What is meant by intimate cartography in literature? How could it be applied then to representations of space and place in modern poetry in particular? Or does 'intimate' simply bias towards the positivity on the portrayal of different places?
Intimate Cartography is concerned by showing what poets and map-makers have in common. The poet chooses a subject in which art and nature, as it were, compare themselves to one another, or stand in such a relation that a remark about one is a remark about the other. Land and sea have become symbolic of all spatial relationships on maps. In the map image, entire words and arrangements of words are given iconic license, generating a field of linguistic signs best likened to concrete poetry. Letters expand in size, increase in weight. The exact craft of the cartographer is perhaps least associated, customarily, with our ideas of poetry. By showing us how human the map-maker’s decisions have to be, and how imaginative our reading of a literal map, the poem prepares us for poetry’s exactitude. It demolishes prejudice without alluding to it.
Cartography is closely related to drawing that carts, such as the Magna Carta, horse drawn carts and carts that are out in front of horses. They get to be classified as intimate when the swerve into sensitive areas of andrognica. But I like Kiran Grover's answer better.
Hi
First I want to thank concise and neat explanation of Ms. Grover. The best explanation about cartography you can find in Ashcraft's Key Concepts in Postcolonialism and Said's Orientalism, and Syed Islam. They all belive that cartography is ideological, discursive, and imaginative. That is map making is not objective but it operates on the basis binarism. That is here/there, order/ disorder, safe/ dangerous, etc. You can find this mentality in 19th travel writing and colonial literature. So cartography is political connected to colonialism and domination.
With regard to poetry, one can witness in Byron's oriental poems who Oriental and Orientals depicted; in negative terms.
Imaginative geograpgy challenge eurocentrism and objective ideal of enlightment through which cartography emerged.
Honestly, I found Mohammad's reply a bit baffling and far_fermtched. However I agree with him when he mentions Magna Carta , map of the world before modern cartography in which unknown parts world were filled monsters and other strange animals.
I hope you find my explantion useful.
Therefore, cartograpgy has bad reputation for postmodern critics.
Thanks for all of you really for your exquisite and thorough answers. However, it seems that what I am facing here in my thesis is far from what you have put on the table since I have different approaches to apply. Some of these are autobiographical and psychoanalytic where, I think, have no thread to link with map-makers, map image, Magna Carta, Postcolonialism and Orientalism. I will try to think differently about how to use Bentham, Rothman and, of course, Foucault. Thanks again for your rich knowledge you have got as I can see your points behind each of your analysi.
Thanks, let me enlighten you that space both in literal amd fictional form is constructed. Foucalt belives that space is necessary for excercising power. I think two terms are ne essary for you: utopia and hetrotopia.
For detailed i formation please download Lisle : Politics of Modern travel writing. I am not sure about title. Its pdf is available happily. You will gain deep insight.
Best Regards
Mohammed sir,
First of all Thanks a lot for your Question because You enlighten me with answers. Ahmad Gholi sir
Your answers were really helpful for me with Regards.
Dear Kiran
It is I who should thank you for your kindness and patience when it comes to handling poetry.
Dear Mohammad
Syed Islam in his book: The Ethics of Travel from Marco Polo to Kafca in detail discuss cartography from Foucault standpoint
From page 7 _ 77 it is a must if you can want to understand space from his perspective
Debbie Lisle also in his Global politics of Travel writing gives nuanced introduction of cartography and space from page 186 _202
To understa space and cartography with them and directly from Foucault will be difficult.
This was my recommendation.
Dear Hodiri, I a apologize for my uncouth language when I uttered that your explanation was far-fetched. Sorry.
Thank you, Ahmad and Kiran. I think that the focus on the Utopia and Heterotopia is a little bit out of the scope of my study since it is a study of space and place in cut off the psychological perception. Thanks for your advice. I downloaded the book and will definitely read it.
Please accept my intimate apology if any one is taken aback by my comments. Satire is a legitimate genre in the quest for truth. It, at least, sharpens the focus.
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