Poststructuralist Analysis of Contemporary Poetry: Deconstructing Meaning and Identity in Modern Verses

Poststructuralism challenges traditional views of language, meaning, and identity, particularly within contemporary poetry. In a poststructuralist reading, poetry is seen not as a fixed expression of meaning but as a site of unstable and fluid meanings. Poets, influenced by Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, often use fragmentation, ambiguity, and intertextuality to deconstruct established conventions of language and power. The focus is on how meaning shifts depending on context, reader interpretation, and linguistic structures. In contemporary poetry, this results in works that reflect the fluid nature of identity, the instability of personal experience, and the non-fixed status of meaning.

Through a poststructuralist lens, poets like John Ashbery, Anne Carson, and Derrick Austin create works where the conventional boundaries of syntax, narrative structure, and identity are blurred, forcing the reader to rethink identity and subjectivity. The idea of the self as a cohesive, unchanging entity is questioned, as poetry becomes a method for revealing the fragmented, multifaceted nature of human experience.

In poststructuralist poetry, language is not merely a tool for conveying information, but a medium that both reflects and constructs identity. Meaning is never static or universal; rather, it is dynamic and context-dependent. This allows poets to explore complex themes such as gender fluidity, cultural hybridity, and social alienation, all within a space where the reader’s interpretation is a key element in determining meaning.

Long Tail Keywords:

• Poststructuralist analysis of contemporary poetry

• Deconstructing meaning in modern poetry

• Fluidity of meaning in poststructuralist poetry

• Subjectivity and identity in contemporary verse