“A poem, being an instance of language, hence essentially dialogue, may be a letter in a bottle thrown out to the sea with the-surely not always strong-hope that it may somehow wash up somewhere, perhaps on the shoreline of the heart. In this way, too, poems are en route: they are headed towards. Toward what? Toward something open, inhabitable, an approachable you, perhaps, an approachable reality. Such realities are, I think, at stake in a poem.” ThinkingWayHeartMayRealityLanguageStrongSeaLettersDialogueInstanceThrownBottlesStakesRoutesShorelineLetter In A Bottle Author:Paul Celan
“rush of pine scent (once upon a time), the unlicensed conviction there ought to be another way of saying this.” WayOughtConvictionScentAnother WayOnce Upon A Time Book:Glottal Stop: 101 Poems by Paul Celan Source: Glottal Stop: 101 Poems by Paul Celan
“Poetry is perhaps this: an Atemwende, a turning of our breath. Who knows, perhaps poetry goes its way—the way of art—for the sake of just such a turn? And since the strange, the abyss and Medusa’s head, the abyss and the automaton, all seem to lie in the same direction—is it perhaps this turn, this Atemwende, which can sort out the strange from the strange? It is perhaps here, in this one brief moment, that Medusa’s head shrivels and the automaton runs down? Perhaps, along with the I, estranged and freed here, in this manner, some other thing is also set free?” KnowsWayArtMomentsSeemsRunningLyingTurnsStrangeBreathsSakePoetry IsAbyssBrief MomentsMedusa Author:Paul Celan
“A poem, as a manifestation of language and thus essentially dialogue, can be a message in a bottle, sent out in the –not always greatly hopeful-belief that somewhere and sometime it could wash up on land, on heartland perhaps. Poems in this sense too are under way: they are making toward something. Toward what? Toward something standing open, occupiable, perhaps toward an addressable Thou, toward an addressable reality.” WayRealityBeliefLanguageLandMessagesStandingDialogueManifestationHopefulBottlesMessage In A Bottle Author:Paul Celan
