'From Spirit come the races of man and beast,
The life of birds, odd creatures the deep sea
Contains beneath her sparkling surfaces,
And fiery energy from a heavenly source
Belongs to the generative seeds of these,
So far as they are not poisoned or clogged
By mortal bodies, their free essence dimmed
By earthiness and deathliness of flesh.'
This is such a fascinating passage to me, for in this view 'the Spirit' is somewhat pantheistic in that is in all things and connects all things; it is also what every being returns to in death. This relates interestingly to Plato, for according to him, the spiritual is the actual reality. So for both, the physical is not permanent, but a blocking or poisoning of the essence of mankind. Once again, we see the potential window of influence Plato's thought had on Virgil. This belief that there is no need to fear death because of the resulting peace has certainly influenced our christian thought today.
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