Landscapes of the Song of Songs : poetry and place

__Landscapes of the Song of Songs__ is a unique, interdisciplinary approach to the ancient poetry of the Song of Songs. It develops a theoretical concept of landscape to explore the Song’s intrinsic interest in the natural world, engaging with work from the fields of geography, landscape architecture, and literature. It emphasizes the made quality of both landscapes and poetry, which are art forms defined by human intervention and vision. In this way it critiques the tendency of scholars to reify a perceived dichotomy in the Song between “nature” and “culture.” Each chapter explores a different imaginational landscape of the Song, using insights from landscape theory to inform close readings of the Song’s poems. The landscape concept emphasizes the material landscape, which is the primary focus of the study of agriculture in the Song. The landscape concept also maintains an insistence on human intervention, which informs the studies of both the garden and the city. Finally, a landscape concept implies an awareness of the viewer, which helps to re-appreciate the descriptive poems as a process of perceiving the lover and the land. With a twofold emphasis on landscape and lyric, this book shows how the Song persistently envisions a world in which human lovers are embedded in the natural world, enfolded in complex relationships of fragility and care. In addition, __Landscapes__ offers new, close readings of selected poems of the Song. In This Masterful New Study Of The Ancient Poetry Of The Song Of Songs, Elaine T. James Explores The Song's Underlying Interest In The Natural World. Engaging With The Fields Of Geography, Landscape Architecture, And Literature, James Critiques The Tendency Of Scholars To Reify A Perceived Dichotomy Between Nature And Culture And Instead Argues That The Poetic Attention To Landscape Indicates An Awareness Of A Viewer. Nature Is Here A Poetic Device That Informs James's Close-readings Of Agrarianism, Gardens, Cities, Social Control, And Feminism And The Gaze In The Song. With This Two-fold Emphasis On Landscape And Lyric, Landscape Of The Song Of Songs Shows How The Song Persistently Envisions A World In Which Human Lovers Are Embedded In The Natural World, Complexly Enfolded In Relationships Of Fragility And Care.--publisher's Description. Introduction : Landscapes And Lyric -- The Agrarian Landscape -- The Garden -- The Cityscape -- The Map Of The Body -- Conclusion. Elaine T. James. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Landscapes of the Song of Songs 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Abbreviations 10 1. Introduction: Landscape and Lyric 14 2. The Agrarian Landscape 38 3. The Garden 68 4. The Cityscape 101 5. The Map of the Body 131 6. Conclusion 164 Notes 166 Bibliography 212 Index 238 Landscapes of the Song of Songs is an interdisciplinary study that develops a theory of landscape to explore the Song's conceptualization of the natural world. New readings of the Song's poetry reveal how it imagines human lovers enfolded in complex relationships of fragility and care. Content: Cover Landscapes of the Song of Songs Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations 1. Introduction: Landscape and Lyric 2. The Agrarian Landscape 3. The Garden 4. The Cityscape 5. The Map of the Body 6. Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index