Abstract
Abstract
Chapter 6 explores the Gestalt principles of good continuation and closure and the concept of requiredness in biblical poetry, in relation to both structure and effects. Good continuation is the tendency for patterns to perpetuate themselves in the mental process of the perceiver. In verbal art, continuation is not simply repetition; it implies change within a continuous process. Closure in perception refers to the grouping together of stimuli that form a closed figure. In verbal art, closure occurs as expectations for the structure of the emerging whole are met, and closure itself creates the expectation of nothing more. Requiredness is the demand that one part of the perceptual field has on another. Biblical poetry exploits requiredness for structure and effects in symmetrical contexts and in other contexts of grammatical requiredness. The chapter closes with a discussion of how to move from Gestalt principles to principled lineations in biblical poetry.
Publisher
Oxford University PressNew York
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