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On the interplay between speech and writing: Where Wordsworth and Zen discourse meet

On the interplay between speech and writing: Where Wordsworth and Zen discourse meet Abstract This study juxtaposes the texts of two culturally distinct genres: poetry, Wordsworth in particular, and Zen koans. The koan, a genre unique to Zen Buddhism, refers to the enigmatic, paradoxical dialogues stemming from ancient Chinese Zen monastic life, which are still used as a means of leading Zen trainees to enlightenment. Wordsworth's poetry, although culturally and generically different from the koan, is also concerned with the growth of the individual mind. This investigation focuses on the interplay between speech and writing in both Wordsworth and Zen koans, a subject that, given the emphasis on contrasting modes of examination, has not been given much attention. To explore the speech-writing interface in discourse, this paper centers on three particular linguistic-semiotic issues: direct speech, questions, and affective signification. By using "(re)immediacy" as a central concept resulting from speech-writing interplay, this paper argues that a "mixed-mode representation" is freighted with ideological significance, influencing the production and reception of the texts. 1. Introduction Before considering the ways in which Zen Buddhism and Wordsworth employ speech and language, we need to ask what general relation might be formed between them. Blyth (1942: 412­24) was the first to explore possible links between Wordsworth and http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Literary Semantics de Gruyter

On the interplay between speech and writing: Where Wordsworth and Zen discourse meet

Journal of Literary Semantics , Volume 31 (2) – Sep 17, 2002

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References (24)

Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 by the
ISSN
0341-7638
eISSN
1613-3838
DOI
10.1515/jlse.2002.014
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract This study juxtaposes the texts of two culturally distinct genres: poetry, Wordsworth in particular, and Zen koans. The koan, a genre unique to Zen Buddhism, refers to the enigmatic, paradoxical dialogues stemming from ancient Chinese Zen monastic life, which are still used as a means of leading Zen trainees to enlightenment. Wordsworth's poetry, although culturally and generically different from the koan, is also concerned with the growth of the individual mind. This investigation focuses on the interplay between speech and writing in both Wordsworth and Zen koans, a subject that, given the emphasis on contrasting modes of examination, has not been given much attention. To explore the speech-writing interface in discourse, this paper centers on three particular linguistic-semiotic issues: direct speech, questions, and affective signification. By using "(re)immediacy" as a central concept resulting from speech-writing interplay, this paper argues that a "mixed-mode representation" is freighted with ideological significance, influencing the production and reception of the texts. 1. Introduction Before considering the ways in which Zen Buddhism and Wordsworth employ speech and language, we need to ask what general relation might be formed between them. Blyth (1942: 412­24) was the first to explore possible links between Wordsworth and

Journal

Journal of Literary Semanticsde Gruyter

Published: Sep 17, 2002

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