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Stephen Blackwood’s The Consolation of Boethius as Poetic Liturgy (Oxford University Press) is an insightful exploration of Boethius’ influential text The Consolation of Philosophy. Blackwood peels the book’s many layers of meaning to offer a fresh reading that highlights its poetic qualities and its connection to the liturgical customs of the time.
Boethius was a philosopher and statesman who lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. He wrote the Consolation in a prison cell, as he awaited execution after being imprisoned for alleged treason. The book is a dialogue between Boethius and “Lady Philosophy,” who appears before him to offer guidance and solace.
Blackwood’s main argument is that Boethius’ work is more than a philosophical treatise that outlines certain propositions we should contemplate in the quiet of a study room. The book is also a deeply poetic composition that draws on the liturgical traditions of its time. Through poetry, meter, and metaphor, the Consolation comes to life as a living and affective experience.
For instance, one of the key themes of the Consolation is Fortune and its ramifications in human life. Boethius reflects carefully on the fickleness of Fortune and the transience of earthly pleasures. Blackwood shows how Boethius’ use of meter and rhyme creates a rhythm that mirrors Fortune’s fluctuations, and hence reinforces Boethius’ arguments. The arguments, however, are not strictly propositional, to be read and pondered in somber silence. Rather, the poetical structure of the work calls for vocal recitation, which further illustrates the transience and instability Boethius tries to convey:
Like narrative, structure, imagery, and rhetorical technique, sound was an essential aspect of an ancient text’s identity and meaning. And so, just as sound cannot be abstracted from the other aspects of a text and considered on its own, it also cannot be removed without fundamentally altering the text itself. [10]
[T]he Consolation’s literary form is essential to the consolation it aims to achieve. [20]
Blackwood also explores the different ways in which Boethius draws on a distinctly Christian liturgical tradition. He points out the similarities between Boethius’s dialogue with Lady Philosophy and the liturgical practice of conversing with Wisdom. Moreover, Boethius’ use of “Lady” to address Philosophy resembles the way Christians address Mary, the mother of Jesus, as “Lady.” This connection to the Christian worldview is often neglected in discussions of Boethius’ work, but Blackwood argues that it is an essential element in understanding the text.
In addition to his analysis of the text itself, Blackwood provides useful and refreshing historical context for Boethius’ work. He examines the political and cultural climate of Boethius’ time, showing how his writing was influenced by the turbulent events of the era, including rampant tensions between Christians and pagans and the fall of the Roman Empire.
Blackwood’s writing is clear and engaging, and he makes complex ideas accessible to a general audience. He draws on a wide range of sources, including classical literature, Christian theology, and contemporary philosophy, to create a rich and nuanced analysis of Boethius’ work.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Blackwood’s study is his ability to show the continued relevance of Boethius’ ideas. He argues that the themes of Consolation are just as relevant today as they were in Boethius’ time. For one, Blackwood suggests that the book offers a powerful antidote to the pervasive materialism of modern society, reminding readers that a life devoid of intellectual and spiritual pursuits is dangerously vacuous.
Overall, The Consolation of Boethius as Poetic Liturgy is a thought-provoking and insightful analysis of one of the great works of Western literature. Blackwood’s exploration of the poetic and liturgical dimensions of the text adds a new dimension to our understanding of Boethius’s prose and purpose. The Consolation is a valuable contribution to the field of Boethian studies and will be valuable for scholars of philosophy, literature, or theology, and for anyone seeking ways to merge intellectual and spiritual pursuits, and lead a meaningful life.
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