Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry

In the course of more than thirty years of prolific writing, Paul Muldoon has earned a reputation for surprising his readers again and again. To a significant extent, this continued ability to “make it new” is closely linked to Muldoon’s characteristically relational writing. Often described (in ton...

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Main Author: Rui Carvalho Homem
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses 2005-03-01
Series:Estudios Irlandeses
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RuiCarvalhoHomem.pdf
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author Rui Carvalho Homem
author_facet Rui Carvalho Homem
author_sort Rui Carvalho Homem
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description In the course of more than thirty years of prolific writing, Paul Muldoon has earned a reputation for surprising his readers again and again. To a significant extent, this continued ability to “make it new” is closely linked to Muldoon’s characteristically relational writing. Often described (in tones of eulogy or of deprecation) as the epitome of a postmodernist practice, his work has tested the limits of intertextuality —and his penchant for quotation, pastiche and parody has rather often sought referents in other media, notably in the visual arts. Taking a specific instance of ekphrasis in Muldoon’s poetry for its point of departure and its focus, this article proceeds to address broader themes in his work, as well as to consider his practice against the framework defined by a major alternative for reading the relationship between word and image: as rivalry and struggle, or as peaceful and mutual enablement.
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spelling doaj.art-037dfb69206f43c1aabfb4b1229a414c2022-12-21T19:02:07ZengAsociación Española de Estudios IrlandesesEstudios Irlandeses1699-311X1699-311X2005-03-01005866913Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic PoetryRui Carvalho Homem0 University of Oporto, Portugal In the course of more than thirty years of prolific writing, Paul Muldoon has earned a reputation for surprising his readers again and again. To a significant extent, this continued ability to “make it new” is closely linked to Muldoon’s characteristically relational writing. Often described (in tones of eulogy or of deprecation) as the epitome of a postmodernist practice, his work has tested the limits of intertextuality —and his penchant for quotation, pastiche and parody has rather often sought referents in other media, notably in the visual arts. Taking a specific instance of ekphrasis in Muldoon’s poetry for its point of departure and its focus, this article proceeds to address broader themes in his work, as well as to consider his practice against the framework defined by a major alternative for reading the relationship between word and image: as rivalry and struggle, or as peaceful and mutual enablement.http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RuiCarvalhoHomem.pdfMuldoonPostmodernismIntertextualityIntermedialityEkphrasis
spellingShingle Rui Carvalho Homem
Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry
Estudios Irlandeses
Muldoon
Postmodernism
Intertextuality
Intermediality
Ekphrasis
title Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry
title_full Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry
title_fullStr Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry
title_full_unstemmed Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry
title_short Couplings: Agon and Composition in Paul Muldoon’s Ekphrastic Poetry
title_sort couplings agon and composition in paul muldoon s ekphrastic poetry
topic Muldoon
Postmodernism
Intertextuality
Intermediality
Ekphrasis
url http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RuiCarvalhoHomem.pdf
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