{"product_id":"the-end-of-the-mind-theory-of-poetic-unintelligibility","title":"The End of the Mind - Theory of Poetic Unintelligibility","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of The End of the Mind, the reviewer finds a thoughtful, narrowly focused study best suited to readers who want a theory of how modern lyric poems confront the unintelligible. DeSales Harrison reframes familiar debates about modernist difficulty by distinguishing between what he calls sites of unintelligibility and sights of difficulty, so this book is most valuable for those seeking critical frameworks that account for rupture, obstruction, and the limits of representation rather than a broad survey of poetry. The single biggest reason to buy is its sustained argument about the poem as a site that intentionally arrests intelligible meaning.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheory of unintelligibility:\u003c\/strong\u003e Offers a clear distinction between sites of unintelligibility and sights of difficulty, helping readers parse different kinds of poetic resistance to meaning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on modern lyric poetry:\u003c\/strong\u003e Concentrates on how modern poets attend to phenomena that impede representation, providing tight case-making for specialists.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCritical reframing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Recasts debates about modernist difficulty so that attention shifts from merely hard poems to poetry that foregrounds the unintelligible.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScholarly voice:\u003c\/strong\u003e Presents arguments in an academic register that supports close reading and theoretical application in classroom or research settings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConcise scope:\u003c\/strong\u003e Keeps a narrow, coherent thesis which benefits readers who prefer depth over sweeping generalizations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is for graduate students, literary critics, and teachers of poetry who want a compact, theory-driven account of how poems can function to obstruct or destroy intelligible representation. Scholars working on modernist lyric, cultural theory, or the philosophy of language will find the argument directly applicable to readings that emphasize rupture and opacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking a general history of modern poetry, broad anthologies, or an introductory primer on poetic forms should look elsewhere; the book assumes familiarity with debates about modernism and focuses on conceptual distinctions rather than comprehensive literary history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCareful theoretical distinction between unintelligibility and difficulty that sharpens critical vocabulary for close reading.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTargeted focus on modern lyric poetry makes the thesis manageable and rigorous for specialist audiences.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUseful for classroom discussion and for informing research projects that address limits of representation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eNarrow scope limits appeal for readers seeking broad surveys or general introductions to modern poetry.\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe End of the Mind (Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDeSales Harrison\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eModern lyric poetry and theory of unintelligibility\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTheoretical distinction between unintelligibility and difficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntended audience\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScholars, critics, graduate students\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUse case\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eClose reading, research, classroom discussion\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe End of the Mind is a focused, conceptually rigorous study that rewards readers who want a new vocabulary for poems that resist meaning. Scholars and advanced students will appreciate the book's central distinction and the way it reorients readings of modern lyric. It represents good value for anyone needing a theoretical account of unintelligibility rather than a general history of modern poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this book an introduction to modern poetry?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. It assumes prior familiarity with modernist debates and focuses on a specific theoretical intervention rather than serving as a general introduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho will benefit most from this book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGraduate students, literary critics, and teachers who work on modern lyric and theories of representation will gain the most from its arguments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it include close readings of poems?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes; the argument supports close readings and applies its theoretical distinction to examples, suitable for classroom or research use.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DeSales Harrison","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48755801948379,"sku":"0415970296","price":192.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/41GkrXvR2HL._SL1263.jpg?v=1778226740","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/the-end-of-the-mind-theory-of-poetic-unintelligibility","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}