Particularisation

Résumé : Dans L’homme sans qualités, l’auteur et son héros, Ulrich, usent d’opérations d’indétermination (au sens de stratagèmes) afin d’échapper au monde du Réel jugé insatisfaisant et de laisser place à d’autres espaces de possibles, ceux des instants magiques imprévisibles de la mystique diurne. Cet article analyse comment Musil, afin de donner forme à cette recherche d’utopie, « évite » toute particularisation, aussi bien stylistique que narrative.

Abstract : In The Man without Qualities, the author and his main character, Ulrich, use indetermination (in the sense of stratagems) to escape from a Real World that they consider unsatisfactory, and to open up other potentialities such as the unforeseeable magical instants offered by daylight mysticism. This article analyses how Musil, in order to give shape to this utopic quest, “avoids” particularization, be it stylistic or narrative.

This paper explores particularisation and its relation to the priamel in Horace’s Odes. I argue that Horace used particularisation more extensively than his predecessors and that it played an important role in his stylistic arsenal. I trace the occupational priamel through history to show the peculiarity of its treatment in Horace. Further, I establish that Horace skillfully manipulated the established patterns of particularisation (for instance in the sequences of four examples) in his priamels to promote his literary purposes and to confound the reader’s expectations. Finally, I also argue that this research direction offers a fresh perspective on some vexing issues of Horatian textual criticism.