Signs of Sensuality and Spirituality: The Poetice of Emotion in Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love

10.30095/SYJH.200712.0006

Ming-Tsang Yang

諾維奇的朱莉安 ； 愛的啟示 ； 感性 ； 靈性 ； 情感 ； 圖像 ； 理智 ； 記憶 ； 情感社群 ； Julian of Norwich ； Revelations of Divine Love ； sensuality ； spirituality ； emotion ； image ； reason ； memory ； emotional community

中山人文學報

24期（2007 / 12 / 01）

109 - 122

英文

本篇論文旨在檢視情感在諾維奇的朱莉安所著《愛的啟示》中的功能與重要意義，期能見析情感在晚期中世紀文化中的角色，以及朱莉安如何與她所處的情感社群斡旋。朱莉安寫作描繪的圖像般細節是感性也是靈性的表記，同時訴諸感官與理智，引動立即的情感能量與長久的思維養料。她的敘述因此是兼具記憶與詮釋的演練，透過認知的探索將情感文本化，也藉由難以忘卻的圖像將文本情感化。另一方面，朱莉安也將思憶耶穌受難情景的主導情感（如悲傷與痛苦）轉化為積極促動的歡樂與福佑。在她獨特的情感詩學裡，感性的表記並不需要揚棄，而是與靈性的表記形成激越活力的連續體，為她自己也為所有人帶進情感的復興以及智性的啟迪。

This paper examines the function and significance of emotion in Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love, so as to gain better insight into the role of emotion in late medieval culture and Julian's negotiation with her ”emotional Communities.” The provocative images she delineates in her writings are at once signs of sensuality and signs of spirituality that appeal to both the senses and the intellect, triggering immediate affective possibilities and offering wholesome food for thought. As a result, her narrative is an exercise of memory and interpretation that simultaneously textualizes her emotion through cognitive exploration and emotionalizes her text through memorable images. On the other hand, Julian transforms dominant emotional expressions in the crucifixion drama (such as grief and pain) into those of joy and bliss and thus resorts to emotion's compelling power to create and elevate. In her unique poetics of emotion, therefore, signs of sensuality are not invoked only to be transcended but rather to form an invigorating continuum with signs of spirituality, an integration allowing both emotional regeneration and intellective edification for both herself and all humanity.

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