The Poetics of Mysticism

How does one speak the unspeakable? What rhetorical and rhythmical strategies can the poet use to write the ineffable? How can the practice of writing be used not only to document mystical experience, but to cultivate ceremonial attentiveness? This poetry workshop/seminar explores the intersection of mysticism and poetry. We will investigate how writers across traditions (Islamic mysticism, Christian mysticism, Neoplatonism, pantheism, atheistic mysticism) and eras use language to approach the divine. Through a combination of close reading, seminar-style discussion, and creative workshop, students will engage with core mystical concepts (apophasis, union, ecstasy, divine madness, love, the body, suffering, horror) and draw on these themes and strategies for inspiration into their own creative work.