Poetry

Poetry is the beating heart of literature. In our department, we research a variety of poetic categories: The Midrashic poetry, for example, originates in the biblical text, but by rewriting it (as many of the rabbinic Midrashes do), the poets give their text an original interpretation. In addition to the Bible, some of these poems correspond with the rabbinic Midrashes. Often, the poets use the biblical text as a springboard to illustrate other, modern ideas. The department also explores the modern and contemporary poetry of Jewish women, written in English, German, and Hebrew. This poetry is read in a manner that acknowledges its different characteristics and emphasizing a feminist point of view, assuming that feminism had at least some influence even on a poet that does not define herself as a feminist. Other research topics include eco-poetics, political poetry, religious poetry of the New Age (a combinations of poetics, philosophy, and religion), and gender poetry at the beginning of the New Age in England.