Afflatus

Afflatus is a Latin term used by Cicero in De Natura Deorum, ("The Nature of the Gods") and has been translated as "inspiration".

It was originally spelt adflatus, made up of ad (to) and flatus (blowing/breathing), the noun form of flāre (to blow).

It generally refers not to the usual sudden originality but the staggering and stunning blow of a new idea, which the recipient may be unable to explain.

In Romantic literature and criticism, in particular, the usage of afflatus was revived for the mystical form of poetic inspiration tied to genius, such as the story Samuel Taylor Coleridge offered for the composition of "Kubla Khan".

The frequent use of the Aeolian harp as a symbol for the poet was a play on the renewed emphasis on afflatus.