Paracelsus in Excelsis
‘Being no longer human, why should I Pretend humanity or don the frail attire? Men have I known and men, but never one Was grown so free an essence, or become So simply element as what I am. The mist goes from the mirror and I see. Behold! the world of forms is swept beneath- Turmoil grown visible beneath our peace, And we that are grown formless, rise above- Fluids intangible that have been men, We seem as statues round whose high-risen base Some overflowing river is run mad, In us alone the element of calm.'
Paracelsus in Excelsis - meaning Summary
Transcending Human Form
The poem presents a speaker who claims to have moved beyond ordinary humanity into a purer, elemental state. They describe shedding human guise and perceiving the world of forms as a troubled illusion while themselves becoming formless, calm, and elevated. Imagery of mist, mirrors, rivers, and statues conveys a transition from visible turmoil to an inner, collected essence that stands apart from and above human unrest.
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