Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.21464/fi45401

Metaphors and Personifications in O qui perpetua – a Hermeneutic Discussion on the Divine Order

Martina Matosović Pongrac orcid.org/0009-0006-3335-8609 ; II. Ferenščica 11, HR–10000 Zagreb

Abstract

The paper presents a hermeneutic analysis of the poem O Qui Perpetua from Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, aimed at examining the connection between aesthetic, philosophical and theological expression. The poem is interpreted as a contemplative prayer combining philosophical cognition and spiritual exploration, with stylistic devices conveying ontological and gnoseological content. While the prayer contains motifs similar to Neoplatonic theurgy, Boethius’s work remains in the Christian contemplative tradition, in which cognition is a gift of grace rather than the result of technique. Here, prayer is not a ritual but an aspiration of the soul and reason toward the transcendent. Boethius’s poetics transcend the aesthetic framework, achieving a synthesis of philosophy, theology, and lyrical introspection. This creates a space in which aesthetic speech becomes a means of contemplation and insight into the divine Logos.

Keywords

prayer; contemplation; philosophy; God; Boethius; Consolation of Philosophy

Hrčak ID:

345851

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/345851

Publication date:

30.12.2025.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 603 *