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"Transparency and Dissimulation" analyses the configurations of ancient neoplatonism in early modern English texts. In looking closely at poems and prose writings by authors as diverse as Thomas Wyatt, Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, John Donne, Edward Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Thomas Traherne, Thomas Browne and, last not least, Aphra Behn, this study attempts to map the outlines of a neoplatonic aesthetics in literary practice as well as to chart its transformative potential in the shifting contexts of cultural turbulency and denominational conflict in 16th- and 17th-century England.
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Verena Olejniczak Lobsien Transparency and Dissimulation Transformationen der Antike Herausgegeben von Hartmut Böhme, Horst Bredekamp, Johannes Helmrath, Christoph Markschies, Ernst Osterkamp, Dominik Perler, Ulrich Schmitzer Wissenschaftlicher Beirat: Frank Fehrenbach, Niklaus Largier, Martin Mulsow, Wolfgang Proß, Ernst A. Schmidt, Jürgen Paul Schwindt Band 16 De Gruyter Verena Olejniczak Lobsien Transparency and Dissimulation Configurations of Neoplatonism in Early Modern English Literature De Gruyter Publication of this volume was assisted by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lobsien, Verena Olejniczak. Transparency and dissimulation : configurations of Neoplatonism in early modern English literature / by Verena Olejniczak Lobsien. p. cm. -- (Transformationen der Antike, ISSN 1864-5208 ; Bd. 16) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-3-11-022884-7 (alk. paper) 1. English literature--Early modern, 1500-1700-History and criticism. 2. Neoplatonism in literature. 3. English literature--Greek influences. 4. Renaissance-England. 5. Plato--Influence. I. Title. PR428.N46L63 2010 820.9'382--dc22 2010009126 ISBN 978-3-11-022884-7 ISSN 1864-5208 Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de © 2010 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/New York. Cover Design: Martin Zech, Bremen Logo „Transformationen der Antike“: Karsten Asshauer – SEQUENZ Printing and binding: Hubert & Co. GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ∞ Printed on acid-free paper Printed in Germany www.degruyter.com Foreword From One, to One, in one to see All Things (Thomas Traherne, »The Vision«) This is, in some respects, an escapist book. In a world filled with noise, pain, mindless atrocities, and – less spectacular, but equally disturbing in the everyday course of life – with too many things clamouring for attention, it has been a comfort and a privilege to think about the One, the ways of ascending, and the necessity of returning to it, about angelic hierarchies, sacred love, or the possibilities of perfect happiness. Of course, this always meant to ponder equally the obstacles to the kind of spiritual dynamic that Neoplatonic thinking promises as well as demands. It has, however, taught me not only about ways of avoiding the easy answers by means of aesthetic devices, but also about modes of resisting the pressure of banalities – unfortunately without the implication of having achieved lasting mastery of the art of life advocated by some of my authors. Over the last five years, in which this book was written, many people have helped me in my struggles with the various impediments to concentration. I only wish to mention two of them: Cornelia Wilde and Lutz Bergemann, members of our project team »Configurations of Neoplatonism« in the area of cooperative research »Transformations of Antiquity« at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Many relevant and irrelevant (not to mention irrever