24 May 2010

Plurifying languages

A think piece by Leevi Lehto, entitled "Plurifying the Languages of the Trite" (2006), contains this interesting footnote:


"Some coordinates of this kind of World Poetry would be: independence vis-à-vis National Literatures, including institutionally (I'm reminded here of Goethe's concept of 'world literature'); mixing of languages; borrowing of structures – rhythmical, syntactical – from other languages; writing in one's non-native languages; inventing new, ad hoc languages; conscious attempts to write for more heterogeneous, non-predetermined audiences… Should I add that this perspective is in strong opposition to the ideologies of 'conflict', or 'dialogue', of 'cultures'."


Instead of "the language of poetry," we should really be talking about "the languages of poetry," just as we now talk about "world literatures" rather than just "world literature."

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