German Romanticism and Science by Holland, Jocelyn;

Short description:

Situated at the intersection of literature and science, Holland's study draws upon a diverse corpus of literary and scientific texts that testify to a cultural fascination with procreation around 1800. Through readings from Goethe, Novalis, and Ritter, Holland proposes that each author contributes to a scientifically-informed poetics of procreation.

Long description:

Situated at the intersection of literature and science, Holland's study draws upon a diverse corpus of literary and scientific texts which testify to a cultural fascination with procreation around 1800. Through readings which range from Goethe’s writing on metamorphosis to Novalis’s aphorisms and novels and Ritter’s Fragments from the Estate of a Young Physicist, Holland proposes that each author contributes to a scientifically-informed poetics of procreation. Rather than subscribing to a single biological theory (such as epigenesis or preformation), these authors take their inspiration from a wide inventory of procreative motifs and imagery.

"Holland’s insightful and compelling account brings alive some important debates in Romantic science, illuminating a fascinating chapter in the history of vitalism and materialism alike." – Paul Bishop, University of Glasgow, UK, Modern Language Review

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 Introduction, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 2 Poetic Procreation and Goethe’s Theory of Metamorphosis, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 3 Friedrich von Hardenberg and the Discourse of Procreation, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 4 The Poet as Artisan and the Instruments of Procreation, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 5 Johann Wilhelm Ritter and the Writing of Life, Jocelyn Holland; Chapter 6 Procreative Thinking—Scientific Projects, Jocelyn Holland; Conclusion, Jocelyn Holland;