Divisive Synecdoche in A.C. Swinburne's Tristram of Lyonesse

Abstract

This thesis is about the semantics of Algernon Charles Swinburne’s long poem, Tristram of Lyonesse. It examines the poem’s atypical use of synecdoche, which divides part and whole more than it unites them. The use of divisive synecdoche in the poem creates a pattern of disconnect among other doubles or correlates in the poem, on thematic as well as lexical levels. The thesis follows the logic of divisive synecdoche by moving from part to whole. It begins with lexical semantics, moves to thematics, and finally suggests a theory for the entire poetic system, using Jan Zwicky’s concept of metaphorical language, Erich Auerbach’s theory of mimesis, and Simone Weil’s philosophy of decreation.