Resonance and culture: Reading poetry as a sphere of meaning

Abstract

How can resonance in the reception of poetry be understood sociologically? How does the subjective response to poetic works relate to more general social and symbolic structures? I combine Hartmut Rosa's Resonance Theory with a cultural sociological perspective to illustrate how vertical spheres of resonance—art, nature, religion, or history—can be understood as structures of meaning. I demonstrate how actors transformatively adapt (anverwandeln) a segment of the world to sustain personal meaning and the possibility of resonance. Using Tomas Tranströmer's poetry as a case study, I demonstrate how poetic reception embodies core elements of resonance—affect, self-efficacy, transformation, and uncontrollability. The cultural sociological reading of Resonance Theory helps to explain the broader cultural dynamics at play. Reception, thus, can be understood as a continuous process in which poetic work becomes a dialogue that reshapes both reader and text. I focus on three phenomena of reception: meaningfulness of form, elemental significance, and uncontrollability of the author's voice. Ultimately, the case study reveals how poetry, as an iconic medium for existential inquiry, can foster a contemplative relationship to the world—one that resists the instrumentalization of modern society.