S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 6 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 2 0 2 3 Janneke van der Leest The poet’s consciousness looks up to the heavens and down to the seas and sees something beyond it: a “ universal spectacle ” that refers to the “ gathering waters of judgment ” (Bloom 1971, 163) and therefore has associations with the apocalypse, and at the same time symbolizes the universal as different parts coming together in a greater whole. This reminds us of Schleiermacher insight that the totality thanks its worth to the parts of which it consists. Wordsworth attains to an understanding of the relation between his own state of consciousness, being there at Mount Snowdon, and the ‘mighty mind’. His experience of conceiving what is around him, but also what is beyond, means that he feels the force to transcend himself and mediating nature. He speaks of ‘God’ but does not definitely put the label ‘God’ to that something beyond nature. The above-cited lines go on: That is exalted by an under-presence, The sense of God, or whatsoe’er is dim Or vast in its own being. Wordsworth experiences the oneness with the universe, reflects on that experience, is careful with regard to labeling it, and further on in hisConclusionhe gives that experience a place in his idea of poets asmediators : This is the very spirit in which they deal With all the objects of the universe: They from their native selves can send abroad Like transformation, for themselves create A like existence, and, when’er it is Created for them, catch it by an instinct. 3.3 Shelley’s Hymn to Intellectual Beauty Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) was infamous in his days for writing an atheist pamphlet. He nevertheless links a cer - tain divine inspiration to poetry. The poemHymn to Intellectual Beauty (written in 1816) represents a link between the poet’s early atheism and his later more complex reflections on the divine. Again, we deal with an autobiographical based poem. TheHymn consists of seven stanzas and the first shows some keywords of Shelley’s view on poetry. He describes an “ unseen Power ” and its shadow, “ visiting … with as inconstant wing as summer winds ”. Metaphors like “ shadow ”, “ visiting ”, “ inconstancy ”, “ wind(s) ” point to a coming and going whenever the Pow - er wants to, towards being intangible, invisible. The words have a divine connotation. In the next stanza one can read how Shelley longs to hold on the “ Spirit of Beauty ”, which is another name for the shadow of the Power and refers to the title Intellectual Beauty , which means spiritual beauty or beauty beyond the senses (Bloom 1971, 290). Shelley searches for answers to existential questions in the third stanza. He realizes that religiosity cannot help him, instead it makes everything more obscure by raising doubts. Shelley prefers the Spirit of Beauty above religion, because it gives grace and truth. It is a kind of worldly substitute to the confusing religions: it is “ nourishment ” to “ human thought ”. While seemingly worldly or secular, it is nevertheless out of human control. In the fifth stanza Shelley describes how in his youth he tried, by spiritualistic activities, to find contact with the supernatu - ral, which he was not able to reach: While yet a boy I sought for ghosts, and sped Through many a listening chamber, cave and ruin, And starlight wood, with fearful steps pursuing Hopes of high talk with the departed dead. I called on poisonous names with which our youth is fed; I was not heard; I saw them not; When musing deeply on the lot Of life, at that sweet time when winds are wooing All vital things that wake to bring News of birds and blossoming, Sudden, thy shadow fell on me; I shriek’d, and clasped my hands in ecstasy! Shelley was searching, but he could not find what he was looking for. Conversely, he himself is found, while he was in deep thought about life’s fate. The poet has no control over the shadow of the Power, it visits him most unexpected and suddenly. After this climax, the last two stanzas are quieter. Shelley tells that he promised the Power to dedicate his own powers to it. Here we read that the poet conceives it as his task to mediate this visitation, to use Schleiermacher’s and Shel - ley’s term. Shelley’s essay on romantic poetry, Defence of Po - etry, empathizes the importance of this task: “ poetry redeems
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzgxMzI=