TNTL 116/2

M. Goud

 'Den dichter met den ver-starenden blik' Over P.C. Boutens' 'Sterren. Voor J.Th. Toorop' (1917)

Abstract - The Dutch symbolist poet P.C. Boutens (1870-1943) frequently used stars and the cosmos as motifs in his poetry. In 1917 he published a poem entitled 'Sterren' ('Stars'), dedicated to the Dutch painter Jan Th. Toorop. Two central themes in this poem are the visionary gaze - directed at the infinity of the cosmos - and the fact that it is impossible for a human being to see 'God' (or a higher, transcendental reality) in this life on earth. In this article, an interpretation of this poem will be presented. The poem will also be related to classical cosmology, especially Plato's Timaeus. Finally, it will be compared with Cheops, a poem published by J.H. Leopold in 1915.

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