Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: "The growth of any discipline depends on the ability to communicate and
develop ideas, and this in turn relies on a language which is sufficiently
detailed and flexible" (Singh 1997: 59).
Many metaphors relating to creativity are too misleading, confusing, and
restricted in scope for a meaningful exploration of the phenomenon and its
fluctuating social and cultural contexts. Given the Muse's long-term association
with literature, philosophy, education, and more recently, the fine arts and other
"creative" fields, an analysis of this concept may provide a unique opportunity to
gain insight into the "mechanisms" underlying the creative process. Since
affiliation with the Muse appears to have signalled attainment of critical cultural
and/or social status by cultural practitioners in various societies, from the ancient
to the present (a category which was broadened substantially), it is thus logical to
assume this concept encompasses and has accumulated characteristics particular to
the creative process as historically and currently valued in Western culture.
Given the limited scope of the thesis, I have focused on specific concerns:
1) Provide an overview of the history, origin and development of the concept
via specific examples ranging from antiquity, the medieval period, and the
modern.
2) Assess the changes which have occurred in the development of the
concept, and postulate likely causes: such as for example, the impact of an
increased focus on the visual - and by extension, the physical - due to a more
literate populace, on a concept originally conceived of as experienced through
predominantly audial means.
3) Identify closely related concepts, the characteristics of which may have
played a role in the formulation of the initial concept, along with those
integrated into it, to form the modern version of the Muse: examples include
the influence of the myth of Pygmalion on notions regarding the poet's
relationship with both material and Muse; and the consequences of an
amalgamation of characteristics of Aphrodite with those of the pastoral
Muse. 4) Explore the extent to which the Muse-poet interaction can reveal
fundamental aspects of the creative process and its main components: the
differences between the public invocation and experience of the Muse in an
oral context, as opposed to the privately experienced Muse of the literate
poet; also, the changes imposed on the concept's perceived means of
functioning due to its extension to the practice of the visual arts; and the
correlation between the Jungian notion of the anima and aspects of the
Muse.
5) Postulate the fundamental aspects of the creative process as revealed by
analysis of the concept of the Muse for further investigation.
In brief then, the main intention of this thesis is simply to examine by
analysis of particular examples, the feasibility of applying the concept of the Muse
as metaphor through which to identify for further exploration, issues and themes
relating to the production and changes in social assessment of creative enterprises. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "The growth of any discipline depends on the ability to communicate and
develop ideas, and this in turn relies on a language which is sufficiently
detailed and flexible" (Singh 1997: 59).
Menige metafore verbonde aan kreatiwiteit is te misleidend, verwarrend, of
beperk in omvang vir 'n betekenisvolle ondersoek van díe verskynsel en die
fluktueerende sosiale en kulturele kontekste daarvan. Gesien in die lig van die
Muse se langtermyn assosiasie met letterkunde, filosofie, opvoedkunde en meer
onlangs, the skone kunste en ander "kreatiewe" velde, mag 'n analise van die
konsep moontlik 'n unieke geleentheid bied om insig te verkry in die onderliggende
"meganismes" van die kreatiewe proses. Aangesien affiliasie met die Muse
blyk om die bereiking van kritiese kulturele en/of sosiale status, deur kulturele
praktisyne in verskeie samelewings, van die antieke tot die huidige ('n kategorie
wat aansienlik uitgebou is) aan te dui, is dit dus logies om te aanvaar dat die konsep
alomvattend is van eienskappe kenmerkend van die kreatiewe proses, soos
geskiedkundig en huidig op prys gestel in die Westerse kultuur.
Gegewe die beperkte bestek van die tesis, is gefokus op spesifieke kwessies:
1) Verskaf 'n oorsig van die geskiedenis, oorsprong, en ontwikkeling van die
konsep deur spesifieke voorbeelde, in omvang vanaf die antieke, die
middeleuse periode, en die moderne.
2) Evalueer die veranderinge wat voorgekom het in die ontwikkeling van die
konsep, en veronderstel moontlike redes daarvoor: soos byvoorbeeld, die
impak van vermeerderde fokus op die visuele - en daarby die fisiese - as gevolg
van 'n meer geletterde bevolking, op 'n konsep wat aanvanklik hoofsaaklik
ouditief ondervind is.
3) Identifiseer verwante konsepte, die eienskappe waarvan moontlik 'n rol
kon gespeel het in die formulasie van die aanvanklike konsep, asook die wat
daarby geintegreer is, om die moderne weergawe van die Muse te vorm:
voorbeelde sluit in, die invloed van die mite van Pigmalion op begrippe
aangaande die digter se verhouding met beide die materiaal en Muse; en die
gevolge van 'n samesmelting van Aphrodite se karaktertrekke met die van die pastorale Muse.
4) Ondersoek die mate waartoe die Muse-digter verhouding fundamentele
aspekte van die kreatiewe proses en sy hoof komponente kan ontbloot: soos
die verskille tussen die publieke invokasie en ervaring van die Muse in 'n
verbale konteks, in teenstelling met die geletterde digter wat die Muse privaat
ondevind; asook die veranderinge temeegebring op die persepsies aangaande
die konsep se funksionering as gevolg van die uitbreiding daarvan tot die
visuele kunste; en die korrelasie tussen die Jungiaanse idee van die anima, en
aspekte van die Muse.
5) Veronderstel die fundamentele aspekte van die kreatiewe proses, soos
ontbloot deur analise van die konsep van die Muse vir verdere ondersoek.
Kortliks dan, die hoof voorneme van hierdie tesis is om deur analise van
spesifieke voorbeelde, die uitvoerbaarheid te ondersoek om die konsep van die
Muse toe te pas as metafoor vir verdere navorsing waardeur kwessies en temas,
aangaande die produksie en veranderinge in sosiale waardering van kreatiewe
ondernemings, ge-identifiseer kan word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16468 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Von Solms, Charlayn Imogen |
| Contributors | Thom, Sjarlene, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | v, 185 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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