THE POETICS OF RENUNCIATION: RE-READING SUBJECTIVITY, FANA, AND AL-INSAN AL-KAMIL IN LOUISE GLÜCK’S THE WILD IRIS

Abstract

The postmodern western world is characterized by materialism and secularism and there is skepticism for divine realities. However, Louise Glück, the Nobel Prize winner American poet breaks the ordinary boundaries of the material world and seeks a connection with the divine. The essay delves into the spiritual and metaphysical concepts of Fana and Al-Insan al-Kamil given by Ibn-e-Arabi (1165-1240), a great Muslim theologian, philosopher and mystic from Spain. The essay argues that the poetic voice or poetic persona in The Wild Iris is an adept who starts it journey of attainment in the natural world, gets close to the station of Fana which is a prerequisite of the Perfect Human. The study finds that despite all digression of the material world and echoes of the existential crisis the poetic persona manages to clear the mirror of heart and manifests the divine attributes which are complex for an ear and an eye that is impure and dusty. The study interprets The Wild Iris through the lens of Fana and the Perfect Human and contributes a new and unique dimension to her poetry.