Finalists: The Poems (and Metaphysics) of Rae Armantrout
Mar 16, 2022
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Pulitzer Prize winning poet Rae Armantrout discusses her collection 'Finalists' and its philosophical themes of consciousness, cybernetics, and psychoanalysis. They also explore the revision process, influences from philosophers and poets, and the damage of post-modernism.
Rae Armantrout explores the interplay between science, philosophy, and poetry in her collection 'Finalists'.
'On Melancholy' challenges Freud's definition and embraces multiple objects outside the window.
Armantrout's poetry creates unexpected connections, leaving space for uncertainty and surprise.
Deep dives
The Playful Overlap of Science and Poetry
Ray Armentrout, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and founding member of the West Coast group of language poets, discusses her latest poetry collection, 'Finalists'. Her work explores themes ranging from pop culture to physics to metaphysics, showcasing the interplay between different domains. She emphasizes the importance of mixing science, philosophy, and poetry, and not confining them to separate silos. Armentrout highlights the ability of poetry to capture the unexpected and to create connections between seemingly disparate ideas. Drawing inspiration from various sources, her poems are characterized by concise lines and stanzas and a play with language and form.
The Exploration of Melancholy
In the poem 'On Melancholy', Armentrout challenges Freud's description of melancholia as a state of grieving for an unidentified loss. She contrasts her own experience of melancholy as a pleasant lingering on tender things without the flurried rush of hope. Armentrout defies Freud's notion of narcissistic identification with objects by embracing multiple objects outside her window. Through playful imagery and wordplay, she explores the sensory and erotic dimensions of melancholy, rejecting Freud's emphasis on coupling and conforming to societal norms.
The Capturing of Moments and Surprises
Armentrout's poems often capture ephemeral moments and unexpected connections. The poem 'Surprise, Surprise' reflects on the nature of surprise as an elusive and transformative experience. Armentrout challenges conventional expectations by presenting contrasting theories and open-ended questions. Through the concept of surprise, she explores the multiplicity of interpretations and the ability of poems to evoke various moods and atmospheres. Armentrout emphasizes the importance of leaving space for uncertainty, ambiguity, and surprise in poetry.
Juxtapositions and Thought Experiments
Armentrout's poetry often creates juxtapositions and thought experiments, bringing together different ideas and concepts. By placing diverse elements next to each other, she invites readers to consider the unexpected connections and potential meanings that emerge. Armentrout draws inspiration from philosophy, science, literature, and personal experiences, cultivating a polyvocal and reflective poetic voice. Her exploration of gaps, discontinuities, and leaps adds both depth and playfulness to her poetry.
Rejection of Traditional Labels and Silos
Armentrout's work defies easy categorization and resists being confined to traditional labels or silos. While influenced by various philosophers, her poetry is characterized by a distinctive lyricism that engages with sound and captures fleeting moments. She challenges the notion of the lyric as a fixed form and celebrates the polyvocality and openness of her poems. Armentrout rejects the dichotomy between philosophy and poetry, embracing overlaps and intersections between different domains of knowledge.
On today’s episode of Acid Horizon, we are joined by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Rae Armantrout to discuss her most recent collection of poetry entitled Finalists. We discussed the often explicitly philosophical dimension of Rae’s writing, particularly as it relates to notions of consciousness, cybernetics, and psychoanalysis. Finalists is now out from Wesleyan press. You can purchase the book using the link below.
