Date Available

12-14-2011

Year of Publication

2001

Document Type

Dissertation

College

Arts and Sciences

Department

Spanish and Italian

First Advisor

Edward Stanton

Abstract

Although there have been critical warnings about the imminent disappearance of poetry from our society, an analysis of this literary genre on the Internet reveals many innovative practices. Verse on the World Wide Web thus requires new critical approaches, such as communication theory and cultural studies. This dissertation focuses on electronic publications or webzines devoted to poetry in Spanish, which have created virtual communities centered around this genre. Chapter One of this dissertation summarizes the history of poetry and its different means of dissemination: from the religious prophet in primitive societies to the electronic technologies of communication. Special emphasis is placed on the interaction between literature and the Internet, illustrated by relevant examples. It should also be noted that a web site on electronic poetry journals in Spanish has been created for the purposes of this dissertation (http://www.uky.edu/~apalm1/redvistas). Chapter Two is a classification of poetic webzines in Latin America and Spain, with a study of the differences between these electronic publications and printed journals. Three webzines have been chosen to demonstrate their function and their use of poetic traditions in the Spanish-speaking world. Chapter Three explores the possibility of specific poetic practices associated with poetic webzines, through a stylistic analysis of representative poems. The analysis highlights relevant artistic stances and the esthetics of poetry in Spanish on the Internet. The Conclusion affirms that poetry in Spanish (and probably in other languages too) has made a significant incursion on the Internet, but still not realized the full possibilities of the new medium. This genre will have to update its practices and reconfigure itself according to the demands of electronic dissemination (including sound), if it is to play a major role in the cultural life of the postmodern world.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.