Towards E(x)ternal: Reification as a Semantic Dimension of Digital Poetry

Article

Abstract

[In Russian]

by Denis Petrina

The goal of this paper is to scrutinize how the phenomenon of digital poetry is related to the culture of late capitalism and how reification transforms the semantics of the digital poetry genre. The performed analysis reveals that reification of lyrical discourse is a distinctive feature of digital poetry, thus, there is the influence of the culture of late capitalism on the semantics of this poetic genre. Reification as a semantic dimension of digital poetry is characterized by such textual symptoms as alienation, irrationality, dystopia, serialization, simplification, spectacularity, the aestheticization of consumption as well as the dominant role of the political rather than the poetic. Digital poetry is analyzed from the perspective of discursive practices (the digital environment) as well as social practices (the practices symptomatic of late capitalism). Finally, possible counterpractices aimed at overcoming lyrical discourse reification are taken into consideration.