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May, 2006
Hebrew Poetry and Robert Alter
The latest book I've read
Posted by Charlie Trimm at 5/18/2006 11:35:00 AM (1 comment left so far)
I just finished reading another book: The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter. This is a companion volume to his previous book The Art of Biblical Narrative. Both of these books are excellent introductions to their topic. Alter's main point is that the parallel lines of Hebrew poetry are not exactly synonomous or antithetical (per Lowth's classic formulation), but usually the second line intensifies the first. This happens through either an abstract idea becoming concrete, an expanding of an idea, or several other methods. But the second line is not simply redundant: it adds something to the first line. Alter than goes through and explores how all the various types of poetry in the OT (Psalms, Job, Proverbs, prophets, Song of Songs) use this intensification. I highly recommend this book to help understand how biblical poetry works.


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Comment 1 by Brian:

This is one book that has been on my "I ought to read this" list for a couple of years. Now I realize how it could help as I am going through the Proverbs with my sons.
Perhaps the time has come to buy it.

Thanks, Charlie.

Posted  5/18/2006 9:42:00 PM 

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