“A nearness felt as far”: the tensions between literature and history in Seamus Deane’s poetic oeuvre

Abstract

O presente estudo investiga como a obra poética de Seamus Deane lida com as tensões e incertezas do período histórico no qual ela foi publicada. Para isso, investigo a atmosfera geral daquele contexto, examino a recepção crítica da obra poética de Deane, analiso os aspectos formais dos seus poemas e busco oferecer uma interpretação da sua obra poética que leve em consideração todas essas questões. Minha tese é que sua poesia é governada por uma dialética entre estética e história. Para fundamentar a minha tese, recorro aos estudos da relação entre literatura (poesia) e sociedade de Antonio Candido (2011), Theodor Adorno (1991), Stan Smith (1982) e Thurston e Alderman (2014).

The present study investigates how Seamus Deane’s poetic oeuvre addresses the tensions and uncertainties of the historical period in which it was published. To do so, I investigate the general atmosphere of that context, examine the critical reception of Deane’s poetic work, look into the formal traits of his poems, and try to offer an interpretation of his poetic work that takes into account all these questions. My thesis is that his poetry is governed by the dialectics between aesthetics and history. To back up my thesis I refer to studies of the relationship between literature (poetry) and society by Antonio Candido (2011), Theodor Adorno (1991), Stan Smith (1982) and Thurston and Alderman (2014).