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Romantic Backgrounds: The Function of Prophesy and Poetry

Richard Kroll, UCI

In the Christian Scheme, recognition on the part of the hearer leads to salvation, redemption. In the Romantic Scheme, realization occurs in the mind of the reader/audience. In both worlds, Man has become alienated or exists in a state of alienation, such that the recognition or rediscovery of the objects of his/her quest is very difficult. How can Man overcome alienation? The first chart shows the Christian scheme, and the second one details the Romantic scheme:

		SUBJECT
		(Man)
		^
		Prophet
		^
		Medium of the Spirit (Pneuma)
		Prophecy
		The Word (Logos)
	^		^
	^		^
OBJECT (God)				OBJECT (Nature/Other Humans, i.e. society)

	SUBJECT
	(Man)
	^
	Poet/Prophet
	^
	Medium of Poetry
^		^
[intimated, adumbrated]		^
^		^
OBJECT (Noumenon) Spirit/Idea; The Transcendental; The Beyond; The Unknown			OBJECT (Phenomenon) Nature/Other humans, society?