This dissertation examines the nature of epiphanic discourse in
three of Robert Browning's religious poems, namely, 'Christmas-
Eve', 'Easter-bay' and 'La Saisiaz'.
Chapter 1 investigates epiphany from religious, historical
and theoretical perspectives, followed by a discussion of
Browning's developing Christian beliefs. Chapters 2 and 3
explore the epiphanic moment in the companion poems, 'Christmas-
Eve' and 'Easter-Day'. Chapter 4 explores how the double epiphany
initiated from Browning's personal experience recounted in 'La
Saisiaz', finds its resolution in 'The Two Poets of Croisic'.
Browning's 'good minute' or 'infinite moment' originates
in Romanticism and reverberates into the twentieth century mainly
in the writing of James Joyce, who first used the word 'epiphany'
in its literary sense.
Because Browning's faith allowed continual interrogation of
Christian doctrine, his experience and reading of epiphanic
moments avoid any attempt at closure. Thus they offer the reader
both a human image for recognition and a coded legend for
individual interpretation / M.A. (English Studies) / M.A. (English)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/17061 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Keep, Carol Julia |
| Contributors | Harty, Edward Ronald |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | 1 online resource (iii, 107 leaves) |
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