--- product_id: 5687072 title: "Poetic Diction: A Study in Meaning" price: "₹ 4915" currency: INR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/5687072-poetic-diction-a-study-in-meaning store_origin: IN region: India --- # Poetic Diction: A Study in Meaning **Price:** ₹ 4915 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Poetic Diction: A Study in Meaning - **How much does it cost?** ₹ 4915 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/5687072-poetic-diction-a-study-in-meaning) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Barfield discusses poetry's meaning in terms of both his personal experience and objective standards of criticism. Poetic Diction, first published in 1928, begins by asking why we call a given grouping of words "poetry" and why these arouse "aesthetic imagination" and produce pleasure in a receptive reader. Returning always to this personal experience of poetry, Owen Barfield at the same time seeks objective standards of criticism and a theory of poetic diction in broader philosophical considerations on the relation of world and thought. His profound musings explore concerns fundamental to the understanding and appreciation of poetry, including the nature of metaphor, poetic effect, the difference between verse and prose, and the essence of meaning. CONTRIBUTOR: Howard Nemerov. Review: Barfield changed how Tolkien told his stories. - A seminal work from the least known member of the “inklings,” the friendship circle of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and philosopher Owen Barfield. It presents a very interesting take on meaning and symbolism ancient languages that fundamentally changed Tolkien’s and Lewis’ approach to storytelling, empowering them to speak from the level of myths, which explains the perennial appeal of their books and of the film adaptations. I also very much enjoyed Barfield’s work on the philosophy of science, Saving the Appearances. Review: Poetic Diction is truly an astonishing experience & realize how far ahead of it's time & STILL IS!! - Owen Barfield's Book Poetic Diction Is Truly An ing Experience & Realize How Far Ahead Of It's Time & STILL IS !! By Henry S. Gurr, Researcher Re Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. …..The reading of Owen Barfield's book “Poetic Diction”, is a truly astonishing experience!! … He has fully synthesized a literary theory, and a cognitive theory, of how our mind works with words. At a stroke, he rejuvenated and educated us, concerning the study of The Romantic Era of the early 1800’s. He explains how imagination discovers truth and formulates it into valid conceptual structures. He fully realizes that such a truth formulation, is incorporated into the building and changing of the intellectual & social structures, for what Barfield calls '' “The Evolution Of Consciousness. ” '' …As he says in “Poetic Diction”, Mr. Barfield consistently maintains before the reader => '' “Apart from pleasurable entertainment (which must never be forgotten), there are two important functions which poetry is there to perform. One of them is the one I have stressed throughout this book, namely the making of meaning, which gives life to language and makes true knowledge possible. And this it does inasmuch as it is the vehicle of imagination. The other, lying much nearer the surface of life, is to mirror, … the characteristic response of the age in which it is written.” '' …Here we must remember, as Barfield asserts, that the evolving mind does indeed totally create our reality, the only one we will ever know. Moreover, Barfield focuses on our mind’s discovery, as he says in poetry, we => …'' “rather discover what is implicit in “spiritual reality” through an act of imagination. The changing of language [evolving over the millennia] reflects exactly these shifting structures. Poetry allows us not merely to perceive this Evolution [of Consciousness] abstractly, but to relive it through our imaginations.” '' … Thus, when we experience poetry, it is not so much the proof of Barfield’s theory, as it is the immediate perception of the reality he delineates. …What Barfield presents as an essay on poetry, is in fact a fully “diachronic” theory of human cognition, which in other words, has the beginnings of a theory of how our mind works. …His contemporaries could not comprehend what he had done. They could not even perceive the problem he attempted to solve. We can now see the problems very clearly indeed, but we as a culture have not fully considered Barfield’s contribution to their solution. …Barfield describes the many ways we understand poetry, our language and ourselves, and anticipates the intellectual history, of the more than sixty years, which separate his book from us. …Although Barfield’s voice sounds to us as though it comes from a rather distant and somewhat romantic past; it actually calls for a future of greater maturity, and hope than we can recognize through the din of our current distracted chaotic times. If Barfield’s theory is correct, then he should expect to gain more listeners as we “mature.” …Even before the advent of “The New Criticism”.: Barfield’s “Poetic Diction” in the context of 1929. was better attuned than any of The New Criticism were in 1928, … No person back at that time, was able to appreciate the intricate harmonies of Barfield’s thought. The more recent development of such schools as cognitive science, structuralism, phenomenology and deconstructionism, all of which seem strangely consonant with Poetic Diction, should be taken as evidence that the time, may be the preset day, for the literary world to discover Barfield anew! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #51,679 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #25 in Poetry Literary Criticism (Books) #48 in Linguistics Reference #70 in Literary Criticism & Theory | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 57 Reviews | ## Images ![Poetic Diction: A Study in Meaning - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LffHD990L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Barfield changed how Tolkien told his stories. *by S***8 on May 6, 2026* A seminal work from the least known member of the “inklings,” the friendship circle of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and philosopher Owen Barfield. It presents a very interesting take on meaning and symbolism ancient languages that fundamentally changed Tolkien’s and Lewis’ approach to storytelling, empowering them to speak from the level of myths, which explains the perennial appeal of their books and of the film adaptations. I also very much enjoyed Barfield’s work on the philosophy of science, Saving the Appearances. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Poetic Diction is truly an astonishing experience & realize how far ahead of it's time & STILL IS!! *by H***E on February 1, 2018* Owen Barfield's Book Poetic Diction Is Truly An ing Experience & Realize How Far Ahead Of It's Time & STILL IS !! By Henry S. Gurr, Researcher Re Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. …..The reading of Owen Barfield's book “Poetic Diction”, is a truly astonishing experience!! … He has fully synthesized a literary theory, and a cognitive theory, of how our mind works with words. At a stroke, he rejuvenated and educated us, concerning the study of The Romantic Era of the early 1800’s. He explains how imagination discovers truth and formulates it into valid conceptual structures. He fully realizes that such a truth formulation, is incorporated into the building and changing of the intellectual & social structures, for what Barfield calls '' “The Evolution Of Consciousness. ” '' …As he says in “Poetic Diction”, Mr. Barfield consistently maintains before the reader => '' “Apart from pleasurable entertainment (which must never be forgotten), there are two important functions which poetry is there to perform. One of them is the one I have stressed throughout this book, namely the making of meaning, which gives life to language and makes true knowledge possible. And this it does inasmuch as it is the vehicle of imagination. The other, lying much nearer the surface of life, is to mirror, … the characteristic response of the age in which it is written.” '' …Here we must remember, as Barfield asserts, that the evolving mind does indeed totally create our reality, the only one we will ever know. Moreover, Barfield focuses on our mind’s discovery, as he says in poetry, we => …'' “rather discover what is implicit in “spiritual reality” through an act of imagination. The changing of language [evolving over the millennia] reflects exactly these shifting structures. Poetry allows us not merely to perceive this Evolution [of Consciousness] abstractly, but to relive it through our imaginations.” '' … Thus, when we experience poetry, it is not so much the proof of Barfield’s theory, as it is the immediate perception of the reality he delineates. …What Barfield presents as an essay on poetry, is in fact a fully “diachronic” theory of human cognition, which in other words, has the beginnings of a theory of how our mind works. …His contemporaries could not comprehend what he had done. They could not even perceive the problem he attempted to solve. We can now see the problems very clearly indeed, but we as a culture have not fully considered Barfield’s contribution to their solution. …Barfield describes the many ways we understand poetry, our language and ourselves, and anticipates the intellectual history, of the more than sixty years, which separate his book from us. …Although Barfield’s voice sounds to us as though it comes from a rather distant and somewhat romantic past; it actually calls for a future of greater maturity, and hope than we can recognize through the din of our current distracted chaotic times. If Barfield’s theory is correct, then he should expect to gain more listeners as we “mature.” …Even before the advent of “The New Criticism”.: Barfield’s “Poetic Diction” in the context of 1929. was better attuned than any of The New Criticism were in 1928, … No person back at that time, was able to appreciate the intricate harmonies of Barfield’s thought. The more recent development of such schools as cognitive science, structuralism, phenomenology and deconstructionism, all of which seem strangely consonant with Poetic Diction, should be taken as evidence that the time, may be the preset day, for the literary world to discover Barfield anew! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your ticket to another world *by A***R on April 11, 2024* I would say mythic, poetic diction. Brings together heart and mind ! A wonderful book. But in the words of Melville, “ not for the skimmer of pages” ! Every time I read it Poetic Diction reveals more of it’s depth. For me it will take a life time to attempt to digest this book and I will love every minute of it ! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.in/products/5687072-poetic-diction-a-study-in-meaning](https://www.desertcart.in/products/5687072-poetic-diction-a-study-in-meaning) --- *Product available on Desertcart India* *Store origin: IN* *Last updated: 2026-06-10*