ABC of Spiritualism 92 & 93/100

92. Is there reason for thinking that Music, Art and Authorship of the highest type are direct inspirations from the spirit world upon earth sensitives?

The character and habits of musical composers and of the highest grade of artists and authors inspires the belief that these three classes of workers are mediums, developed or undeveloped, and that they are largely channels for the lofty music, art and literature given through them to the world.

93. Is there Special Reason for believing that the true Poet is a prophet, inspired and illumined by spirit influence, and that “the thoughts that breathe and the words that burn,, are given him from above?

That the true poets are prophets, and all the prophets are mediums, seems evident to one who studies their character and their lives. Most great poets (Homer, Milton, Shakespeare and others) expressly acknowledge that the source of their poetry is outside themselves by invoking their heavenly muse. The poets have all the peculiarities of Mediumship. They are, as a class, free thinkers. They are reformers in politics and many of them denominated infidels in religion. They are in a class by themselves, like mediums. They must have conditions harmonious or they cannot poetize. Many of them like Tennyson and Longfellow are known to have been Spiritualists. Many of them teach expressly spirit return (Homer Shakespeare, Longfellow, Tennyson), and their poetry is saturated with the Philosophy of Spiritualism. Read “Spiritualism and the Poets” in “Self Unfoldment,” published by The Austin Publishing Co., of Los Angeles, California.