Lamp or Mirror? : Comparative Distant Reading on Georgian, Imagism and Objectivist poetry

Sammanfattning

This thesis traces two significant transitions in modern poetry history, from late Romantic Georgian verse to modernist expression by distant reading methodologies. Utilizing digital tools such as sentiment analysis and topic modelling, it reveals a shift in poetic focus from the subjective illumination of the poet's inner experience (“lamp”) to the objective depiction of external reality (“mirror”). Digital analysis confirms that Georgian poetry indeed exhibits more Romantic attributes, akin to a “lamp,” while Imagist poetry, despite its depersonalized writing approach, uses imagery to express emotions, like a “lens.” Objectivist poetry shows the lowest emotional expression, focusing on external social issues. The results of digital analysis largely align with traditional reading and criticism but face limitations in effectiveness. While digital reading aids in identifying literary concepts and creative shifts, interpreting complex texts like poetry still heavily relies on human analysis and remains challenging.