Leven door lijken. Genetisch kritische interpretatie van het schrijfproces van 'Illusie & illuminatie' van Sybren Polet

Abstract

This genetic critical interpretation offers a counterpoint to Thomas Vaessens' interpretation of the poetry of Sybren Polet. The problem with Vaessens' interpretation is that he based it solely on the published version of the poems while making statements about Polets methods of writing and the process of development in general. This study approaches all written versions of the section 'Illusie & illuminatie' of the eponymous poetry collection 'Illusie & illuminatie' from a perspective of genetic criticism. First it deepens our knowledge of the authorship of Sybren Polet, the understanding of his poetry and the writing process in particular. Second it does so through supporting some aspects of Vaessens' interpretation which have to do with openness, the artificial character of Polets poems and Polets concern with their genese. However it rejects and redefines other aspects: the dynamics of Polets creative writing process is strongly influenced by a conceptual integrative way of thinking and a semantic associative way of working. Also Polets creative process consists of a repetitive dynamic motion in which he reaches the exact poetical focus only after several rounds of rewriting. This means that he also gradually evolves the relationship between form and content which furthermore is underlied with an argumentative structure. According to the many 'trouble spots' in the manuscripts we can oppose another statement of Vaessens by saying that the poet is more than ever – although not as an 'I' – present in his poetry in which he intentionally intervenes again and again during a cyclic process. Third, exactly the possibility to reveal from a genetic perspective the several stages in the creative process of modern texts – stages which as it does in the case of Sybren Polet often lead to very abstract and complex texts – opens a useful systematic perspective for the interpretation of modern poetry in general. Finally, to have some knowledge about the actual creative process will make these difficult poems more tangible and understandable for every reader.