Committee Chair

Wymer, Justin

Committee Member

Einstein, Sarah; Babine, Karen, 1978-

Department

Dept. of English

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

This thesis contains two parts. The first part is a craft essay focusing on Susan Howe’s The Nonconformist’s Memorial and her use of ambiguity under the lens of Michael Riffaterre’s Semiotics of Poetry. The second part is a collection of poems forming a narrative around two grievers and two grieved. Francis mourns the life of Jenny, a friend who went missing. Francis begs for Jenny’s safety, while Jenny shares impressions from the one long night that is her life. Emmett, a man who died early and suddenly in his life, argues for his death’s purpose, while his friend, Chris, wanders without purpose around the U.S. rebuking his dead friend’s spirit.

Acknowledgments

This project would not be what it is without the support of many people. Thank you, Dr. Wymer, for your insight and encouragement through a rough year. Thank you, Dr. Einstein, for always looking out for me. And thank you, Dr. Babine, for inspiring a continued love of the sentence. I am what I am because of these three's contributions to my time at UTC. Last, I give thanks to the many friends who keep my mind and hand steady until the end. Nobis, quum semel occidit brevis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda.

Degree

M. A.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts.

Date

5-2026

Subject

Ambiguity in literature; Grief--Poetry; Semantics

Keyword

poetry; ambiguity; semiotics; grief

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

viii, 56 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Date Available

5-31-2029

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Available for download on Thursday, May 31, 2029

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