Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 22:04:40 +0200
From: Henk van Tuijl <Henk.van.Tuijl-AT-net.HCC.nl>
Subject: Re: Language?


Greg Borgerson wrote:
It is not poetry when the neanderthal man points at the saber tooth
tiger and goes ugh! nor is it language. It is poetry when the saying
brings  forth this meaning in the context of being "Tiger tiger burning
bright".

Both may be _Dichtung_ (poetizing) in a Heideggerian sense. The
criterion is: Does the Neanderthal's "ugh!" or Blake's "tiger" let the
Neanderthal or homo sapiens dwell? One can perhaps only truly understand
Heidegger's "poetically man dwells" in the context of his search for a
new beginning, against the background of the dangers of what he calls
_Technik_.

Man could - possibly - find this new beginning if he were able to dwell
poetically. Poetizing is strictly speaking not what poets (in the
ordinary sense of the word) do. It is more a way in which some are used
to put into words what the _Strom der Sage_ (Stream of Saying) soundless
_zu-sagt_ (warrants, cf. GA12). Poets are those who are con-sonant
(_Entsprechend_), not only with the content but also with the structure
of saying.
  
Turns of phrase like taking measure, measuring etcetera may also be
referring to a new beginning, now within the context of the "doctrine"
of the fourfold (heaven, earth, God, man). This measuring of the Between
is building of the House of Being, in which man dwells (cf. GA07). The
language that is this House of Being in which man poetically dwells, is
- hopefully - the language of the new beginning. 

It is clear, that we do not yet dwell poetically. There seems to be a
shortage of poets in these hard times.

Greg, thanks for sending me on an err-and to Heidegger again. 

Kindest regards,
Henk



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