Mirror of Minds: Changing Psychological Beliefs in English Poetry

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The author explores how English poetry has mirrored evolving views of the human mind across different historical periods, focusing on themes such as humanity's cosmic place, the mind-body relationship, and the soul's potential survival after death. The significance of this subject lies in how self-aware poets have been influenced by their beliefs regarding senses, passions, reason, and imagination. The study identifies four key historical phases, each emphasizing different mental aspects. The first chapter examines the microcosmic view of humanity from the Middle Ages, influencing various poetic forms. The second chapter analyzes Shakespeare's evolving perspective on the mind and character. The third chapter discusses the philosophical and scientific shifts between Dryden and Wordsworth, highlighting the quest for clarity, the Augustan focus on reason, and the emergence of psychological associations. The fourth chapter addresses how Romantic poets utilized intuition and associations, alongside Victorian anxieties about immortality amid scientific progress. The final chapter traces the impact of "moment" philosophy from the aesthetes to T.S. Eliot, noting the influence of twentieth-century psychology on modern poetry. While poets are not systematic philosophers, this study illuminates significant imaginative concerns across eras, featuring insights on major writers from Chaucer to contemporary figures like Eliot and Auden.