Object-Oriented Ontology and the Theory of the Poem

Over the past two decades, object-oriented ontology (OOO) has shaken up debates not only in philosophy but also in disciplines as diverse as architecture and music theory. Despite its cross-disciplinary appeal, literary studies have only indirectly responded to OOO, even though the main proponents of this rapidly developing branch of philosophy regularly address issues in theory of literature and practical criticism. Object-Oriented Ontology and the Theory of the Poem shows how the OO approach to poems, both conventional and innovative, can extend our understanding of the way they enter into our scope of vision and how they affect us. The book demonstrates that ontology offers a useful means of discussing the formal minutiae of poetry and how this distinct mode of linguistic expression continues to reveal to the reader otherwise unavailable aspects of existence. Working at the intersection of poetics, practical criticism and philosophy, the book analyzes works ranging from conventional lyrics of W. B. Yeats and Paul Muldoon to the experimental verse of J. H. Prynne, providing fresh insights into what distinguishes poetry from other literary genres and its role in shaping contemporary modes of epistemology and aesthetics.