Representative Men · Theme
The Poet and Writer as Seer
How Representative Men develops The Poet and Writer as Seer.
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.
Where it surfaces
- 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.