George Steiner's 'Poésie de la pensée' Explores Philosophy-Poetry Tension

In 'Poésie de la pensée' (Gallimard), George Steiner examines the ancient conflict between philosophy and poetry, tracing it back to Plato's 'quarrel.' The book argues that the divide is fundamentally linguistic and stylistic, not substantive. Steiner contends that both disciplines grapple with language to produce meaning, each employing its own rhetoric. Philosophers 'poeticize' in their rational pursuit, while poets 'think' through their craft. Drawing on a vast array of references, Steiner advocates for attentive listening to the 'thickness' of languages, phrases, and mutual glossing (a term borrowed from Montaigne). Jean-Luc Nancy contributes a preface noting that together, philosophy and poetry constitute 'the very difficulty of making sense.' The work is a translation of Steiner's original essay, urging readers to listen more carefully to the interplay of thought and verse.