Enigma

Author(s): Maurice Blanchot and Paul Weidmann

Source: Yale French Studies, No. 79, Literature and the Ethical Question (1991), pp. 8-10
Published by: Yale University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2930242
Accessed: 14-09-2015 15:58 UTC

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 MAURICE BLANCHOT

Enigma

Dear Madam,
Please forgiveme foransweringyou with a letter.Readingyours,in which
you ask me fora textto be placed in the issue of an Americanuniversity
journal (Yale) on the topic: "Literatureand the ethical question," I was
frightened and nearlyin despair."Once again,once again,"I said to myself.
Not thatI pretendto have exhaustedan inexhaustiblesubject,but on the
contrarywith the certaintythat such a subject returnsto me* because it
cannotbe dealt with.Even theword"literature"is suddenlyforeignto me.
Whatofliterature?Andofthis"and" betweenliterature"and" ethics?IfI
am notmistaken,Adorno,in one ofhis books on AlbanBerg,whose student
and friendhe was, tells us that one day Schumannspoke of his horrorof
music.1In the same wayAlban Berg(rememberHaydn'ssymphony, simple
thoughit may be, entitled"The FarewellSymphony")soughtto giveshape
throughmusic to the disappearanceof music. And I remembera texton
literaturewhereit is said thatit has a cleardestinywhichis to tendtowards
disappearance.Why then still speak of literature?And if one puts it in
relationwith the question ofethics,is it to remindus thatthe necessityto
write (its ethic) would be nothingotherthan the infinitemovementby
which it vainlycalls fordisappearance?
Holderlinalready:
Whybe so brief?
Do youno longerlove?

*Canalsoberead"ismydue."[Translator'snote]
1. I question Schumann
thiscitation. certainly from
suffered anexcessofmusicand
maythushavesaid,inmoments ofdepression "Toomuchmusic."
orexaltation:
ed.ClaireNouvet,
andtheEthicalQuestion,
YFS79,Literature C 1991byYale
University.
8

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 MAURICE BLANCHOT 9
Songas once before?Youwho,younger,
In thedays ofhope whenyousang,
Knewnot how to finish?
* * *

And once again Mallarme.

In an old text(a letterwrittenin the spontaneityofabandon),he makes
Poe's opinion his own:2 "No remnantsofa philosophy,the ethical or the
metaphysical,will show through;I add thatit must be included and la-
tent." (But isn't Mallarme here restoringethics? Hidden, it reservesits
rights.)"To avoid some building reality,remaining around this spon-
taneous and magical architecturedoes not imply a lack ofpowerfulcal-
culations and subtle ones, but one does not know about them,theythem-
selves make themselves mysteriouson purpose." It is the essence in
literatureto be freeonlyin the rules or the structureswhich intentionally
slip away; theyno longeract, iftheyshow themselves.
But Mallarme then offersus an affirmation whose beautywe perceive,
but which seems to challengewhat he has just said. Wordsalways out of
reach:"Songsurgesfrominnatesource,anteriorto a concept,so purelyas to
reflectoutside a thousandrhythmsofimages."
An obsession with anteriority. We findit under many forms:"To the
anteriorsky where Beauty blooms" and elsewhere(Herodiade): "By the
pure diamond ofsome star,but/Anterior, which nevershone."
Isn'tit "clear",then,thatwhatis first,is notethics(moralrequirement)?
We would be temptedto say so, if we did not also have to say that,for
Mallarme,"first"is not sufficient, is not suitable: "Anteriorto what would
be firstand here we are caughtin an endlessmovement.Thus, afterhaving
stated: "Song surgesfrominnate source,anteriorto a concept,"Mallarme
comes back to settinghimselflimits: "The intellectualarmatureof the
poem" which is less in the organizationof the words (the rhymesor the
rhythms)thanin thespace whichisolates them."Significantsilenceno less
beautifulto compose, than verses."
One will understand,I hope, that if I speak of contradictions,it is to
betterexperiencetheirnecessity.The pure surgingfromthe source. And
neverthelessthe calculationswhich onlyact byslippingaway.Or theintel-
lectual armaturewhich composes itself(space,blank, silence),thus work
and mastery.And neverthelessto containwhatlightningofinstinct,simply
life,virgin,in its synthesisand illuminatingeverything. Innateand setting
rules foritself;anteriorto all principlesand simplylife,virgin.Contradic-
tions withoutconciliation:it is not a question ofdialectics.
And I will add, to stammeran answerto yourquestion on writingand
ethics: freebut a servant,in frontof the other.

2. Citationsborrowed
from"Writings
on thebook"(tditionsde 1'6clat).

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10 Yale French Studies
An enigma,all this?Yes, enigmasuch as evokedby Holderlin'swords:
Enigmais thepuresurgingofthatwhichsurges.
Depth thatshakes everything,
thecomingoftheday.
And again forgiveme forthis letterso abruptlyended,as if therewere
nothingleftto say but to apologize,withoutexoneratingoneself.

Maurice Blanchot
Translatedby Paul Weidmann

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