Mystical Poetics

Mystical poetry enables an experience of the divine that discursive language cannot achieve. The development of Christian mysticism is deeply bound to poetics, drawing on Platonic poetry, Hebrew creation, and Christian kenosis as sources. Rhythm, language, and the poetic imagination are central to this tradition. The historical development of mystical poetry begins with early Christian reflection on figurative and lyrical uses of scripture to express a personal relationship with God. Vernacular mysticism is explored through four poets: Dante, Jacopone, Hadewijch, and Angelus Silesius. The interaction of poetic form and spiritual content demonstrates how poetics allows the mystical writer to achieve a result for the reader otherwise not possible in discursive forms.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The development of Christian mysticism is deeply bound to poetics. This examination first considers Platonic poetry, Hebrew creation, and Christian kenosis as sources of poetic mysticism, before turning to an elaboration of the role of rhythm, language, and the poetic imagination. The appraisal then considers the historical development of mystical poetry, beginning with early Christian reflection on the figurative and lyrical use of scriptural language to express a deep personal relationship with God. The development of vernacular mysticism, and its adoption of this scriptural model, is then explored through a detailed consideration of four mystical poets (Dante, Jacopone, Hadewijch, and Angelus Silesius). The interaction of poetic form and spiritual content is elaborated throughout, with the aim of demonstrating how poetics allows the mystical writer to achieve a result for the reader otherwise not possible in discursive forms of communication.