Earthing the Cosmic Queen: Relevance Theory and the Song of Songs

Earthing the Cosmic Queen explores the connection of poet world and text in the Song of Songs based on the process of reading as understood by Relevance Theory. This linguistic theory reveals new insights into the Song of Songs by tracing associations between the poet and her world. The main portion of this book involves a discourse analysis of the entire Song for the purpose of revealing the poets cognitive environment and communicative intentions. Seven sites of discourse are explored: entreaties wasf the daughters royalty the brothers losing and finding and the Garden. The Garden of Eden strongly figures and could be considered a flashpoint of engagement. There is suggestion in the text that there is a crisis for the poet regarding her place in ancient Hebrew society. Thus the Garden of Eden texts and the Song of Songs are carefully contrasted to highlight the contours of her radical message. This is a fascinating book that introduces us to new modes of reading the Song of Songs. Yael Klangwisans careful and beautifully written analysis shines fresh light on an oft-studied biblical text and inspires us to contemplate it in new and sometimes surprising ways. Earthing the Cosmic Queen will be a valuable addition to the libraries of biblical scholars and interested readers alike. --Caroline Blyth Lecturer in Biblical Studies School of Theology University of Auckland As it unfolds Klangwisans book becomes as much a warm and joyous love song to the ancient poem as it is a careful analysis of the text. Her reading of how echoes from the primeval garden of Genesis are heard and reimagined in the voice of the Song yields much sweet fruit to savor and enjoy. --Kirsten Dawson Ecumenical Chaplain Wellington Hospital Yael Klangwisan is Senior Lecturer at Laidlaw College Auckland New Zealand. She is the author of Jouissance: A Cixousian Encounter with the Song of Songs (Sheffield Phoenix 2014).