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David S. Danaher,

Cognitive Poetics and Literariness: Metaphorical Analogy in Anna Karenina

Topics: Cognition;
Disciplines: Literature;

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What is cognitive poetics (CP), how has it been applied, and what is its relationship to literarines? In this article, I offer and overview of CP, in theory and practice, and examine criticisms of CP that lead to a reconsideration of its value for literary analysis. I address the question of whether CP has been, or could be, used to enhance appreciation of literariness in two ways: through an exploration of the meaning of "literariness" in terms of Vàclav Havel's distinction between "explaining" and "understanding" and through an analysis partly grounded in but not limited to CP, of Tolstoj's use of metaphorical analogy in Anna Karenina. Along the way, I also propose standards for evaluating CP's success or failure as a tool of literary-critical analysis.

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The Neuro Humanities Studies Network aims at creating a multidisciplinary research community in order to develop and structure a linking platform for neuro-scientific, cognitive topics and humanities.