Abject
In Poetics, the term abject refers to subject matter that disturbs identity, system, and order, often evoking feelings of horror, disgust, or revulsion by disturbing boundaries between the self and the repulsive “other”. This concept, developed by Julia Kristeva, is explored in poetic works that use the unsettling and taboo elements of the human experience to question established social orders and challenge conventional understandings of selfhood.
Key Concepts
Disturbance of Identity and Order: The ( abject is not simply what is dirty or ugly, but rather what challenges our sense of what is “I” and “not-I”.
Subjective Horror: It triggers a profound personal reaction of disgust or fear that is rooted in the subconscious and the very foundation of identity.
Liminal Space: The abject often exists in the space between the self and the other, the clean and the unclean, the human and the animal, creating a sense of unease.
How It Appears in Poetry
Challenging Boundaries: Poetic use of the abject can disrupt grammar, meaning, and metaphor to bring into question the established systems of language and thought.
Exploring Taboo and Marginality: Poets may use abject themes—such as vomit cadavers or other forms of decay and violence—to explore the marginalized aspects of society or the self.
Self-Creation and Resistance: By engaging with the abject, a poetic persona or the poet themselves can express freedom, re-create their own identity, and resist oppressive social structures, even while acknowledging the trauma associated with these experiences.
Examples
Kristeva’s Theory: Her seminal work, Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection ,explores the concept’s role in the formation of identity and the creation of both horror and literature.
Poetic Persona: A poet might adopt an “abject persona,” a figure who embodies the rejected or the outcast, to gain new insights into the self and society, as seen in the work of poet Anne Lock.