Poetry As Portal to Spiritual Perception, the Third Annual Georg Kühlewind Memorial Lecture

December 06 2009 07:00 PM to 09:00 PM

Gertrude Reif Hughes, Professor Emerita at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, will explore the idea of Owen Barfield that consciousness is the medium of poems.

An annual lecture was established at Anthroposophy NYC, the New York City branch of the Anthroposophical Society, in honor of Georg Kühlewind after his death. Owen Barfield said

“Consciousness is to poetry what the various mediums (marble, pigments, etc) are to painting, sculpture and so on.“

Gertrude Hughes will ask, Does that mean that consciousness is language? Is consciousness also the medium or agent of spirit perception, spirit knowing? Is spirit knowing verbal? How can we learn more about our own contemplative inquiry by considering its relationship to poetry?

Professor Hughes taught poetry, women’s studies, and creative writing for many years. She grew up in NYC and attended the Rudolf Steiner School. She lectures frequently on anthroposophical subjects including poetry and she is active in the School of Spiritual Science and the Section for Literary Arts and Humanities.

The lecture will be framed by music on the piano by David Ralph.
The event is free, refreshments will be served.