The Allegorical Image and Presence in Paul Celan’s “Wortaufschüttung”

This article discusses Paul Celan’s conception of the image through a close reading of his poem “Wortaufschüttung.” It reveals Celan’s engagement with allegory and baroque notions of the image as a sign which can only signify the absence of that which it presents. Yet Celan does not confine himself to such a negative, apophatic mode of expression. Thus, for Celan, poetry can testify to an originary speech that goes beyond mere negative signification. While the article concentrates on the image in Celan’s “Wortaufschüttung,” the introduction and conclusion suggest that the notion of the image discussed extends beyond the poem’s boundaries and informs Celan’s poetry and poetics more generally.