The Philosophy of Stillness
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks 1991 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-13463-2_3 (opens in new tab)
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AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that a basic lack of information about mysticism has led critics to undervalue Eliot's mystical attitude as a structuring element of Four Quartets. The essay challenges the assumption that authentic mystical literature must have an erotic-devotional character, noting that H. Servotte takes the absence of eroticism in Four Quartets as evidence that the poem differs from ordinary mystical literature. |
Abstract
Basic lack of information concerning mysticism is perhaps one of the main reasons why Eliot’s mystical attitude, or his philosophy of mysticism, has not always been regarded by critics as fundamental to the inner composition of Four Quartets . The tendency in general is to imagine that a work of mystical literature — if it is really authentic — will be characterised by an intense erotic-devotional atmosphere. ‘[T]he erotic relation between man and woman’, writes Dr H. Servotte, ‘… is the common analogy [used by the mystics in their writings] for the relation between man and God.’ 1 The fact, therefore, that ‘in Four Quartets eroticism is conspicuously absent’ encourages Servotte to conclude that both the end and the starting-point of Four Quartets are different from those of ordinary mystical literature. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.