![]() His answer? Ambiguity - “any verbal nuance, however slight, which gives room for alternative reactions to the same piece of language.”Įvery single written phrase can be read differently depending upon this natural ambiguity of word choices, the intent of the writer and the social context in which it is being read. Why does he set out on this journey? Because “unexplained beauty arouses an irritation in me, a sense that this would be a good place to scratch …”Īnd scratch he does, penning an amazing, overwhelming and at times daunting work that dissects snippets and sections of well-known and lesser-known works of poetry and plays to find the source of their power. ![]() His most influential work was his first, Seven Types of Ambiguity, written at the tender age of 22! It’s a classic for a reason he sets for himself the monumental task of understanding how poetry “works” - why, when done well, it moves us and sticks with us even though it was written in eras long past? That’s their loss.) He went on to distinguish himself for writing and for exceptional and insightful literary criticism. (Interestingly, he was apparently drummed out of Magdalene College, Cambridge, for the shocking crime of having condoms in his room. William Empson was a noted British literary critic and poet. Empson lovingly, cheerfully takes apart poems to try and explain how the various types of ambiguity fuel the whole creative endeavor. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |