The Labyrinth as Metaphor of Postmodern American Poetics - A Dissertation by Valerie Mandeville Morrison (2008).pdf

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THE LABYRINTH AS METAPHOR OF POSTMODERN AMERICAN POETICS
by
VALERIE MANDEVILLE MORRISON
(Under the Direction of Hubert McAlexander)
ABSTRACT
New media is often referred to as “network,” and hypertexts are celebrated for their
complexity and the freedom they allow the reader, the interaction they require. This is not
merely a function of digital media, however, and in this study I explore several labyrinthine
works that embrace this aesthetic of complexity and network in print format. Extricating oneself
from a labyrinth and unraveling the complicated threads of discourse in postmodern poetry are
similar endeavors. Both involve maneuvering through deliberate obscurity and diversions in
order to elicit a pathway. Both also require entering into a vastly different kind of space and
time, leaving the mundane world behind and searching out confusion and amazement.
Postmodern poetry forces the reader to alter one’s perspective, to reorient oneself to a new
aesthetic. To enter the labyrinth of antiquity was to court a deliberate encounter with the
monstrous, to expose oneself to possible violence and danger, and I argue that to enter a
postmodern poem is a similarly dangerous step. Lurking inside the labyrinth is the Minotaur, a
hybrid creature, half man and half monster. The threat of encountering this monster is
metaphorically equivalent to the threat of nonmeaning in postmodern poetics. As the reader
traverses the poem, there’s always the threat of things falling apart, of a disconnect or
breakdown, of dissolution. Labyrinths represent an encounter with mystery, with obfuscation
and disorientation, and postmodern poetics often share these same characteristics. To emerge
from the labyrinth is to find oneself, to return fortified, changed or strengthened by this arduous
journey. Comparing postmodern poetry to the labyrinth metaphor, a return to the surface
represents the reader’s somehow conquering or resolving the words on the page. Examining
what happens when one returns from the center of the labyrinth will allow us to explore some
fundamental tenets of the postmodern aesthetic. I contend that we enjoy labyrinths and poetry
for remarkably similar reasons, and analyzing what exactly happens when one returns from this
mythical place might help us understand the value and benefits of poetry for contemporary
readers.
INDEX WORDS:
American Poetry, Contemporary Poetics, Postmodernism, Labyrinths,
Entrance, Disorientation, Complexity, Frustration, The Minotaur, The
Monstrous, Void, Ritual, Redemption, Anne Carson, Mark Strand
THE LABYRINTH AS METAPHOR OF POSTMODERN AMERICAN POETICS
by
VALERIE MANDEVILLE MORRISON
B.A., The University of the South, 1994
A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
ATHENS, GEORGIA
2008
© 2008
Valerie Mandeville Morrison
All Rights Reserved
THE LABYRINTH AS METAPHOR OF POSTMODERN AMERICAN POETICS
by
VALERIE MANDEVILLE MORRISON
Major Professor:
Hubert McAlexander
Committee:
Richard Menke
Jed Rasula
Electronic Version Approved:
Maureen Grasso
Dean of the Graduate School
The University of Georgia
August 2008

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