THE RECEPTION OF FRANCISCAN MYSTICS IN EUROPEAN POETRY OF THE 17TH CENTURY

Abstract

European poetry of the 17th century has its own complicated metaphoric language the interpretation of which depends on understanding of different contexts. It is especially true about religious poetry that does not only use metaphors, motifs and stories from the Bible but also perceive the biblical text through some confessions and often through some directions within a confession. Such cultural and historical code is important and necessary for reception and interpretation of poetical text. Franciscans as a special direction in Roman Catholic spirituality influenced very much on European literature and especially on religious poetry of Middle ages, Renaissance and Baroque i.e. the late 16th – 17th centuries. The main point of the article is studying of key images and motifs of Franciscan spirituality that were expressed in German mystical poetry (on texts by Johannes Scheffler familiarly known as Angelus Silesius). Except traditional motifs of poverty, God’s love, one can find out thoughts about relationships between the Creator and its creature popular in theology and religious experience of Franciscans in his poetry. In poetry such ideas as an experience of communication with God are transmitted through poetical language, metaphors and also through special mean of concordia discors or connecting unconnectable.