The Labyrinth As Metaphor of Postmodern American Poetics
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THE LABYRINTH AS METAPHOR OF POSTMODERN AMERICAN POETICS by VALERIE MANDEVILLE MORRISON (Under the Direction of Hubert McAlexander) ABSTRACT New media is often referred to as “network,” and hypertexts are celebrated for their complexity and the freedom they allow the reader, the interaction they require. This is not merely a function of digital media, however, and in this study I explore several labyrinthine works that embrace this aesthetic of complexity and network in print format. Extricating oneself from a labyrinth and unraveling the complicated threads of discourse in postmodern poetry are similar endeavors. Both involve maneuvering through deliberate obscurity and diversions in order to elicit a pathway. Both also require entering into a vastly different kind of space and time, leaving the mundane world behind and searching out confusion and amazement. Postmodern poetry forces the reader to alter one’s perspective, to reorient oneself to a new aesthetic. To enter the labyrinth of antiquity was to court a deliberate encounter with the monstrous, to expose oneself to possible violence and danger, and I argue that to enter a postmodern poem is a similarly dangerous step. Lurking inside the labyrinth is the Minotaur, a hybrid creature, half man and half monster. The threat of encountering this monster is metaphorically equivalent to the threat of nonmeaning in postmodern poetics. As the reader traverses the poem, there’s always the threat of things falling apart, of a disconnect or breakdown, of dissolution. Labyrinths represent an encounter with mystery, with obfuscation and disorientation, and postmodern poetics often share these same characteristics. To emerge from the labyrinth is to find oneself, to return fortified, changed or strengthened by this arduous journey. Comparing postmodern poetry to the labyrinth metaphor, a return to the surface represents the reader’s somehow conquering or resolving the words on the page. Examining what happens when one returns from the center of the labyrinth will allow us to explore some fundamental tenets of the postmodern aesthetic. I contend that we enjoy labyrinths and poetry for remarkably similar reasons, and analyzing what exactly happens when one returns from this mythical place might help us understand the value and benefits of poetry for contemporary readers. INDEX WORDS: American Poetry, Contemporary Poetics, Postmodernism, Labyrinths, Entrance, Disorientation, Complexity, Frustration, The Minotaur, The Monstrous, Void, Ritual, Redemption, Anne Carson, Mark Strand THE LABYRINTH AS METAPHOR OF POSTMODERN AMERICAN POETICS by VALERIE MANDEVILLE MORRISON B.A., The University of the South, 1994 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2008 © 2008 Valerie Mandeville Morrison All Rights Reserved THE LABYRINTH AS METAPHOR OF POSTMODERN AMERICAN POETICS by VALERIE MANDEVILLE MORRISON Major Professor: Hubert McAlexander Committee: Richard Menke Jed Rasula Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2008 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members at the University of Georgia for their continual encouragement and advice throughout the writing process. It is not enough to be driven by a fascinating subject – one must also be inspired, reinvigorated, and redirected along the way, and I would have remained lost in the labyrinth forever without the expert guidance of Hubert McAlexander, Richard Menke, and Jed Rasula. I must credit these gifted educators and mentors for providing me with the tools necessary to find my way out of the maze. I owe a debt of gratitude to Hubert McAlexander for giving me the confidence and know-how to tackle such a large project. He acted as my Ariadne, leading me past pitfalls and into more productive passageways. Richard Menke not only understood, but often shared my more arcane and esoteric interests, and I deeply appreciate his gift for motivational communication. I was never tempted to give up along the way, and I know that a part of the reason why is because he was convinced I could do it, and that kind of support is invaluable. Finally, it was in Jed Rasula’s classes that many of these ideas began to take shape, and I thank him for his inspiration and thoughtful feedback throughout the writing and revision process. Many thanks also go to my mother and father, who have both given me the emotional support needed to undertake such an ambitious project. My successes would not have been possible were it not for their belief in my abilities and their constant love. My many friends, both graduate students and civilians, also must be thanked here. I’ve been blessed with people in my life who keep me grounded, and I must acknowledge their fortitude here for listening to me relate everything under the sun to labyrinths for the past year. Special thanks must also go to v Carrie Wetherby, for her help in formatting my final draft. Her computer skills and attention to detail are formidable indeed. I also need to give thanks to my beloved cat Gazoo, who was my loyal companion for over thirteen years. He saw me through the entire graduate school process, keeping me sane throughout, and left this world quite recently for whatever comes next. I thank him for being by my side for so long and helping me complete a part of my path. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................iv LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 Overview...............................................................................................................1 The Labyrinth Myth ..............................................................................................6 Etymology and Archaeology ...............................................................................11 Postmodern Poetics .............................................................................................22 Current Research .................................................................................................30 Chapter Descriptions ...........................................................................................36 2 ENTERING THE LABYRINTH .............................................................................41 3 GETTING LOST.....................................................................................................70 4 THE MINOTAUR.................................................................................................110 5 THE RETURN ......................................................................................................159 6 THE MONSTER AS POSTMODERN HERO IN ANNE CARSON’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RED ............................................................................191 7 DUALITY AND PARADOX IN MARK STRAND’S BLIZZARD OF ONE..........214 WORKS CITED .....................................................................................................................251 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1: Silver coins from Knossos.......................................................................................38 Figure 1.2: A Double-axe or labrys from a Dictaean Cave.........................................................39 Figure 1.3: Cavern of Gortyna...................................................................................................40 Figure 2.1: “Untitled,” a poem by Peter Whyte from Open Spaces. ...........................................69 Figure 3.1: “Labirinthe Spirituel,” a letterpress printing on paper by Albrecht Wagner............104 Figure 3.2: The title page of Tom Phillips’ A Humument: A Human Document .......................105 Figure 3.3: A page from A Humument: A Human Document with pen and ink graphics...........106 Figure 3.4: A metapicture, or dual image of both duck and rabbit simultaneously....................107 Figure 3.5: A page from A Humument: A Human Document with competing graphics ............108 Figure 3.6: A page from A Humument: A Human Document where the artist compares his project to a museum hidden within a story .........................................................109 Figure 4.1: A page from Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves demonstrating the author’s use of white space......................................................................................154 Figure 4.2: A page from House of Leaves showing information that has been crossed out .......155 Figure 4.3: A page from House of Leaves showing the author’s use of different fonts..............156 Figure 4.4: An illumination from a manuscript copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy......................157 Figure 4.5: The first page of John Ashbery’s poem “Litany” from As We Know ......................158 Figure 5.1: The labyrinth in the nave of Chartres Cathedral.....................................................189 Figure 5.2: “Pleasure Garden with a Maze,” c. 1579-84, painted by Lodovico Pozzoserrato....190 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Overview Navigating a poem, no matter how seemingly simple or straightforward it may seem, is much like entering a vast labyrinth. A fragment from former Poet Laureate Billy Collins’