Abstract
The concept of “religious element” in poetry is defined by the existence of references to a literary work that refer, in a clear way, to religion. The concept of “religious element” is not the same as the concept of “religious poetry”. The concept of “religious element” is used here to approach - in a neutral way - all intratextual references to religion. These references may express worship, sympathy, indignation, questioning, (or anything else) towards religion. The search for religious elements in poetry presupposes the thorough investigation of direct and indirect references to religious issues. These references may have to do with sacred texts, with persons and mythical figures that history has identified with some religious tradition, with religious ceremonies, etc. In order to make clearer the benefits of the aforementioned classification and of the methodical utilization of the concept of “religious element” in philological research and criticism, the example concerning the religious element of the poetic generation of the 70’s is cited.The 70’s generation in Greece is an example of pluralism of ideas and perceptions. These poets have been characterized as the generation of doubt while some modern scholars reject this characterization. One of the questions that arises is whether the exploration of the religious element in their poetry can make a significant contribution to this dialogue as well as to other issues. This study highlights this new method of exploring contemporary poetry.
Presenters
Giorgos KoutouvelasStudent, PhD Comparative Religious Literature, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
LITERATURE,RELIGION,POETRY,MODERNISM,PHENOMENOLOGY,RELIGIOUS POETRY,LITERARY GENERATION
