Topics in Germanic Literatures: The Poem as Spell Jar: Techniques of Poetic Seduction

When Theocritus composed Simaetha's moonlit incantation - a concoction brewed from enchanted spells to compel an unfaithful lover to repent - the topos of the 'poet-witch' was born. For two millennia, audiences have been seduced - if not bewitched - by the alliance of poetry and magic. Lyrical seduction, a complex strategy formed by sound, rhythm, and repetition, has not lost its impact in contemporary verse. Through close readings of poetry and poetic prose, the translation of a manuscript by German-Icelandic author Helga Novak, and select theoretical writings, we will trace the lasting influence of magical speech across literary traditions.