Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 11:19:39 -0500
From: Reg Lilly <rlilly-AT-scott.skidmore.edu>
Subject: Re: PLC: Geoffrey Hill


Ok, I'm an ignoramus of a philosopher and have never even heard of Hill.  You've
peaked my interest.  Could you give me an abstract of who he is?
Reg

John McWilliams wrote:
> 
> Irene,
> 
> >I submitted my PhD dissertation to Monash University three weeks ago. It
> >is entitled'Geoffrey Hill and the Question of Difficulty'. I would be
> >very happy to discuss his work.
> 
> Wow, how exciting! Please tell me more about your work... I looked at Hill
> as an elegist. A strange idea perhaps, but if you take a basic narrative of
> the history of the elegy it goes from being  an ultimately consolatory (eg
> Lycidas - tomorrow to fresh woods... or even In Memoriam) grieving process
> to the 'Modern Elegy' which is intensely self questioning and rejects and
> suspects any consolation. Hill's work epitomises this notion of the modern
> elegy as he writes elegies for nameless individuals often ones who died a
> long time ago and in horrific circumstances (eg. the holocaust poems). And,
> more broadly (and this might tie in with your ideas on 'difficulty') he
> suspects poetry that is too easy and enjoyable ("gobbets of the sweetest
> sacrifice") preferring ("fat shook spawn"?) language that cannot be easliy
> understood and catergorised. Rich but disturbing language then, perhaps.
> 
> Badly put, but I hope you get the drift...
> 
> John
> 
>               ‹‹‹‹‹ John McWilliams
>                     Department of History and Philosophy of Science
>                     University of Cambridge
>                     Free School Lane
>                     Cambridge CB2 3RH
>                     Phone: +44 (0) 1223 334500
>                     Fax:   +44 (0) 1223 334554 ‹‹‹‹‹
> 
> 
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