From Différence To Différance

The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas is regarded as another important poet after Auden in England,and his poems are known for their polysemy,which has long been debated by researchers.The root of the polysemy in Dylan Thomas's poems is so controversial that some of the views are totally opposed to each other.In face of this predicament,this paper holds that there is a special production mechanism of polysemy in Dylan Thomas'poetic text,the core of which is the so-called "différance,in Jacques Derrida's deconstructive philosophy.Since Derrida's "différance" was developed on the basis of"différence" in Saussure's linguistics,and binary opposition is a typical example of "différence",the first chapter of this paper sorts out the themes.of binary opposition in Dylan's poetry,and summarizes three main theme groups of binary opposition:the theme group of life/death,the theme group of father/son,and the theme group of dream/reality.The life/death theme group consists of three sets of binary opposition themes,including life/death,nature/industry and spirit/flesh.These three sets of binary opposition themes are closely related and inseparable.The parent/child theme group consists of three sets of voices:the voice of fathers,sons as well as the dehumanizing one of the poet;The dream/reality theme fP:oup consists of two related binary opposites:dream/reality and film/reality.While the theme groups of binary opposition contribute to the polysemy of Dylan's polysemous poetry,they tend to make the poetic text go splitting.Since the theme groups of binary opposition have brought division and conflict to Dylan's poetic text,it is necessary to combine the elements of division in Dylan's poetic text.Therefore,the second chapter of this paper puts forward that the writing strategy of"différance" integrates the split text.Within the text of Dylan's poems,"différance"operates on a "Mobius Band",which means "Signifier signifiedation" in the layer of signifier and "Signified signifieration" in the layer of signified.The former has two forms of presentation:similar to the "formale Anzeige" method used by Heidegger in Sein and zeit,the three special themes of "time,language and leverage" become a formalized shell which functions in resolving the conflict between the binary opposition themes;The latter can be described as the multiple theme compression,which in Dylan's poetry has the function of connecting multiple binary opposition themes.Including the use of wordplay,rhyme techniques and even traditional rhymes.In the process of resolving the conflict of binary opposition,the strategy of "différance" in the text,constitutes the production mechanism of polysemy in the poems.The production mechanism of polysemy,that is,"différance",not only exists in the interior of the poetic text,but also operates outside the text,though their manifestation are quite different.So the third chapter of this paper argues that outside the poetic text,the operation of "différance" enters into the relationship of author,world and the two opposing poetic writing traditions of romantic and modern poetry.Around the two world wars,the widespread atmosphere of faith collapse and spiritual confusion in Europe had an incalculable influence on Dylan Thomas' poetry and became the embodiment of the operation of "différance" of the world.As an English-speaking Welsh,Dylan's ambivalent attitude towards the language used in poetry shows the operation of"différance" in the author's part.In face of two opposing poetry writing traditions,the operation of "différance" is reflected in the deviating writing methods of romantic and modern poetry.Resulting from the operation of "différance",Dylan's poetry implies the elimination of the boundary between the four elements involved in the interpretation of modern poetry:text,world,author and reader.This situation also indicates the change of the basic situation of modern poetry interpretation.Therefore,the fourth chapter of this paper puts forward that the interpretation of modern lyric poetry may be managed with the structure of" Open...to...".The so-called "open" is the process of preventing the occurrence of "sinking"in Heidegger's sense,that is,the process from "covering,to "uncovering".The author feels"open" through writing.The poetic text,as what Roland Barthes called "Connotation",becomes a structure that fixes the operation of "open",and for readers,the experience of"open" can be repeated in reading.In this structure,the text,the world,the author and the reader,none of the elements can become an absolute standard of an explicit meaning of the text.Thus,the interpretation of poetry is transformed into a continuous presentation of the body of the text.