Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

poetic fire as animating force

poetic_fire_as_animating_force

A motif of the Sacred Fire and Divine Light family, within the sub-family Mystical, Poetic, and Personified Fire. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

2 occurrences

1 traditions


greek

  • The Iliad CONCLUDING NOTE. / INTRODUCTION. / THEODORE ALOIS BUCKLEY. / POPES PREFACE TO THE ILIAD OF HOMER; lines 1209-1300 confidence: high

    Homer's invention is said to produce fire and rapture; everything moves and lives; the reader becomes hearer or spectator; his verse is compared to an army and to fire sweeping the earth, and his fancy to a chariot-wheel becoming fire by rapidity.

    Repeated fire images describe poetic power as sweeping, burning, flashing, glowing, and animating the reader's experience.

    read in the book
  • The Iliad CONCLUDING NOTE. / INTRODUCTION. / THEODORE ALOIS BUCKLEY. / POPES PREFACE TO THE ILIAD OF HOMER; lines 1209-1300 confidence: medium

    Homer's invention is said to produce fire and rapture; everything moves and lives, and the reader becomes hearer or spectator in councils and battles.

    The passage repeatedly uses fire imagery to describe the force, movement, and intensity of Homeric poetry and to compare other poets.

    read in the book