Submitted by

Martin Tom

Submitted to

Comparative Literature: Methodologies and Perspectives

31 August 2010
RESULTS OF A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT PEOPLES POETRY IN ANCIENT

AND MODERN TIMES

Johann Gottfried von Herder opens his essay with views on the querelle des Anciens et
[1]
des Modernes , as a frivolous dispute over a fictitious, dynamic and arbitrary asset of

mankind – ‘poetry’. But this gesture of resentment towards a foreign literary conflict can

also be seen as his expression of despair towards his own people who have even ruled out

the possibility of such a quarrel by unanimously taking the side of the Ancients. Thus in

this essay Herder chiefly takes up the role of a nationalist explaining the necessities of

promoting ones own literature, but cautioning not to overdo it to a level where other

literatures are judged with national literatures as cardinal vowels.

His arguments are precisely prefaced with a comparison of poetry to Proteus[2],

the Greek sea god who could change his shape at will, a perfect metaphor displaying the

universality of poetry. The conceiving of poetic expression could be so vivid across

barriers (cultures, sects, nations etc) that its diversity could be like a devotee participating

in Hanuman Jayanthi chanting "Jai Bajrang Bali" out of faith and a soldier of Bihar

Regiment crying out the same in a killing spree[3].

Herder observes these variations in the art of poetry happen in two dimensions.

One being the changes occurring over time, another over geography. This stimulates

Herder to ask questions like how to compare poetry? Or is it really comparable?

While surveying through all popular methods of comparing and classifying poetry we

understand that all of them are imperfect. Across nations and over time classification
become difficult. Even when geography and time period are similar it may not be an

easy comparison. Sgt John Norbury an American soldier from Afghanistan wrote in his

poem named Goodbye Young Soldier[4].

“So farewell young soldier

Whilst here you did just right”

But this emotion is overturned in Silence Condones McEmpire[5] by Richard Ledford

from the same country.

“In target zones.

Crushed famly moans.

While killer clones

Just count the bones.”

Thus we find that two war poems produced at the same time from the same country can

be so emotionally polarized that a comparison between them would be illogical.

Yet another major existing classification is based on genres. The formulation of

any genre is the bye product of a clash between major and minor styles of authorship

prevailed in a specific time period. The individual or the group, analyzing the era for

standardization often falls for the style which generated maximum volume of work. But

this subjective selection sadly gives the liberty for future readers and critics to ignore the

minority and override their works as insignificant.

 Thus Herder’s concept of ‘mistaken standard of comparison’ is well established.

On this platform Herder builds his concept of German national literature which needs

more attention and adoration. But also adds to it the necessity of identifying “the good” in

international literature and recovering the long lost texts. These ideas acts as a call for the

future comparatists (as comparative literature had not earned currency then) to fulfill their

duties towards national literature, international literature and historic revival.

Reference:

[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarrel_of_the_Ancients_and_the_Moderns

[2]
John Edward Zimmerman(1991) The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, New York,
Mass Market Paperback.
[3]
http://karsewak.blogspot.com/2007/09/modern-hindu-war-cries.html
[4] [5]
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Pills

Bibliography

Johann Gottfried Herder (2004) Another philosophy of history and selected political

writings, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company.

Philosophical writings(2002), Johann Gottfried Herder, Michael N. Forster, London,

Cambridge university press

Robert T. Clark(1969), Herder: his life and thought, University of California Press

Websites

http://www.stanford.edu/~tino/HerderBibl.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarrel_of_the_Ancients_and_the_Moderns

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/herder/