Charles Taylor's Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment (2024) is a profound and timely exploration of poetry's enduring power to illuminate meaning in an era marked by nihilism and despair. As a follow-up to his groundbreaking The Language Animal, this work delves into the legacy of Romantic and post-Romantic poetics, offering a compelling case for poetry as a vital antidote to the fragmented, disenchanted modern world.
Taylor begins with the Romantics, Hölderlin, Novalis, Keats, and Shelley, who responded to the collapse of metaphysical and moral cosmic orders by harnessing poetry's symbols and rhythms to reconnect with a deeper reality. Their efforts, as Taylor eloquently argues, were not mere aesthetic exercises but acts of existential defiance, seeking to restore a sense of unity and purpose. He traces this thread through post-Romantic poets like Hopkins, Rilke, Baudelaire, and Mallarmé, and into the 20th century with figures like Eliot and Miłosz, showing how their work continues to grapple with the same human longing for transcendence.
What makes Cosmic Connections so remarkable is Taylor's insistence that poetry does not merely convey pre-existing truths but creates a unique form of understanding through lived experience. He posits that poetry's "reasoning" is inherently incomplete and enigmatic, yet this very quality makes it profoundly moving and undeniably true. In an age where nihilism often drowns out hope, Taylor's analysis reveals poetry as a medium that invites readers to feel the weight of connection, to nature, to others, to something greater, without demanding rigid certainty.
The book's strength lies in its blend of philosophical rigour and heartfelt appreciation for poetry's emotive power. Taylor's prose is accessible, yet rich, guiding readers through complex ideas with clarity and warmth. His discussions of specific poets are vivid and insightful, bringing their works to life as beacons of resilience against despair. For instance, his reading of Rilke's Duino Elegies as a bridge between the human and the cosmic is both inspiring and deeply humanising.
In a world increasingly defined by scepticism and disconnection, Cosmic Connections is a masterful reminder of poetry's capacity to heal and reorient. Taylor not only celebrates the Romantics' legacy but also challenges us to seek meaning through the poetic imagination today. This book is a must-read for anyone who believes in the transformative power of words and the enduring quest for connection in an age of disenchantment.
https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Connections-Poetry-Age-Disenchantment/dp/0674296087