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Beth Winter, dVerse Poets Pub, dVerse Poets Pub Poetics, Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre, Literary Movements, Miguel de Unamuno, poetry, Pretzels and Bullfights
You might wonder why I am opening an article on a poetry blog with philosophy? The answer is both simple and complex. I chose to write about philosophy and if you read this article about existentialism in literature, that is your choice. Once written, it cannot be unwritten. Once read, it cannot be unread. The choice to write is mine. The choice to read is yours.
Existentialism is a philosophy in which each individual is entirely free and must take personal responsibility for choices and outcomes. Nothing happens by chance. Each choice creates change. In choosing to write about existentialism and your choice to read, we are both changed from what we were previously. Are you dizzy yet?
Existentialism as a philosophical doctrine was developed by the 19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard and German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Both are considered precursors to the Existentialist Literary Movement that reached its peak in the mid-20th century with the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir. Their works popularized existential themes of dread, boredom, absurdities, freedom, alienation and nothingness.
Sartre, the most well-known, strongly believed that there was a definite line between poetry and prose. To Sartre, writing prose is a purposeful craft with the intent of transmitting a message as accurately as possible while poetry is concerned with style and with treating the word as a fanciful waft of wind to play at the surface of meaning. Although committed to the active voice of prose, Sartre also employed poetic elements into his prose:
“Florence is city, flower, and woman. It is city-flower, city-woman, and girl-flower all at the same time. And the strange object which thus appears has the liquidity of the river, the soft, tawny ardency of gold, and finally gives itself up with propriety and, by the continuous diminution of the silent e, prolongs indefinitely its modest blossoming. To that is added the insidious effect of biography. For me, Florence is also a certain woman, an American actress who played in the silent films of my childhood, and about whom I have forgotten everything except that she was as long as a long evening glove and always a bit weary and always chaste and always married and misunderstood and whom I loved and whose name was Florence.” – Jean-Paul Sartre
Although few existentialists utilized poetry as their literary voice, Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno included poetry in his choice of expression. Unamuno is credited with being an educator, philosopher, scholar, poet, author and journalist. He is perhaps best known for his novel Abel Sánchez (The History of Passion), his modern recreation of the biblical story of Cain and Abel. He worked in all major genres and was influential in blurring the boundaries between essays, poetry, novels and theater.
Unamuno’s philosphy was a negation of all systems with a strong affirmation of faith “in itself.” He believed history could best be understood by studying the many obscure histories of anonymous people rather than maintaining a focus on the recognized major events.
According to Unamuno, art is an expression of the spirit, themes focused on spiritual anguish, pain experienced by the silence of God, the turmoil of time and death.
In crafting poetry, Unamuno preferred to write metered poetry, both rhyming and non-rhyming. In the oppressive heat of this August day, I chose the following poem to share as a welcome contrast to my personal condition.
The Snowfall Is So Silent
Miguel de Unamuno, 1864 – 1936
The snowfall is so silent,
so slow,
bit by bit, with delicacy
it settles down on the earth
and covers over the fields.
The silent snow comes down
white and weightless;
snowfall makes no noise,
falls as forgetting falls,
flake after flake.
It covers the fields gently
while frost attacks them
with its sudden flashes of white;
covers everything with its pure
and silent covering;
not one thing on the ground
anywhere escapes it.
And wherever it falls it stays,
content and gay,
for snow does not slip off
as rain does,
but it stays and sinks in.
The flakes are skyflowers,
pale lilies from the clouds,
that wither on earth.
They come down blossoming
but then so quickly
they are gone;
they bloom only on the peak,
above the mountains,
and make the earth feel heavier
when they die inside.
Snow, delicate snow,
that falls with such lightness
on the head,
on the feelings,
come and cover over the sadness
that lies always in my reason.
From Roots and Wings: Poetry from Spain 1900-1975, translated by Robert Bly, edited by Hardie St. Martin, and published by Harper & Row. © 1976 by Hardie St. Martin. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
I love the idea of snowflakes being skyflowers. I believe I will recall that image the next time I see snow falling from above.
Unamuno succumbed to a heart attack at age 72. At the time of his death, Unamuno was under house arrest for his public denunciation of the Spanish military dictator, Francisco Franco.
Thank you for joining me for Pretzels & Bullfights. As usual, I am only able to provide tidbits on the literary movements, historical events and authors. It is my hope that in reading, your curious nature will send you off to discover more.
Click this link for a free ebook of Abel Sánchez by Miguel de Unamuno.
Resources:
Poets.org
Philosophy Now
The Basics of Philosophy
Webster U. Philosophy Department
Storybites
The Literature Network
Project Gutenberg
Biography.com
Beth, how interesting.. and when I grew up in the 70s reading the existensialists was high fashion.. Personally Camus is still one of my favorite authors. If I remember right from school the movement was very strong in Sweden too (after Kiekegaard was a Dane)… If I remember right Pär Lagerkvist was considered an existensialist… I remember a poem on Angst that most Swedes can recite at least part of by heart..
Ångest Ångest är min arvedel
min strupes sår
mitt hjärtas skri i världen
….
I will definitely look into Miguel de Unamuno
Thank you, Björn. I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
I always do 🙂 Some of it connects back to things I learned in school, but we just got the Swedish angle —
Nice intro to existentialism, and that snowflake poem was lovely!
Thank you, Bryan
Just a reminder for everyone.. This Saturday it’s Open Link Night.. and yours truly will tend the bar.. Please come by and visit.
I’m not sure that I understand, but thank you for your erudite explanation. I will read it again until it sinks in.
I’m with Viv – I think I followed a little of it and plan to investigate more. Thank you for your article and thank you so much for the poem – it is beautiful.
Thank you. It does take some contemplation. I appreciate the read.
Beth really enjoyed this. Especially the poem. Skyflowers captured my imagination too, also loved the contrast to frost. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Welcome! We love it when people discover us. 🙂
Nice article, Beth–your opening paragraph is perfect!
Thanks, Victoria. It is kind of sharp-edged but grey area isn’t really part of the concept.
I suppose existentialism cannot be unread, but what happens if it’s forgotten ? 🙂
A good interesting article. The idea and power of will is powerful one, but often it strikes me as an opening to the loss of joy.
Perhaps an opening to self accountability. Thanks 🙂
Thank you 🙂 love the mantra.
well this is the first time i came across this philosophy! and quite interesting i must say!! thank you for sharing Beth!
You are welcome 🙂 And thank you.
interesting…i took philosophy in college and it def is mind expanding…i am intrigued with Unamuno…i need to look into his writing a bit…it is a cool description of snowflakes as sky flowers…and interesting line drawn between poetry and prose, and i wonder if it holds true..to dance and play with the wind on the surface of meaning…
Personally, I don’t see a clear line between prose and poetry but some have strong lines drawn between the two. I like anything that dances and plays with the wind on the surface of meaning.
Thanks, Brian 🙂
What an engaging article, Beth. I liked learning of Unamuno’s belief in studying the history of the anonymous to get an accurate scope of the past rather than focusing on major events. I loved the snowflake poem too…very charming…a nice contrast to the 90 degrees broiling outside. Thanks for this!
I believe Unamuno had the right idea on studying history. He looked at the details rather than the broad strokes. I’m so pleased you enjoyed this article. 🙂
Thanks, Beth. I know the philosophical tracts, the novels and the plays, but never the poetry. Unamuno is fresh and new to me. I really like “The snowfall is so silent.”
Thank you, Susan 🙂
Existentialism–or at least some features of existentialism–is a strong influence in my own thinking and writing.Very nice introduction!
I see myself in many aspects as well. Thanks 🙂
Thanks Beth for this article. I studied philosophy and French in college. Both led me to read the French existentialists but I never read Unamuno. I appreciate the link to his free ebook and I’ll download it now. Enjoyed your post.
Thanks Beth.. enjoyed your research here.. and do enjoy elements of existentialism everyday online in writing and off..in most of what i do..:)FREE WILL for change and personal responsibility for one’s journey in life..is definitely a journey i take..and always embracing and yes creating..with free will.. challenge and adversity to grow..:)Yes ..i wanna be Superman..but not the caped one..the Friedrich one…per Nietzsche..as created.. not formed..innately…
Philosophy is a great place for inspiration. So is science…This is a layman’s summation :”For every action there is a reaction.” Sir Isaac Newton and of course his science is still relative today. So we will ourselves to be…whatever we can see. As I told one of my children…”If you can see it you can be it…”
True freedom only comes when we accept full responsibility for ourselves, our lives and our experiences. I believe we choose anyway before we are born and then have choices about what we do with it in this material world.