Spatial Form in Modern Literature: An Essay in Three Parts Author(s): Joseph Frank Source: The Sewanee Review, Vol.

53, No. 4 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 643-653 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27537640 . Accessed: 27/09/2013 09:00
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SPATIAL

FORM

IN MODERN

LITERATURE
AN ESSAY IN THREE PARTS

By

JOSEPH

FRANK

Part 4
The
is shown a way such

III

true psychology
to be that an duality

of style begins when

of expression and form of content the

the formal value

inner cease value, to exist. in

accurate

?Wilhelm GRANTED in their of can we question analysis art forrns latter the that structure, the works

Worringer,

Form

in Gothic.

form, spatial account for this satisfactorily, and consider we

are similar considered already that they all have in common the quality the question arises: How immediately answer To surprising unanimity? must first widen the bounds of this our

the more

to the cultural has

of the relation of general, question in which climates they are created. This students of the fine but arts at least not until since the it was

question time

attracted

of Herder

turn of the last century begun. as the Stimulated sensuous

and Winckelmann; that a systematic by HegePs

objectification a group of German art-scholars and critics concentrated universe, on the problem of form in the plastic arts, working out different of form, in detail the shift from one type of categories tracing to account form to another, and attempting for these changes in cultural to have terms. concerned T. one of the few writers E. Hulme, in himself with these problems, seriously

study of the problem was of art styles masterly analysis of various attitudes towards the

general English

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644 turned and we There fluence

SPATIAL

FORM

IN MODERN

LITERATURE scholars and

to this group of German for guidance can do no better than to follow his is one writer on Hulme

critics;

on the whole Wilhelm

a strong who in particular in and, through Hulme by way of Eliot, possibly of modern This writer is critical English writing. the author of a book entitled Abstraktion Abstraction and Empathy?

example. exercised

Worringer,

und Einf?hlung?literally it is inWorringer's of spatial problem book

translated, that we

which is subtitled A Contribution to the Psychology

shall find

of Style; and

the key to our own form." Originally in 1908, as its au published numerous went the thor's doctoral book dissertation, through asWorringer to the editions?a in the preface fact which, claims third

that his subject was not merely academic proves edition, but touched on problems vital to the modern Another sensibility. this of further is he while point, Worringer remarks, that, proof and styles, other scholars were examining creative artists were and re-evaluating neglected to these styles for inspiration, turning to the needs of form better adapted naturalism work past and of the nine scho all but is impeccably excluding his claim the

in them an esthetic finding than the conventional their sensibility teenth century. Although Worringer's to the itself strictly lastic, confining the briefest justified: Worringer's ern art. references a reader theories It is this cannot

to contemporary

help being to the most fundamental a

work, struck by

is quite relevance of of mod

problems

and incisive relevance, along with powerful the book its notable of intellectual gives style, atmosphere and air which makes the reading excitement of it, discovery?an even today, an exhilarating experience. to explain why, In his book, Worringer proposes throughout the history of the plastic arts, there has been a continual alterna which tion between naturalistic and non-naturalistic classical Renaissance, age of Greek styles. During and per ar to iods of naturalism?the chitecture, the end of the the Italian

sculpture the art of Western Europe artist strives

nineteenth

century?the

to repre

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JOSEPH

FRANK

645

three-dimensional world of ordinary exper objective, to and the with of accuracy processes ience, reproduce loving man which is On other included. the organic nature, among hand, art of non-naturalism?the of during periods primitive peoples, Egyptian Gothic abandons reduces monumental the sculpture, art of the Oriental twentieth and art, Byzantine art, artist

sent

the

sculpture, the three-dimensional

world

man, nature, organic including and the abandons world forms, frequently organic altogether for one of pure and forms colors. there While are, of lines, course, vast differences between under both together works in one category, the and as a group, to all the works in the the art-products of various periods these categories, the basic similarities their other basic opposition, are no category,

century?the returns to the plane, to linear-geometrical

lumped between taken less

and instructive. We have striking a fundamental between ringer, polarity creation to which From however, this broad uralism could in the plastic arts; and neither the other must adhere. the Renaissance it was sense, to the close

to Wor here, according two distinct methods of can be set up as the norm of the nineteenth

to accept customary as the standard for

naturalism, the plastic

century, in understood Non-nat

arts.

was

only should have been forced

upon be technical incapacity: violated to do the

looked

as a barbarous it was of

cause whose aberration, inconceivable that artists if they had not

canons

naturalism

Franz Wickhoff, called non-naturalistic dren"; artists the and this

so by a low level of cultural development. a famous Austrian art-historian of the old school, art "delightful it has although find the of stammering lost all cogency some chil with

themselves, among acceptance probably even at this late date. educated To combat this in public as an eternal of naturalism vidious elevation esthetic standard, use or makes of the of will-to concept Worringer Kunstwolleny art, originally employed by another famous Austrian scholar,

opinion, would

Alois Riegl.

The

impulse to creation in the plastic arts, Riegl

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646 believed, natural identical

SPATIAL was not

FORM

IN MODERN

LITERATURE

an urge the imitation of towards primarily for if this were value would vbe true, esthetic objects; the works and best with skill in naturalistic reproduction,

of art would be those which most

pearances he called this of the natural world. will-to-art, is the an absolute will-to-form

skillfully

duplicated

the ap

what Instead, Riegl postulated or, better still, will-to-form; element be common with to all activity any particular of this ab of fact, modifications in diverse fashions expression The identified

absolute

in the plastic arts, but it cannot a All styles are, as matter style. solute will-to-form the course points of as it finds

throughout cept, Worringer in the study state

of history. out, is that

from styles at the time the style flourished artistic knowledge a cause based on the purposeful ?to of the will-to employment of style in past eras," Worringer "The peculiarities form. writes, of technical "can be traced back, not to any deficiency From will-to-art." directed as a in knowledge, but this point of view

of this con importance it shifted the center of gravity a purely mechanical causation?the

to a it is

differently impossible

to regard non-naturalism unsuccessful grotesquely no in to it has interest natural appearances: attempt reproduce as were if it and cannot be judged such reproduction, attempting on its own terms. Both to compete with naturalism types of art, can only be under needs, spiritual satisfy different have led to the the climates of feeling which stood if we examine or one at times. the other form different of the predominance it is only a short step to the is accepted, this conclusion Once con discussion book?his of the spiritual heart of Worringer's created to ditions direction the which the will-to-art impelled or non-naturalism. of naturalism have art style, according to move When we either in the is it naturalism find that

reigning

to Worringer,

an equilibrium with have achieved by cultures which the Greeks Like of which environment the natural they are part. na of the classical period, part of organic they feel themselves man to the close of the Renaissance from ture, or, like modern is created

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JOSEPH

FRANK

647
of their ability world to of calls and in

the nineteenth dominate nature

century, they are convinced In either case, the natural world. no terrors for

holds

a Vertraulichkeitsverh?ltnis?a

the organic : them they have what Worringer of confidence relationship

the universe; in art, and the result, timacy?with in the which and forms appearances delights reproducing three-dimensional world. organic Following objective, us warns not to this confuse however, Worringer delight organic tation. exhibited with a mere by naturalism the imitation of natural

is a naturalism of the

Riegl, in the

Although a by-product what we enjoy of naturalism, our sense of active participation but in the per sey heightened a naturalistic is brought about when we apprehend organic which of art; and it is this sense which, satisfaction, by demanding turns the will-to-art in the direction when man and of naturalism the universe On the are other in harmonious relation. and find To

imi towards impulse is forms and objects is not the imitation

work

the universe that

man the relationship between hand, when we is one of disharmony and disequilibrium, abstract non-naturalistic, styles are always produced. the external world

primitive peoples an confusion utterly meaningless at of cultural this level Clearly, peoples no

is an incomprehensible chaos, of occurrences and sensations. take would development of the organic: the world

in an objective presentation pleasure is a world of their ordinary of fear, and the represen experience in art would tation of this world their terror. merely intensify instead of Their towards will-to-art, goes turning naturalism, direction: in the opposite to world linear-geometrical bility, cannot the harmony find and in the flux in silence it reduces forms?forms the sense the appearances which which to quote of the natural have the sta man

of order as,

primitive Hart

Crane, they "plunge by." Non-naturalistic styles are also pro at a higher of cultural level in periods duced, development, are dominated like the Byzantine and the Gothic, which, by a religion that completely rejects the natural world as a realm of

of phenomena

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648 evil and

SPATIAL

FORM

IN MODERN Instead

LITERATURE

in all their

imperfection. their overwhelming

of depicting natural appearances turns the will-to-art toward vitality, elimination of of mass and cor tran the eternal ethereal

the towards spiritualization, towards an approximation poreality, of existence. quillity other-worldly and the transcendental?the climate

In both

cases?the

prevalent esthetic

will-to-art, to create of feeling, diverges the spiritual forms that will needs of their creat satisfy an ors ; and in both cases these forms are characterized by empha an on sis on linear-geometrical elimination of patterns, objective, three-dimensional three-dimensional space, shapes and objective, on the dominance

in conformity from naturalism

primitive with the

in all types of plastic art.6 of the plane a to to mod observations It is simple matter apply Worringer's ern developments At a time like the present, in the plastic arts. as the a time when, Erich Fromm has told us,7 man psychologist because he no longer feels able to is trying to escape from freedom cope with it should barometers of megalopolitan the bewildering complexities existence, that artists?always the most sensitive be no surprise to the turned for inspiration of cultural change?have

of feeling; ruled by similar climates and the of periods styles on arts are too obvious to need the plastic results of this process as one was comment. T. E. of the Hulme detailed any But, in modern esthetic form literature could be ex first to realize, a similar change to the same climate to undergo in response pected most and Hulme's of feeling; essay, "Romanticism interesting as it affected to define is an attempt this change and Classicism," for Hulme's he lacked form. purpose, Unfortunately literary any adequate concept of esthetic form in literature, and he mis

takenly tried tomake up this deficiency by adopting ideas brought

and Charles Maurras critics Pierre Lasserre forth by the French on as well as literary For Romanticism. attack their political the French Romantics sons these writers had bitterly criticized every conceivable ground, much as Irving later; Babbitt was some years but what most in rea on

to do with impressed

Romanticism

in general

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J OSEPH Hulme

FRANK

649

in the writing critics was their denunciation of the French which emotionalism of romantic of the unrestrained subjectivity, the Romantics istic art, Hulme the suppressed sometimes fobbed off as literature. Non-natural also un in its suppression of the organic had noticed, man as modern and the personal subjective the corresponding in literature would style

derstood

also them; or at least would not be "like pouring and objective, be impersonal a "dry a pot of treacle over the dinner have it would table"; as against and Horace, "the the hardness of Pope hardness," a a that is consider which doesn't poem poem unless sloppiness it or other." of dry, may And, hard, class seem to have

or whining is moaning about something "I prophecy that a period Hulme concludes, this prophecy is coming." ical verse Although struck know than remarkably he was thinking the later of close of to home, something of Donne of his could lead from Hulme's

influence the accuracy antithesis

regardless classic-romantic of

resembling and the Metaphysicals; his adoption prediction, the issue. to work

poems we rather Imagism but of the

own

following Worringer's precise notion of the literary taking place this literary in modern

only confuse and attempting that would

Instead out some

form

art, Hulme

form as being "dry on to a totally different this description as well. Hulme's the form "classical" been

the changes parallel us a of vague description gives and hard" in quality, tacking set of problems by calling lies in having great merit form would literary undergo

that the first to realize among a change to changes to in the plastic similar arts; but he failed we must To with do exactitude. form this literary define so, any where to take Hulme's but and back up go Worringer happy off. intuitions left fragmentary Because literature point of departure, of the disappearance have for this development eral reasons this point with but Worringer analyzes is a time-art, Hulme have taken his might as we shall do, from Worringer's discussion art. The in non-naturalistic of depth gen already great explained; and particularity, 10 been

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650 in doing

SPATIAL so throws of

FORM out

IN MODERN of first

LITERATURE

for the un importance in modern filled literature. derstanding spatial "Space with binds "which writes, atmospheric light," Worringer objects and cancels out their individual im together self-containedness, form to things, drawing them parts a temporal value (Zeitlichkeitswert) into the cosmic merry-go-round of appearances." ob Presenting a or we in them should say time-value, jects depth gives perhaps accentuates their time-value, it connects because them with the real world of in which that flux events and occur; and since as we time have is the condition wants with and very seen, man

a remark

to escape from when non-naturalistic nature, the

change which, he is in a condition styles shun

of disequilibrium the dimension of depth

prefer time-value

of view: to move

accentuates three-dimensionality from a purely perceptual point the representation of objects in depth the eye compels in order to grasp backwards and forwards the relation plane. can also be understood How

to each other and to surrounding space; and this ship of objects series of eye movements, taking place in time, lessens the spatiali a moment in of of time. when ty perception Conversely, depth are one and in their disappears objects presented plane, apprehen Although, to Lessing, arts are absolutely spatial to literature, we now see that they have been more when compared or less spatial in the course of their inner evolution, on depending to which the representation the extent of three-dimensionality to come back was favored arts or avoided. have been most This means, spatial when paradoxically, they did not they did, the presentation that the sion in a moment of time is obviously the plastic made easier.

plastic the space dimension degree

and least spatial when always accompanies the effort

represent since a greater of three

of time-value

dimensionality. In a non-naturalistic plastic arts is accentuated

style, by

then, the art

inherent

of the spatiality to remove all traces of can say The

and time-value; that it is moving

since modern

in the direction

we is non-naturalistic, of increased spatiality.

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JOSEPH

FRANK

651

now becomes in modern of spatial form literature significance on the plane clear: it is the exact complement in literature, of to the developments esthetic that have taken place in the form, arts. is form the that Hulme plastic literary development Spatial

was looking for but did not know how to find.

one naturally mediums, the evolution of esthetic absolutely identical: spatial form have and the other twentieth in the moved

In both artistic
century temporal, has been far as and same

naturally

both

the time-elements possible, the reason for this identity spiritual and emotional of all

involved is that both

so to overcome, in their perception; are rooted in the

every

sensibility medium.

the monstrating art with the form Worringer in modern Worringer section, of would

as it affects the climate?a climate which, must also the affect in forms artists, they create On a purely formal plane, therefore, by de of esthetic form in modern complete congruity of modern call us literature, the "psychological" But for a true in the remarks we have roots laid of bare what form spatial as of style, this ex

literature. reminds

the "formal the inner

value" value, to exist."

must

psychology at the head of quoted be shown "to be an accurate a way

pression and content in the

in such What we have

cease of

that duality of form can be discovered elements discussed that will resolve

content

the works

this duality?
we have In tne case of Proust, use that his of by showing spatial the extra-temporal communicate ments. Ernst Robert study of Proust, accurate if we take Curtius his ultimate from all value answered already form arose from this question an attempt to mo revelatory

of his quality at the conclusion of his penetrating Curtius, calls him a Platonist8; and this term is quite to mean that, that in an existence to the flux of

like Plato, Proust found had wrenched itself free

the temporal. it is not Proust, as well student of philosophy generally realized, as a neurasthenic was aware and he of the esthete9; fully philoso own his of phic implications literary productions. By conceptu was an ardent

submission

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652 alizing

SPATIAL these

FORM

IN MODERN for us in his

LITERATURE the revelatory the unity be

moment, tween form With more dividual narrator's

implications Proust himself and other content

explained in his masterwork.

of analysis to the reader

our complex.

writers, however, Proust had Where restricted,

been

the problem is a good deal an in with concerned

revelation,

experience, personal the reaches of history: all deal, into the wider beyond personal in one way or another, with the clash of historical perspectives induced with of by the identification various historical prototypes. Land three human long-dead and is the sense and events contemporary figures This is evident in the Cantos, in Ulysses, for the chief source of mean of ironic between A dissimilarity the modern and yet

to the sphere of the in his work, out the other writers all move

in The Waste ing in all

of

profound and their found

continuity

inNightwood,

exemplars. where Dr. memory" the present for

similar

palimpsest

protagonists effect drawing

is

O'Connor

on his "prehistoric the past in with

images and identifying

is continually and metaphors, the

weaving two. Allen

that Ezra Pound's writes of the Cantos, T?te, speaking "power the Renaissance, ful juxtapositions of the ancient, and the mod ern worlds to an unhistorical reduce all three elements miscellany, timeless modern modern and without quality origin"; Pound." of Mr. and But this is called "the it is, as well, have before peculiarly the peculiarly

we of all the works all us?they quality a continual maintain between aspects of the past and juxtaposition a are such that in both in one comprehen fused way present, and as we have already and sive view; out, both Tiresias pointed Dr. O'Connor?the the they central focus of of figures consciousness limits the works in these and in which works they

appear?are because (Leopold

transcend

historical

of course, does the but Joyce, Bloom, the traditions of makes Bloom the uncon maintaining naturalism, scious bearer of his own immortality). of By this juxtaposition un as Allen T?te becomes past and present, realized, history

encompass same thing;

precisely all times.

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JOSE

P H

F R A N K

653
progres between

historical: sion in

it is no time, with

longer

seen

as an marked

distinctly as a continuum but is sensed in which distinctions period, are obliterated. between past and present Just as the dimension of depth has vanished from the plastic arts, so the dimension of each depth works: has vanished past and while from present itmay as it forms the content of these history are seen spatially, in a timeless locked accentuate surface differences, eliminates sequence by the very act of juxtaposition. on which modern man has imagination, he has cultivated in these writers not so since the carefully into the mythical exist?the imagina time merely

causal objective, out differences

unity which, any The feeling objective

of historical historical and which

prided

himself,

Renaissance, imagination tion which as the

is transformed for which sees historical

time does

the actions forth of

and events eternal

are

prototypes bodying the time-world of history into the created by transmuting And is this of it timeless world of myth, timeless world myth. common content modern the of which finds literature, forming its appropriate esthetic expression in spatial form.

of a particular These prototypes.

[The End]
FOOTNOTES of Worringer's books have been translated into English, Abstraktion in German. be read only the second can, unfortunately, However, essay on "Modern Art," p. 82-91 of Speculations, says, is, as Hulme are the views of Worringer's These views." abstract in presented Einf?hlung. it might out that neither Worringer nor the To forestall be pointed objections, as absolute a theoretical writer in any but sense. present regard these distinctions the art of various These different which has approached styles are tendencies, periods or lesser degree. in greater Elements of both be found in all periods: styles may are spoken of as creating one or the other style on, the basis of predominance, cultures not of absolute The exclusion. entire second portion of Worringer's is book, which traces the actual degree of dominance outside the scope of our discussion, and inter arts of selected of both styles in the plastic cultures. penetration by Erich Fromm. ^Escape from Freedom, von Ernst Robert im Neuen Geist p. 130-145. Europa, Curtius, the comparison between Flaubert's of French See, for example, grammar handling and Kant's and theories of perception in Proust's "A propos du categories essay as an appendix This is printed in Reflexions, essay 'style' de Flaubert." par Albert Vol. 3, p. 249-263. Thibaudet, franz?sischer two 5AIthough und Einf?hlung section of Hulme's an "practically und Abstraktion

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