Abstract
This essay examines the influence of new biological thinking on poetry between the wars. That thinking is characterized by, firstly, a greater emphasis on the interactions of the biochemical and neurological systems, derived from the study of hormones, proteins and their role; secondly, a shift from a strictly mechanist sense of bodily engineering ( associated with Loeb, Beard and others) to a more holistic approach which stresses the interaction of the organism’s genetic makeup and environment within an evolutionary, homeostatic perspectives. The essay focuses on three representative areas: endocrinology; social entomology and the life of insects; and neoteny and evolutionary thinking. Poets considered include John Rodker, Herbert Read, William Empson and W. H. Auden.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Science in Modern Poetry: New directions |
| Editors | John Holmes |
| Place of Publication | Liverpool |
| Publisher | Liverpool University Press |
| Pages | 101-115 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-84631-809-2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- poetry and biology
- Neoteny
- social entomology
- edochrinology