"I have been a multitude of shapes, Before I assumed a consistent form"

Taliesin’s statement “I have been a multitude of shapes, Before I assumed a consistent form” evokes the experience of transformation, both literal and metaphorical. The Welsh bard presents the idea that identity is not static; rather, it evolves through a succession of different incarnations or manifestations, each contributing to the becoming of the self. By claiming to have been many shapes, Taliesin alludes to mythic metamorphosis, perhaps referencing the iconic episode in Welsh mythology where the bard is transformed repeatedly by magical means. Yet, beyond legend, the phrase resonates with universal human experience. It suggests life as a journey filled with transitions. A person is not born fully formed but passes through numerous phases, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, each with its own challenges and revelations.

The “multitude of shapes” may also symbolize psychological or spiritual states. People adapt, sometimes unconsciously, to changing contexts and the expectations of others. We wear different masks, try on beliefs, experiment with passions and creative energies, enduring loss and discovering new facets of ourselves. Through these shifts, the underlying self remains in flux until a sense of unity or “consistent form” is achieved, self-recognition, the integration of disparate experiences into a cohesive identity.

Taliesin’s words echo the ancient idea of the soul’s migration through various existences or the artist’s shifting roles: a poet, a prophet, a fool, a visionary. The process is both tumultuous and necessary. Enduring transformation, one learns compassion, resilience, and insight. Assumption of a “consistent form” marks a moment of poetic fulfillment, self-realization, or enlightenment. Yet, interestingly, the narrative does not declare the journey finished. Consistency is always hard-won, forever subject to renewal. Taliesin’s shape-shifting metaphor celebrates the richness of change and acknowledges that authenticity is found not by denying transformation, but by embracing it, remembering every “shape” as a step toward becoming whole.