This rich collection is far more than an important work of
criticism by an extraordinary poet; it is a poetic intervention
into criticism. "Artifice of Absorption," a key essay, is written
in verse, and its structures and rhythms initiate the reader into
the strength and complexity of the argument. In a wild variety of
topics, polemic, and styles, Bernstein surveys the current poetry
scene and addresses many of the hot issues of poststructuralist
literary theory. "Poetics is the continuation of poetry by other
means," he writes. What role should poetics play in contemporary
culture? Bernstein finds the answer in dissent, not merely in
argument but in form--a poetic language that resists being easily
absorbed into the conventions of our culture.
Insisting on the vital need for radical innovation, Bernstein
traces the traditions of modern poetry back to Stein and Wilde,
taking issue with those critics who see in the "postmodern" a loss
of political and aesthetic relevance. Sometimes playful, often
hortatory, always intense, he joins in the debate on cultural
diversity and the definition of modernism. We encounter Swinburne
and Morris as surprising precursors, along with considerations of
Wittgenstein, Khlebnikov, Adorno, Jameson, and Pac-Man. "A Poetics"
is both criticism and poetry, both tract and song, with no dull
moments.
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