Poetry on the Scale of Music: A Reflection on Reza Baraheni’s Theory of Languageness

This study, drawing on Reza Baraheni’s theory of languageness, examines the relationship between poetry and music in Language Poetry and seeks to demonstrate how this mode of poetry departs from the conventional function of language as a medium for representing reality, moving instead toward a sonic and performative experience. The central problem of the study is that many critiques directed at Language Poetry have been shaped by criteria that evaluate language in relation to meaning, imagery, and reference to the external world. In Baraheni’s view, however, poetry operates on a level beyond these criteria, where language is transformed into a material for musical creation. The aim of the article is to elucidate this shift and to show how such concepts as syntactic deviation, sematic defamiliarization, polyphony, and linguistic madness contribute to the formation of this experience. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method based on a theoretical reading of Baraheni’s works. The findings suggest that if the criteria of criticism are shifted from language’s reference to external reality toward its reference to music and the auditory qualities of the text, many negative judgments about Language Poetry will require reconsideration. The significance of this study lies in its potential to provide a more precise mode of criticism, one better aligned with the internal logic of Language Poetry.