, Mike Townsend sees his personal stock soar when a cohort proposes a questionable partnership that will make them both rich. But as the stakes keep rising, so do the risks. And soon Mike is swept out of the boardroom into a chilling intrigue which jeopardizes his career--and his life.
Britain in the Twentieth Century is a new approach to teaching and learning twentieth century British history at A level. It meets the needs of teachers and students studying for today's revised AS and A2 exams. In a unique style, Britain in the Twentieth Century focuses on the key topics within the period. Each topic is then comprehensively explored to provide background, essay writing advice and examples, source work and historical skills. From 1900 to the new millennium, the key topics featured include: * Britain in a new century, 1900-1914 * the First World War and its impact * inter-war domestic problems * British foreign policy, 1919-1939 * Britain and the Second World War * social and economic change, 1945-1979.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.