Ellipsis: Of Poetry And The Experience Of Language After Heidegger, Holderlin, And Blanchot (s U N Y Series In Contemporary Continental Philosophy)

Ellipsis SUNY series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy DENNIS J. SCHMIDT, EDITOR Ellipsis Of Poetry and the Experience of Language after Heidegger, Hölderlin, and Blanchot William S. Allen STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2007 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384 Production by Michael Haggett & Marilyn Semerad Marketing by Anne M. Valentine Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Allen, William S., 1971– Ellipsis : of poetry and the experience of language after Heidegger, Hölderlin, and Blanchot / William S. Allen. p. cm. — (SUNY series in contemporary continental philosopy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-7151-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Philosophy, Modern—20th century. 2. Poetry. 3. Language and languages—Philosophy. 4. Heidegger, Martin, 1889–1976. 5. Hölderlin, Friedrich, 1770–1843. 6. Blanchot, Maurice. I. Title. B804.A435 2007 121'.68—dc22 2006032535 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Nur das Einmalige ist wieder-holbar (Only the singular is re-peatable) Martin Heidegger, 1936–37 Tu appelleras désormais poème une certaine passion de la marque singulière (You will call poem from now on a certain passion of the singular mark) Jacques Derrida, November 1988 This page intentionally left blank. Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction PART ONE: THE MARK OF A ix xi 1 POEM 1 Repeat: The Experience of Poetic Language The Turning of Logos Saying the Same The Limit of Writing Again, Anew 25 30 38 44 52 2 Hiding: Figures of Cryptophilia in the Work of Art Earth and Phusis Draw-ing and Polemos Poetry and Logos Thesis: Stellen: Peras 59 64 71 79 85 3 Beyond: The Limits of the Word in Heidegger and Blanchot The Reading of the Word The Writing of the Word The Position of the Word vii 91 98 108 115 viii CONTENTS PART TWO: THE REPETITION 4 OF L ANGUAGE Suspending: The Translation of Tragedy in Hölderlin’s Essays The Chiasmic Ground of Empedocles The Caesura of Oedipus The Eccentricity of Antigone The Rhythm of Dysmoron 123 128 134 142 147 5 A Void: Writing and the Essence of Language Bearing Out The Pain of Language Into the Space of Renunciation In Palimpsest 153 158 162 170 182 6 Fragmenting: L’iter-rature of Relation “Without return” ... “Never repeat” (Refrain) 189 193 205 208 212 Notes Index 217 235 Acknowledgments I must express my gratitude firstly to Paul Davies, Chris Fynsk, and to an anonymous reader at the State University of New York Press who carefully read earlier drafts of this work and who gave some much needed support and critical commentary. Above all, the development of this work has been made possible by two very significant figures in my life: Miguel de Beistegui and Anna Johnson. Miguel has provided the essence of careful and discreet guidance, constantly surprising me with the precision of his comments and the generosity of his support. Anna’s presence breath