Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
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In this thesis I examine the poetic works of Zbigniew Herbert and Wallace Stevens through the lenses of object-oriented ontology of Graham Harman and alien phenomenology of Ian Bogost. I...Show moreIn this thesis I examine the poetic works of Zbigniew Herbert and Wallace Stevens through the lenses of object-oriented ontology of Graham Harman and alien phenomenology of Ian Bogost. I demonstrate how those philosophical positions can open new interpretative possibilities for poetry. I show how Herbert's poetry depicts objects and their relationship with humans. In particular I focus on the question of independence of object and I show how Herbert can broaden the ontological understanding of independence with an ethical component. In the case of Wallace Stevens I demonstrate how his poems could be read as simulations of consciousness of various non-human beings. In particular I focus on the analysis of conditions of such simulation – what makes it possible to simulate non-human being's experiences, what are the limits of such simulation and how such simulation affects the ontological nature of simulated beings.Show less