Laurence Housman’s The Moon-Flower and Victorian Mystic Imagination
Emilia Wieliczko-Paprota
Studia Anglica Posnaniensia December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1515/stap-2017-0015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that Laurence Housman's "The Moon-Flower" narrates an inner journey toward mystical union, using symbols to construct an inner landscape of transformation. The paper contends that the tale's metamorphosis draws on both fairy tale and religious traditions, and that Victorian fairy tales express a credible quintessence of the universe, uncovering a sublime world hidden beneath dull reality. |
Abstract
Abstract The paper explores the theme of mysticism in Laurence Housman’s fairy tale “The Moon-Flower” (1895). It presents the main assumptions of a Victorian inner journey toward a mystical union and analyses symbols which construct the inner landscape which undergoes a mystic transformation. The author attempts to show the metamorphosis of the fairy tale’s main characters and identify its roots in both fairy tale and religious traditions. It is argued that Victorian fairy tales reflect a credible quintessence of the universe. The retold tales of an archetypical quest full of powerful symbols uncover the sublime world hidden under the dull reality. Hence, “The Moon-Flower” is believed to tell the story of inner transformation and open the doors to the myriad stories which were told before and create countless possibilities of interpretation.