The Touch of Metaphor. On Metapoetic Aspects of Touch (Mainly) in Sad rozstajny (Bifurcated Orchard) by Bolesław Leśmian Cover Image

Dotyk metafory. O metapoetyckich aspektach dotyku (głównie) w Sadzie rozstajnym Bolesława Leśmiana
The Touch of Metaphor. On Metapoetic Aspects of Touch (Mainly) in Sad rozstajny (Bifurcated Orchard) by Bolesław Leśmian

Author(s): Rafał Milan
Subject(s): Poetry, Polish Literature, Theory of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: Bolesław Leśmian; language of modern poetry; metaphor; touch; sensuality of literature;

Summary/Abstract: The text is an attempt to widen the study field dealing with the senses in the world implied by the poetry of Bolesław Leśmian by including the so far neglected aspect of the essential role of touch in creating this world. The metapoetic reflection, inscribed in poems coming mainly from Leśmian’s first volume and being often the source and part of their plot, suggests the integral relation between the process of metaphorization (or, process of realizing a metaphor) and acting through touch in the presented reality. Thus understood, touch does not, however, constitute a simple metaphor of a creative act; rather, it problematizes the very (im)possibility of going beyond the “tangible” materiality of the text. The interpretations carried out make it possible to visualize a specific – poetic – modality of touch, which is close to caress – as defined by Lévinas. In the face of the literary “reflexiveness” of that sense, the poem touches upon the non-literary reality like a shadow portending that which is not yet present.

  • Issue Year: 2016
  • Issue No: 29
  • Page Range: 75-92
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish