SOURCE: "Theodore Roethke: The Manic Vision," in Modern Poetry Studies, Vol. XI, Nos. 1-2, 1982, pp. 152-64.

In the following essay, examines the connection between Roethke's manic-depression and evidence of mystical themes in his works.

Although Theodore Roethke's manic depressive syndrome, which troubled him most of his adult life, and his interest in mysticism, particularly during his last decade, have been fairly well documented, no one has ever commented on the significant connection between these two things. This is a curious oversight because the relationship, far from being remote, is a causal one, with Roethke's manic experiences leading him inevitably to mystical literature in search of a parallel for his own unusual perceptions. He found in the writing of mystics and scholars of mysticism validation of his manic-depressive experiences and a way to order the manic vision which, without a larger context, must initially have appeared aberrant and chaotic...