A Red Rose in the Dark: Self-Constitution Through the Poetic Language of Zelda, Amichai, Kosman, and Adaf(Emunot: Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah)

How can we characterize the uniqueness of poetic language? How can we describe the evasive enchantment of the paradox that is created by both universal and autobiographical expression? How does ordinary language function aesthetically while motivating the reader to acknowledge himself and to reveal how far his thinking belongs to the present, the future, or the past? Ludwig Wittgenstein, the central founder of the linguistic turn and the inspiration of countless works, inspires the search of this book for various linguistic functions: Dialogic, aesthetic, and mystical. The search investigates four Modern Hebrew poets: Zelda, Yehuda Amichai, Admiel Kosman, and Shimon Adaf based on their family resemblance of intertextuality in their language-games. The book resists social-cultural categorizations as religious vs. secular poetry or Mizrahi vs. Ashkenazi literature, and instead, focuses on Wittgenstein's aspects, suggesting universal interpretation of these corpuses.

About the Author :
As a lecturer in the unit of interdisciplinary studies in Bar-Ilan University, Dorit Lemberger's researches exemplify the relevance and importance of linguistic concepts to Hebrew literature and Jewish philosophy. Also, I use psychoanalytic insights in order to show the common linguistic ground of literature and psychoanalysis, as 'talking-cure'.

Review :
"In this stimulating work, Lemberger both exemplifies and explicates Wittgenstein's dictum: 'Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.' Through the work of poets, who constitute their poetic self in the presence of the Divine, Lemberger demonstrates Wittgenstein's Language Game notion. According to Lemberger, Zelda, Amichai, Kosman, and Adaf--each in their own cultural context--display four distinct modes of self-constitution and a unique Language Game. Thus, Lemberger provides a vigorous analysis of Wittgenstein's thought along with an impressive picture of the trends in Modern Hebrew poetry."--Tamar Sovran, Chair, Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies, Tel Aviv University "Lemberger offers a theoretically rich yet highly accessible study of Zelda, Amichai, Adaf and Kossman. Readers will be treated to a fascinating perspective on poetry, and how it intersects with religion, Jewish tradition, and the formation of identity. Using Wittgenstein's theory, Lemberger opens up a new path for exploration of the richness of the works studied. In her original treatment of the changing of self-religious view, she presents a new emphasis on the poets' reconstitution of self through the prism of religious belief. Amichai's poetic persona stands out in particular by juxtaposing his final book with all his former books. Lemberger demonstrates the dynamics of Amichai's relation to God and Jewish symbols in the earlier stages of his life, comparing them with his late years, unveiling his reversion. Most impressive is Lemberger's insightful close reading that enables expert readers and students alike to be excited and moved by these beautifully interpreted poems."--Adina A. Ofek, Jewish Theological Seminary of America (Emeritus) and Editor, Hebrew Higher Education