Abstract
This paper discusses the disappointment produced by poetics for a certain kind of literary reading, and its implications for critical practice. Reading two texts by Plato, I consider the seductive force of the withholding or refusing of knowledge, and in particular, the compound erotic and philosophical desire of Alcibiades. Through a brief overview of J-D Nasio's work on love and pain, I outline the therapeutic importance of erotic disappointment in his theory, and contrast with the therapeutic role played by poetics in Wordsworth's Preface. Finally, I suggest how Nasio and recent work in poetic theory might offer a supplement to Wordsworth's conception, underscoring the importance of ‘Alcibiadean’ disappointment, and I read ‘Simon Lee’ in light of this supplement.
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