Things Merely Are: Philosophy in the Poetry of Wallace Stevens

by Simon Critchley

This book is an invitation to read poetry. Simon Critchley argues that poetry enlarges life with a range of observation, power of expression and attention to language that eclipses any other medium. In a rich engagement with the poetry of Wallace Stevens, Critchley reveals that poetry also contains deep and important philosophical insight. Above all, he agues for a 'poetic epistemology' that enables us to think afresh the philosophical problem of the relation between mind and world, and ultimately to cast the problem away.

Drawing astutely on Kant, the German and English Romantics and Heidegger, Critchley argues that through its descriptions of particular things and their stubborn plainness - whether water, guitars, trees, or cats - poetry evokes the 'mereness' of things. It is this experience, he shows, that provokes the mood of calm and releases the imaginative insight we need to press back against the pressure of reality. Critchley also argues that this calm defines the cinematic eye of Terrence Malick, whose work is discussed at the end of the book.

Genres: Poetry, Philosophy

152 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2005

About the author

Simon Critchley (born 27 February 1960 in Hertfordshire) is an English philosopher currently teaching at The New School. He works in continental philosophy. Critchley argues that philosophy commences in disappointment, either religious or political. These two axes may be said largely to inform his published work: religious disappointment raises the question of meaning and has to, as he sees it, deal with the problem of nihilism; political disappointment provokes the question of justice and raises the need for a coherent ethics [...]

Reviews

[Rick Seery · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a perfectly fine, if perhaps tautological text on grounding Stevens philosophically. However, I take issue with its existence as a book. As a book, it seems thin and stretched, as if the publishers said, "how can we get this slight reading of Stevens by the ultra-hip Critchley into publishable form?"
Critchley offers an enjoyable, though also at times vexing and general perspective on Stevens' poetry. There is little or no close reading. Those looking for in-roads into Stevens' dense, joyous world should start elsewhere.
Also, frustratingly there is a desperate attempt to link Stevens' poetic worldview to that of the American film-maker Terrence Malick, in the form of a tacked on essay on The Thin Red Line. Although, once again the essay is fine and readable, if nothing mind-blowing, one has to wonder about the whole enterprise and it's justification for appearing in published form.
If you are at university and are looking to make sense of Wallace Stevens' rich world, there is plenty of online sources out there. Critchley suffers from being a very "en vogue" philosopher and despite writing a readable text on Stevens, it ultimately lacks depth or utility.

[Caomhghain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A close and illuminating on the development of Steven's philosophy especially as expressed in his later poetry. Stevens is a very philosophical poet and Critchley has a deep understanding of both the poetry and the philosophy.

[David Breeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good perspective on Wallace Stevens

[Calum · Rating 3 out of 5]

The combination of Critchley and Stevens is very promising but, unfortunately, Critchley is not so great on poetry. Not his best work. At its most interesting, this is a curious prequel to his Bowie book; ie it's more about Critchley than Stevens but still not enough to release it from second rate commentary. The Bowie book is far superior.

[D.A. Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first books that helped me 'get' Wallace Stevens. Breaks down 19th and 20th c. philosophy in relatively easy to understand language and provides the necessary background to understand the influences of one of the masters.

[Gwen]

Katie got this for me for my birthday because she knows I love Wallace Stevens and one of her professors wrote it.