The alchemist in literature : from Dante to the present /
This study traces the figure of the alchemist in Western literature from its first appearance in Dante down to the present. From the beginning alchemy has had two aspects: exoteric or operative (the transmutation of baser metals into gold) and esoteric or speculative (the spiritual transformation of...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford, United Kingdom :
Oxford University Press,
2015.
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| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | This study traces the figure of the alchemist in Western literature from its first appearance in Dante down to the present. From the beginning alchemy has had two aspects: exoteric or operative (the transmutation of baser metals into gold) and esoteric or speculative (the spiritual transformation of the alchemist himself). As scholarly interest in alchemy intensified, writers were attracted to the figure of the alchemist and his quest for power. The figure of the alchemist in literature provides a seismograph for major shifts in intellectual and cultural history. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (x, 237 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780191063817 0191063819 9780191809187 0191809187 |