A Cognitive - Literary – Studies Approach to Contemporary Poetry

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction: Cognitive Lyrics
• 2. Lyric Theory
  • 2.1. Simultaneous Theories of the Lyric
  • 2.2. Contemporary Crisis Poetry
• 3. Transformative Function Methodology
  • 3.1. Cognitive Schemata
  • 3.2. The Schema and Frame of Poetry
  • 3.3. Theoretical Convergence
• 4. Schema and Frame analysis of Contemporary Crisis Poetry
  • 4.1. Heuristic construction
  • 4.2. Fragmentary construction
  • 4.3. Cases of Complications
• 5. Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This Master Thesis explores the transformative function of contemporary poetry by applying a cognitive-literary studies approach. The study seeks to bridge the gap between traditional lyric theories that focus on either narratological complexities or empirical reality, demonstrating the merits of a cognitive analysis for understanding how contemporary poetry engages with and influences readers.

• Cognitive Schemata and Frames in Poetry Analysis
• The Transformative Function of Contemporary Crisis Poetry
• The Social and Cultural Context of Early 21st Century Poetry
• The Interplay of Narratological and Epideictic Elements in Lyric Theory
• The Role of Poetry in Addressing Contemporary Crises

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1: Introduction: Cognitive Lyrics - This chapter introduces the thesis's main objective, which is to explore the transformative function of early 21st century poetry using a cognitive approach. It highlights the rise of poetry in contemporary culture and its focus on crisis themes, and discusses the limitations of traditional lyric theories in understanding this phenomenon. The chapter also introduces the cognitive schemata framework as a potential solution for bridging the gap between different theoretical perspectives.
• Chapter 2: Lyric Theory - This chapter delves into the strengths and limitations of traditional lyric theories. It examines how the theory of the lyric by Jonathan D. Culler emphasizes the epideictic quality of poetry and its connection to empirical reality. It also explores the cognitive approach to literature and its potential for understanding the social and cultural functions of poetry.
• Chapter 3: Transformative Function Methodology - This chapter introduces the cognitive schemata framework and its application to poetry analysis. It explains how this approach can coordinate different theoretical perspectives by focusing on the text, language, and world knowledge of a poem. It also discusses how cognitive schemata can be used to identify the transformative function of poetry for the reader.
• Chapter 4: Schema and Frame analysis of Contemporary Crisis Poetry - This chapter applies the cognitive schemata framework to a corpus of early 21st century crisis poetry. It examines the different types of schemas and frames used in these poems and how they activate the reader's cognitive processes. It also discusses the results of the analysis and its implications for understanding the transformative function of contemporary poetry.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of this thesis include cognitive literary studies, contemporary poetry, crisis themes, transformative function, cognitive schemata, lyric theory, narratological analysis, epideictic poetry, and early 21st century cultural context.