Genetic theorists are paparazzi without the cazmeras. I found in reading the intro to chapter 1 in Keesey's Contexts for Criticism that genetic theory seemed to make the author and the culture around the author more important than the work. Eliot put the poem ahead of the poet, but these guys, genetic theorists, want to know why the poet wrote the peom, the peom to them isn't enough, they want more.
Other contexts, they grant, can tell us what a work may mean, but only their own can tell us what it does mean.(15)
It makes sense, I mean how we can really know what the authors intentions were if we don't know a thing about their history, their education, family life, etc. But to pose a question, what is this meaning were looking to find? What if the history of the quthor has nothing to do with their work, I mean depending on the era of the author most of what were trying to unlock by studing the history is a guess. Keesey even makes mention to how difficult it can be to find out exact info on authors backgrounds in reguard to Shakespeare, Chaucer, Homer, etc. I like to find meaning, we all do. I don't know where else to go/say about this. I like that the poem is greater than the poet, I like that a body work can stand on its own, but this fact checking adventure is also exciting to try and uncover some more knowledge. It's good.
Comments (1)
I can see where you are coming from. I also was torn when it came to what was more important - the work or the author. In a way, I think that they are equally important. More often than not, the work was written in a time period for some specific reason - be that persuasion or satire or some other form of public statement - and the author had to be motivated in some way to write what was written. Like yourself I enjoy being able to read a piece and get meaning from it without knowing who the author is, but I like knowing the intentions behind the writing as well.
I think that author intent becomes more important when one has read a work mutliple times. After a while I just start to wonder why a person would choose to write a poem or short story. Maybe that is why I'm turning to a biography of CS Lewis for my bedtime reading now.
Posted by Tiffany | February 7, 2007 10:42 PM
Posted on February 7, 2007 22:42