Isolation That Purifies

The concept of seclusion and isolation as it is articulated in the play through Prospero's and Miranda's solitariness on the island go me thinking. Mainly about books. Prospero's books have essentially caused him to have a limited social life, besides being banished of course. He is consumed by his books and they have lead him to ascertain great powers. I'm remined of a passage I read in my LIT 420 class, a critical theory class about Harold Bloom's view on literature. The passage comes from his book called, The Anxiety of Influence, in which he writes about the only way in which a modern poet can aspire to true greatness, is to feel, "a sorrow that purifies in isolation." This quote really stuck me with a profound feeling, I read it twice over and underlined it boldly. I think this idea of self reflection can really lead to great things, because there is so much we can be influenced by, yet the exploration of the self leads to a path of profoundly great writing. However, I think after the self is discovered we can then go out and experience the world, in a more knowledgeable and profound way. Much like Miranda, who has only known herself, sees her world as wonderful and awe inspiring, we as writers and people alike need to find ourselves before we find our world.