The Poetics of Space (BP 330) [Paperback]

Gaston Bachelard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1969

In this illuminating and strikingly original work, a philosopher who spent much of his life preoccupied with the problems of scientific knowledge considers the scope of the poetic imagination.

Product Details

• Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press; Trade Paperback Edition edition (1969)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001HE23GM
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,930,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

155 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deep, inspiring book that changed how I look at things, November 1, 1997

By 

Matthew G. Belge (Lincoln, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Poetics of Space (Paperback)

The Poetics of Space is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. It is to be taken slowly - the author's primary idea is that people crave spaces that inspire them to daydream. The style of the book is one that inspires daydreams itself; you will suddenly find that you have placed the book in your lap and you were off daydreaming! Poetics of Space is a methodical, carefully argued book which tells us that we read spaces like we read a book. There is a distinct psychology to each type of space - attics, cellars, the forest, and nests are just some of the spaces examined. The author was chair of the Philosophy department at the Sorbonne. For most of his life, he examined the philosophy of science, but in his later years he turned to artistic reverie as his main subject. The book is written with thought, love, and passion and is a tour-de-force. Highly recommended to those who enjoy poetry, philosophy, architecture or art.

78 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-Opening Book for Those Interested in Place or Language, December 26, 2003

By 

Kirsten Jacobson (Bangor, ME, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Poetics of Space (Paperback)

Though you may not immediately think that there is a connection between language and the places where you live and pass through, your sense of your surroundings and of language itself will be transformed after you read Gaston Bachelard's "The Poetics of Space." Bachelard argues that language--especially poetry--can reveal hidden aspects of our experience of space, especially of our home space. For example, he considers how common phrases such as "go up to the attic" and "go down to the basement" are revelatory of our typical sense that stairs to an attic are stairs one ascends, while stairs to the basement are stairs one descends--in spite of the fact that both sets of stairs must be equally ascended and descended. As he does with other such observations, Bachelard extends his observation regarding the directionality of different staircases into a discussion of how the attic and basement hold different roles in our daily and imaginary lives. In addition to exploring how we experience space and place, Bachelard equally attends to the way in which language can function either as a daily and common means of communication or as a site of new and creative insight; roughly speaking, he argues that poetry happens when the motions of language itself open us up to a new way of seeing or understanding something. By reading this beautifully written and engaging book, you will likely come to understand or see anew experiences from childhood through adulthood that pertain to places where your have lived, grown up, felt comfortable or alienated, had a feeling of wonder or fear, etc. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the experience of place or space, in language and what it can reveal to us, or in what counts as poetry rather than as common everyday language.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, June 2, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Poetics of Space (Paperback)

Bachelard's classic is a beautiful contribution to phenomenology. It does not so much "talk" about space and place, but rather gives the reader a thoughtful experience of the subjectivities and meanings of space. For example, Bachelard presents poetic interpretations of enclosures, inside/outside, and other spatial phenomemon while applying it to such entities as the nest, the shell, the corner, the drawer, etc. A work to savor, slowly.