Citation:
Salminen, Antti . 2012. “Falling Upwards: Paul Celan's Poetics of the Abyss”. Partial Answers 10(2): 223-240. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/479767.
Date Published:
3 June, 2012Abstract:
The abyss, the German Abgrund, is a recurring concept and motif which Paul Celan addresses in both his poetics and poetry. The abyss-like quality of Celan's poetry did not emerge unheralded, but the Abgrund topos has been little researched. This paper argues that in Celan Abgrund functions as both a thematic image and textual practice. The Abgrund topos is motivated by rich allusions to Celan's literary sources. Celan's abysses have a paradoxical twofold function. On the one hand the abyss is an ultimate end-point in which significance and value are doomed to collapse; on the other hand, building on that non-foundation is the source of Celan's poetic craft.