Nostalgia of the Everyday: Earthly Things as Poetic Criteria in Weil and Jacottet
Publication Type |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication |
2005 |
Author |
|
Journal |
Christianity & Literature |
Volume |
55 |
Number |
1 |
Pages |
73-93 |
Language |
English |
Publish Dates |
Autumn |
Keywords |
art |
Annotation |
Drawing on Simone Weil’s notion of mexatu or ‘bridges’, the author argues the Swiss-French poet Phillippe Jaccottet “instances a continuing line of poetry in which meditation on everyday things limns those things’ nostalgic reaching beyond to the unmanifest real”(p. 89). The author begins by offering a clear definition of Weil’s concept of metaxu, showing its importance in her work especially in relation to her understanding of affliction, decreation incarnation, beauty, art, necessity and grace. He then goes on to connect these concepts to the poststructuralist argument that perception rests not in the object or subject but in the relationship between them. He continues the discussion by reflecting on a point of similarity between Weil’s thought and Heidegger’s. He then turns to look at the expression of some of the ideas he has presented in the work of Rilke and finally in much greater depth and with much greater nuance, in Jaccottet. The article concludes with a summary of the author’s argument for the importance of Weil’s thought for modern poetry. |