Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:27:00 +0200
From: Henk van Tuijl <Henk.van.Tuijl-AT-net.HCC.nl>
Subject: Re: Language?


Greg Borgerson wrote:
It is clear to me that it is not a large step from taking the measure of
being to building the house of being. If poetry is taking the measure of
being certainly measurement provides a structure by which Dasein can
build.

Indeed, there is a relation although one I do not fully understand. 

Heidegger invites us to follow him in a play on words, going from _Mass_
(measure) and _Mass-Nahme_ (taking the measure of) to _durch-messen_
(traverse) and _zu-messen_ (assign), etcetera.
 
Only poetizing _er-misst_ (assesses) the _Mass_ (measure) of the being
of man. Man dwells while he traverses what is on earth and under heaven.
Because he _is_ only insofar as he endures the dimension of on and
under, his being should be _ver-messen_ (measured off). This requires a
measure for the whole dimension. To find such a measure, to assess if it
is the required measure and to take it as _the_ measure is for the poet:
poetizing. Poetizing is taking the measure for the dwelling of man.
 
Elsewhere Heidegger advises his readers to abandon all traditional
notions about what is _mass-gebend_  (normative - lit. giving a
measure). He quotes Hoelderlin: 

"Giebt es auf Erde ein Maas? Es giebt keines..." (GA53:205).

Very roughly: Is there (given) a measure on earth? There is none ...

Heidegger makes one thing crystal clear: poetry, nor for that matter
language, is what it is in the eyes of us metaphysicists. Quote:

"Also an sich haltend, be-langt uns die Sprache als die Sage des
Weltgeviertes, uns, die wir als die Sterblichen in das Geviert gehoeren,
uns, die wir nur insofern sprechen koennen, als wir der Sprache
entsprechen" (GA12:203).

_Very_ roughly: Therefore, self-retaining, language serves us as the
saying [Dao; cf. May] of the world-fourfold, us, whereto we belong as
the mortals in the fourfold, us, which we can only express insofar as we
are consonant with language.

Greg, additions and/or corrections are welcome.

Thanks!         

Kindest regards,
Henk



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