Reading the excerpt from the "Il Penseroso" (The Serious Man) by John Milton, 5the phrase "Prophetic strain" means an effort is required to be a visionary.
The melancholic mood is glorified by the speaker as a means by which to "attain / To something like prophetic strain,".
What’s the other part to this ?
The special way a person acts that makes them themselves which differs between others and them