Literary Term 14/05/12 – Afflatus

Being an English student and owning a good many books, I have been inspired to give you a new literary term each Monday!

Afflatus – This is a mid 17th Century Latin term that derived from the past particle of the word ‘afflare’: the verb ‘to blow’. It was thought that the Gods would blow on creative people who would inhale the breath and consequently have an idea. It originated from ‘On Divination’ by Cicero to mean a rush of unexpected breath or ‘to be blown into’ by a divine wind which brings with it new ideas and inspiration. Nowadays it is used as a more literary term for poetic inspiration that is sudden and considered to be of divine origin.