Thus, then, in accordance with the likely account, we must declare that this Cosmos has verily come into existence as a Living Creature endowed with soul and reason [...] a Living Creature, one and visible, containing within itself all the living creatures which are by nature akin to itself.

—Plato, Timaeus

A list of books that I feel are either trying to capture the soul of the world or explain why the soul left. Sorry it's a bit of a mess.