Chapter 1 Going Boldly Where Few Have Gone Before
Science, Religion and Life-Writing in the Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop and Tracy K. Smith
In: Religious Narratives in Contemporary Culture
Author:
Marcel Inhoff
Marcel Inhoff
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Abstract
Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry is concerned with the issues of science, religion and the creation of a self. In her letters she expresses admiration both for Darwin’s work, as well as that of Teresa of Avila, and ties both concerns into her personal poetry of observation. In Tracy K. Smith’s collection Life on Mars, a direct and more obviously personal dialogue with science is on offer. Smith also provides a more direct engagement with theological questions. In her book, an autobiographical self is created that refers back to and comments on a tradition that is spearheaded by Elizabeth Bishop.