Resonance and culture: Reading poetry as a sphere of meaning

How can resonance in the reception of poetry be understood sociologically? How does the subjective response to poetic works relate to more general social and symbolic structures? I combine Hartmut Rosa’s Resonance Theory with a cultural sociological perspective to illustrate how vertical spheres of resonance—art, nature, religion, or history—can be understood as structures of meaning. I demonstrate how actors transformatively adapt (anverwandeln) a segment of the world to sustain personal meaning and the possibility of resonance. Using Tomas Tranströmer’s poetry as a case study, I demonstrate how poetic reception embodies core elements of resonance—affect, self-efficacy, transformation, and uncontrollability. The cultural sociological reading of Resonance Theory helps to explain the broader cultural dynamics at play. Reception, thus, can be understood as a continuous process in which poetic work becomes a dialogue that reshapes both reader and text. I focus on three phenomena of reception: meaningfulness of form, elemental significance, and uncontrollability of the author’s voice. Ultimately, the case study reveals how poetry, as an iconic medium for existential inquiry, can foster a contemplative relationship to the world—one that resists the instrumentalization of modern society.