Representative Men · Question
How does Representative Men develop the theme of The Poet and Writer as Seer?
Answer
Representative Men by Ralph Waldo Emerson develops The Poet and Writer as Seer across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The writer or poet is portrayed as a secretary of nature, reporting the facts of existence and translating the material world into spiritual and moral truths, with Shakespeare and Goethe as prime examples.
Plato is described as having a 'soliform eye' and 'boniform soul,' and his writings possess the sempiternal youth of poetry, with arguments that could be couched in sonnets.
Swedenborg is portrayed as a seer who accesses higher truths through intuition and vision, beyond empirical experience.
Shakespeare is depicted as a seer who read the hearts of men and women and wrote the text of modern life, yet fell short of exploring the spiritual meaning behind symbols.
Evidence in the book
- Plato: New Readings
Plato is described as having a 'soliform eye' and 'boniform soul,' and his writings possess the sempiternal youth of poetry, with arguments that could be couched in sonnets.
- Swedenborg; or, the Mystic
Swedenborg is portrayed as a seer who accesses higher truths through intuition and vision, beyond empirical experience.
- V: Shakespeare; or, the Poet
Shakespeare is depicted as a seer who read the hearts of men and women and wrote the text of modern life, yet fell short of exploring the spiritual meaning behind symbols.
- VII: Goethe; or, the Writer
Goethe is portrayed as the writer who reports the doings of the miraculous spirit of life, selecting and communicating the eminent characteristics of nature and experience.
