Spiritual Dimension In The Poetry Of Yeats And Iqbal

From Fantasy to Faith: An Exploration of Spiritual Dimension in the poetry of Yeats and Iqbal

Author: Dr. TanveerHussain
Iqbal Institute of Culture and Philosophy,
Kashmir University

ABSTRACT In the beginning of the 20th century,the Victorian scientific rationalism with its empirical world outlook was questioning the existence of metaphysical reality. Every new theory and invention contributed to the materialistic interpretation of the man-universe relationship. Darwin and Lamarck declared man as a descendant of the ape. The new discoveries in physics and astronomy dealt a severe blow to the biblical notion of the universe. It was the age of suspicion and every custom and belief was put to philosophical scrutiny.European colonizers manipulatedthesescientific theories to serve their vested interests by fabricating the myth of superior status in

This metaphysical influence is quite evident in the poetry of Yeats. Even in folk tales, the fairies and ghosts are intimately associated with the mountains, rivers, forests and lakes of the Ireland. In Irish culture and folklore there exists a spiritual bond between supernatural beings and humans. It would not be an exaggeration if we state that the belief in metaphysical existence is an integral part of Irish consciousness. While referring to the poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innis free’, Harper points to the same inclination when she suggests that ‘imagined lake water has a deeper spiritual significance than personal nostalgia for one remembered place and time’ (p.152).It was Yeats’ closeness with the spiritual realm that he desires an idealistic way of life where materialistic forces have no say in controlling life and dreams of an ordinary man. He