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Synaesthesia in the Poetry and Poetics of the Early Twentieth Century

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Synaesthesia in the Poetry and Poetics of the Early Twentieth Century Words of Shape and Shade: Synaesthesia in the Poetry and Poetics of the Early Twentieth Century Fiona Elizabeth Burrows 10329989 BA (Hons 1), The University of Western Australia, 2006 This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The University of Western Australia School of Social Sciences (English and Cultural Studies) 2012 i ii Words of Shape and Shade: Synaesthesia in the Poetry and Poetics of the Early Twentieth Century I fell in love - that is the only expression I can think of - at once, and am still at the mercy of words… Out of them came the gusts and grunts and hiccups and heehaws of the common fun of the earth; and though what the words meant was, in its own way, often deliciously funny enough, so much funnier seemed to me, at that almost forgotten time, the shape and shade and size and noise of the words as they hummed, strummed, jigged and galloped along. - Dylan Thomas, "Notes on the Art of Poetry." The Poems of Dylan Thomas, Ed. Daniel Jones. (New York: New Directions Publishing, 2003). E.E Cummings, Noise Number 1, 1919, Oil on Canvas. iii iv ABSTRACT Synaesthesia is a neurological condition defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body”. This thesis examines the link between poetic and synaesthetic concepts, establishing the relevance of synaesthetic metaphor, sensory imagery and sound symbolism to the British and American poetry – the major English language poetics – of the early twentieth century. Although synaesthesia as a diagnosed neurological condition is not overly common, recent research in the area suggests that humans have an inherent capacity for inter-sensory association, which begins in infancy when perception is thought to be synaesthetic in nature. The idea of a universal synaesthetic capacity is certainly not implausible; synaesthetic associations are an established element in language (metaphors such as 'sharp cheese' and 'warm colour' are widely accepted) and children and adults routinely match dark colours with lower musical tones, and lighter colours with higher tones. The poetic implications of synaesthesia lie in the nexus between sensory experience and its metaphorical representation through language. The focus on image and experience in twentieth century poetics arose from the search for a language that could be used as a means to express the complexity of the modern world, and synaesthetic metaphor played an integral part in this search. The unique nature of the social environment in the early twentieth century, with its rapid and unprecedented industrial, technological and cultural change, encouraged a greater focus on the senses and perception. The poets whose work displays evidence of these concepts were not necessarily synaesthetes themselves, nor were they always consciously or deliberately applying synaesthetic theories to their work in the manner of some nineteenth century poets. Rather, in trying to process the chaotic sensory information elicited by the introduction of new technologies, the latent synaesthetic capacity of the brain was stimulated. For poets, whose manipulation of language relies implicitly on metaphor, the implications of this synaesthetic stimulation were greater. This study includes detailed examinations of the work of those generally considered to be the major English language poets writing in the early twentieth century, exploring their individual use of synaesthetic metaphor and inter-sensory concepts, as well as the larger patterns that emerge. It suggests that a progression v emerges in the use of poetic synaesthesia which can be traced through the works of these prominent poets, regardless of poetic genre or style. This progression was characterised by a more traditional use of synaesthetic metaphor at the turn of the century which reflected nineteenth century theories of poetic synaesthesia; this can be seen in the work of W.B Yeats. It then moved to a more bodily focus in the works of Imagist poets such as Ezra Pound, H.D and Amy Lowell, where imagery was increasingly paired with tactile and gustatory synaesthetic impressions. The trend toward tactility was further strengthened during World War I when Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Isaac Rosenberg used synaesthetic metaphors which emphasised the curious sensory transferences of traumatic war experience. After World War I, the use of synaesthesia in poetry increasingly exemplified the interdisciplinarity of the period, reflecting synaesthetic ideas from music and the visual arts. Poets such as T.S Eliot, E.E Cummings, William Carlos Williams and Wallace Stevens engaged with the movements of Impressionism, Cubism and Orphism/Synchromism, and the synaesthetic theories of F.T Marinetti and Wassily Kandinsky were similarly influential. From the 1930s, poets increasingly combined the sensory, tactile approach of the earlier Imagists with these visual and aural aesthetics; this duality can be seen in the works of W.H Auden, Theodore Roethke and Dylan Thomas. There was also an increased focus on conceptualised synaesthetic metaphors involving semantic and emotional elements, suggesting a form of ‘ideasthesia’. From the mid-century on, the poetic inheritances left by earlier poets could be seen in the continuation of many of the dominant synaesthetic tropes by poets such as Philip Larkin, Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney. This study aims to highlight the implicit relationship between synaesthesia and poetry and poetics, particularly through metaphor. It will show how synaesthetic metaphor was integral to the poetry of the early twentieth century, and how it can be used to provide an alternative basis for critical discussion of some of the most prominent poets of the period. The presence of synaesthesia in the poetry of this period was wide-ranging, pervasive and evident in the works of all the major poets writing at the time, and this thesis will offer a potential explanation for this hitherto unexplored and unexplained phenomenon. vi Candidate’s Declaration: This thesis does not contain work that I have published, nor work under review for publication. vii viii Acknowledgements There are a number of people I would like to thank, and I couldn’t have completed this thesis without each and every one of them. Firstly, I was lucky enough to receive funding through the Australian Postgraduate Award, UWA Top-Up Scholarship and UWA Completion Scholarship, as well as travel grants from the UWA Graduate Research School and the School of Social Sciences at UWA. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities and support this funding gave me. Special thanks must go to Winthrop Professor Krishna Sen for her generosity. I was able to travel overseas to present at conferences and meet researchers during my candidature. Thanks to Dr Jamie Ward of Sussex University, Dr Mary Spiller from UEL, Dr Noam Sagiv from Brunel, Dr Santanu Das from Queen Mary, University of London, and members of the UK Synaesthesia Association for agreeing to meet me. Their guidance and comments were helpful and enlightening. Closer to home, I would like to thank staff from the English Department, particularly Professor Andrew Lynch, Professor Kieran Dolin, Ms Ines Bortolini, Ms Hui-Chuin Poa, and staff from the Scholars Centre at UWA, whose unfailing assistance and knowledge was invaluable. I am especially indebted to Professor Van Ikin, whose help as Graduate Research Coordinator and supervisor has been constant and indispensable. Despite his numerous commitments, he has always been willing to listen and offer advice to help guide me through the PhD experience. However, the biggest thanks must go to the one person without whom I could never have undertaken and completed this project: my supervisor and mentor, Emeritus Professor Dennis Haskell. His support, guidance, experience and incredible knowledge of poetics has been invaluable, and from the very beginning he has made my PhD journey a pleasurable, fun and intellectually stimulating experience. For his incredible selflessness, generosity and unfailing willingness to help, even while going through extremely difficult times personally, I am more grateful than I can possibly express. Dennis, you are an inspiration both personally and professionally, and I am honoured to have had you as my supervisor. *** Finally, I would like to say a few personal thankyous. To all my friends, especially Courtney Allen, Courtney Wall, Kate O’Toole, Dr. Esmeralda Rocha, Dr Mike Blanchard, Patricia Alessi, Coralie Ayres, Sam Ford, and Joseph Derrick, and everyone else who has been there along the way; thanks for putting up with my changing moods, my hectic schedule and the times when I felt as though I would never finish. You have always been there with a friendly smile, a shoulder to cry on, or simply a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) when I have needed you most. Thanks for being such wonderful people, and for always encouraging me. ix To my godson, Charlie O’Toole, and my goddaughter, Clementine Lenanton: although it may be some years before you are able to read this, seeing your beautiful smiles never failed to lift my spirits even when times were hard. I am privileged to have been given the opportunity to have some guiding influence on your lives, and I hope one day I can help you achieve your own dreams, whatever they may be. To all my extended family, especially my grandma Pat Wray and my granddad Leonard Burrows, you have been a formative influence on my life and have taught me to be patient, curious and to love all things creative and intellectual. To my dearly-loved and greatly missed granddad, John Wray, and grandma, Beth Burrows, this thesis is dedicated to you both. You showed me the meaning of courage, dignity and perseverance and although you will never get to read this, I know you always believed I could do it.
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