Houseman - "The Name and Nature of Poetry"

Summary of A. E. Housman “The Name and Nature of Poetry”

“The Name and Nature of Poetry” is A.E. Housman’s experiences and theories on the nature of creative thought.  He is open that he is unwilling and unable to define poetry, but he is comfortable identifying poetry by its effects on the reader (90).   He initiates the essay with the statement, “Meaning is of the intellect, poetry is not” (85).  He writes that the intellect is not the source of poetry, and that it is unreliable for composing or identifying poetry (85).

Housman begins his argument by illustrating several great poets who were considered mentally unbalanced (85-86).  Housman’s analogy is, “their brains were not thrones on which the great usurper could sit secure” (86).  The great usurper is a direct metaphor for the poet’s intellect.  He writes that he considers Blake’s poetry to be as good as Shakespeare’s (86).  He also identifies that both poets composed some of their poetry in a fashion that did not make sense, but it still elicited deep emotive feelings (86-87).   More specifically, the language did not provide meaning or answers, but it excelled in fostering the imagination (87).   In essence, Housman describes the shifting of language from meaning to emotion.  Sense is moved to nonsense and meaning turns to emotion through the power of imagination.  Housman is clear that reducing poetry to mere thought would lessen the “mysterious grandeur” of poetry (87).

Housman questions how the combination of words can stir deep emotive feelings (89).  Although he is unable to describe a full theory, he surmises that words find their way into something latent within man, and memories preceding human social structures (89).  He outlines two stages to creativity.  The first is reflective of a passive and involuntary process similar to a “natural secretion” (90).  The second stage consists of trying to reengage the first stage. If that fails, then the poet must resort to using the brain to fill in the gaps (90).

Housman provides one description of his creative process.  He would go for walks, after a few beers, and let his mind wander (90-91).  He would occasionally receive a line or two of poetry along with a sense or feeling of the poem (91).  He would record the lines, leaving in the gaps, and attempt to encourage further revelation (91).  Sometimes further inspiration would strike, and sometimes he had to fill in the gaps through conscious effort (91).  Housman notes that the conscious effort sometimes resulted in anxiety, trial and disappointment (91).

Housman’s account of creativity suggests that imaginative associations and connections foster emotive responses.   More specifically, poetry seems more physical than intellectual because the combinations of words create powerful experiences that an audience can feel.

Housman, A. E. “The Name and Nature of Poetry.” The Creative Process: A Symposium. Ed. Brewster Ghislen. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1985. 85-91. Print.