The concept of space in travel literature

Travel accounts give rise to an exploration of terrestrial and maritime space that quickly extends beyond a purely geographical and mathematical dimension. They make it possible to produce a viatical discourse on space (whereby space is taken into account, is represented, apprehended, and circumscribed with the objective of sketching out an axiology and a taxonomy) while at the same time, stimulating an imagination of space (whereby a poetics having a genuine impact on other literary genres is deployed) and developing new symbolism (whereby an unknown space is interpreted through a constructed meaning that is inseparable from a known place of origin). Thus, space in travel literature reflects the intersecting of imaginary worlds, experiences, and writings, and thus represents a valuable vantage point for grasping a certain "modernity" of the 17th century. In the intersecting process, space can be seen to be ceaselessly creating and metamorphosing in reaction to new experiences. The discourse on space in the travel accounts is taxonomic, axiological, imaginary, mental, and symbolic all at the same time.