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The Knowledge of Poetry
Gedicht und Wissen
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:35:41
Abstract
Novalis once described poetry as "the mind's inherent way of acting". Thinking takes place in verses and images, rather than concepts and formulas. If this were true, every spontaneous cognition would amount to poetry and each thought essentially to a poem -- a structure combining and concentrating ideas, perceptions, and emotions. Knowledge and poetry would be one.
Objective
Such is the promise literature has made since its inception, a promise we will examine in this class by considering mainly lyrical compositions in verse, from the beginnings to the present. The central question is: What do poems know and what is the relationship between thinking in verse and technical and scientific knowledge?
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 35
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Gedicht und Wissen |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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GESS Science in Perspective (Only the topics listed in this paragraph can be chosen as GESS Science in Perspective. Further below you will find the "type B courses Reflections about subject specific methods and content" as well as the language courses. 6 ECTS need to be acquired during the BA and 2 ECTS during the MA Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (Suitable for all students. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Doctoral Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )