Author Description
This Volume Argues That Aphorism Represents A Tool For The Social Management Of Emotion. Rhetorically Corralled Into A Slick, Collectable Shape, The Aphorism Promises Arresting And Instantaneous Epiphany. However, The Accomplished Elegance Which Positions The Aphorism's Message As Self-evidently True In Fact Works To Repel Further Enquiry, And Ultimately Ensures That It Will Be Forgotten Or Bypassed In Favour Of Another Aphorism: No Less Eagerly Embraced For The Earlier Disappointment. Aphorism, Therefore, Is A Form In Which Dangerous Ideas And Emotions Can Be Safely Displayed And Effaced. Because Aphorism's Style Defuses The Imperative To Act On What Is Clearly Known, Writers Like Stevie Smith Can Use The Form To Stage A Withdrawal From The Burden Of Making An Impact On The World. This Book Finds That Smith's Use Of Aphorism And Its Related Forms Offers A Route Into Her Texts. Noreen Masud. Also Issued In Print: 2022. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates how the aphorism functions as a mechanism for the social management of emotion and a strategic tool for literary withdrawal. Noreen Masud, a scholar of modern literature, examines the rhetorical structure of the aphorism to argue that its polished, self-contained nature serves to neutralize potentially volatile ideas. By analyzing the work of Stevie Smith, Masud demonstrates how the form allows writers to present profound observations while simultaneously defusing the reader's impulse to act upon them.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A rhetorical analysis of the aphorism as a literary form.
- A focused study of Stevie Smith's poetry and prose.
- An exploration of the tension between emotional expression and social containment.
Scope Limits
- The analysis is primarily limited to the specific stylistic function of the aphorism rather than a comprehensive biography of Stevie Smith.
- The text does not provide a broad survey of aphoristic literature outside of its specific thematic argument.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and critics recognize this work as a specialized contribution to the study of modern British poetry and stylistic analysis. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for those familiar with literary theory and the specific nuances of Stevie Smith's oeuvre.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1900-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press,
ISBN-10:
0191916390
ISBN-13:
9780191916397
Non-Fiction
British literature
Academic
Literary Criticism
Aphorisms and apothegms
Literature
Poetry Analysis
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