Cognitive poetics

Definition

Cognitive poetics is an interdisciplinary approach that explores how readers understand and interpret literary texts through cognitive processes, emphasizing the mental activities involved in reading. It connects the structures of language and literature with the psychological mechanisms of perception, memory, and imagination, providing insights into how codes and conventions shape reader responses and how expectations influence the interpretation of texts.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Cognitive poetics combines insights from cognitive science with literary analysis to understand how readers derive meaning from texts.
2. It emphasizes the role of mental models in shaping how readers visualize narratives and connect with characters and events.
3. The concept highlights how cultural codes and conventions affect readers' expectations and interpretations when engaging with literature.
4. Cognitive poetics suggests that readers draw on their personal experiences and knowledge to fill in gaps within narratives, leading to unique interpretations.
5. The approach examines how emotions and sensory experiences influence a reader's engagement with a text, enhancing their overall understanding.

Review Questions

• How does cognitive poetics explain the relationship between a reader's mental processes and their understanding of literary texts?
  • Cognitive poetics reveals that a reader's understanding of literary texts is deeply influenced by their mental processes, such as perception, memory, and imagination. As readers engage with a text, they activate existing knowledge structures, or schemas, which help them interpret characters, plot developments, and themes. This interaction allows for personal interpretations that can vary widely based on individual cognitive experiences.
• In what ways do codes and conventions interact with cognitive poetics to shape reader expectations when interpreting a narrative?
  • Codes and conventions provide frameworks that guide readers' expectations about narrative structure, genre, and character behavior. Cognitive poetics analyzes how these established norms influence the mental models readers construct while engaging with a text. When readers encounter familiar conventions, they are able to predict narrative developments more effectively, which enhances their overall comprehension and enjoyment of the literary work.
• Evaluate the significance of cognitive poetics in understanding how metaphors function within literary texts and the impact on reader interpretation.
  • Cognitive poetics is significant in evaluating how metaphors shape reader interpretation by illustrating that metaphorical language engages readers’ cognitive faculties in unique ways. It encourages them to draw parallels between disparate concepts, enhancing their understanding of complex ideas within the text. This engagement can lead to richer interpretations as readers utilize imaginative thinking to connect metaphors with personal experiences, showcasing the dynamic interplay between language, thought processes, and meaning-making in literature.

Related terms

Schema Theory: A cognitive framework that helps organize knowledge and influences how new information is understood, affecting how readers process and relate to texts.

Metaphor: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unlike things, essential in cognitive poetics for understanding how readers create meaning through imaginative connections.

Reader-Response Theory: A literary theory focusing on the reader's role in creating meaning, emphasizing that interpretation is a dynamic interaction between the text and the reader's cognitive processes.