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The Trials of Orpheus: Poetry, Science, and the Early Modern Sublime

Online ISBN:
9780691219233
Print ISBN:
9780691219226
Publisher:
Princeton University Press
Book

The Trials of Orpheus: Poetry, Science, and the Early Modern Sublime

Jenny C. Mann
Jenny C. Mann
New York University
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Published online:
19 May 2022
Published in print:
26 October 2021
Online ISBN:
9780691219233
Print ISBN:
9780691219226
Publisher:
Princeton University Press

Abstract

In ancient Greek mythology, the lyrical songs of Orpheus charmed the gods, and compelled animals, rocks, and trees to obey his commands. This mythic power inspired Renaissance philosophers and poets as they attempted to discover the hidden powers of verbal eloquence. They wanted to know: How do words produce action? This book examines the key role the Orpheus story played in helping early modern writers and thinkers understand the mechanisms of rhetorical force. The book demonstrates that the forms and figures of ancient poetry indelibly shaped the principles of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century scientific knowledge. It explores how Ovid's version of the Orpheus myth gave English poets and natural philosophers the lexicon with which to explain language's ability to move individuals without physical contact. These writers and thinkers came to see eloquence as an aesthetic force capable of binding, drawing, softening, and scattering audiences. Bringing together a range of examples from drama, poetry, and philosophy, the book demonstrates that the fascination with Orpheus produced some of the most canonical literature of the age. Delving into the impact of ancient Greek thought and poetry in the early modern era, the book sheds light on how the powers of rhetoric became a focus of English thought and literature.

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