8 - Victorian poetry and religious diversity

Summary

Among the Romans a poet was called votes, which is as much a diviner, foreseer or prophet . . . so heavenly a title did that excellent people bestow upon this heart-ravishing knowledge . . . And may not I presume a little further, to show the reasonableness of this word votes, and say that the holy David's Psalms are a divine poem? . . . Neither let it be deemed too saucy a comparison to balance the highest point of man's wit with the efficacy of nature; but rather give right honour to the heavenly Maker of that maker.

Sir Philip Sidney, The Defence of Poetry (1595)

Vates means both Prophet and Poet; and indeed at all times, Prophet and Poet, well understood, have much kindred of meaning. Fundamentally indeed they are still the same; in this most important respect especially, that they have penetrated both of them into the sacred mystery of the Universe, what Goethe calls “the open secret!” . . . But now I say, whoever may forget this divine mystery, the Vates, whether Prophet or Poet, has penetrated into it; is a man sent hither to make it more impressively known to us.

Thomas Carlyle, “The Hero as Poet” (1841)