Intellectual Love or Amor Intellectualis is said to be the greatest quality. This quality is called Vibhakthi in Sanskrit. The mysticism which deals with Vibhakti is called Intellectual Mysticism.
We find many parallels in Walt Whitman and the poet Melpathur ( of Narayaneeyam fame ).
Vibhakti is Vedantic bhakti. The poet Melpathur was a great scholar in all the twelve sciences of Wisdom and he was a made poet like Milton. He had lived laborious days in mastering the twelve positive sciences – six auxiliary and six main – and he had consecrated himself to the Divine. He was the Milton of India ! He was a philosopher,scholar, poet and astrologer.
The Absolute Self of transcendental philosophy is the actual Godhead and the philosopher knows that Thee is Actual Me !
Walt Whitman said
I shrivel at the thought of Self
At Nature and Her wonders, Space, Time and Death
Then I turn to Thee, O Actual Me !
Lo Thou gently mastereth the orbs
Thou matest with Time, smilest content with Death
And fillest swellest the vastnesses of Space !
Melpathur said more or the less the same thing !
In reality I am Thee
For me no bondage
Nor liberation eternal
As all this is illumined
In Universal Mind
Mind binds, Mind liberates
I see Universe thru Mind
The beginingless Nescience
Binds Soul to body
I the Self am unbound
I am that I am !
As to a man in waking
Dream appears unreal
So also is waking state
Unreal in Transcendence !
Yadartha syath thvath mayaiva hi
Mama na Vibho vastavo bandha moksho
Maya Avidya Thanubhyam
Thava hi virachitho
Swapna bodho vapau Thau !