prompted, prompting

[vil]

Dear teacher,

Would you be please so kind to explain to me with a few plain English words the necessity of the usage of the prompted, prompting in the following passage:

I know that
prompted = give an incentive for action, give an bonus, give an inducement

and
prompting = persuasion formulated as a suggestion, a cue given to a performer

Could you tell me more about these usage of the both words together with the thought. I understand the sense, but something grates my mind.

There would be no inconsistency if we stressed the biblical resonance of the word ‘world’. Joy, love, light, etc., are not to be found ‘in the world’. They are only to be found if we are not of the world, even though we are in it, here as on a darkling plain, where ignorant armies clash by night.[7] Arnold implies that in the real world, as opposed to ‘the land of dreams’, the only possible place in which to find joy, love, light, etc., is within and between human beings. There is some complexity in the lines, because they appear to express two propositions at once. The first denies that the desired states are to be found in the world which ‘seems to lie before us like a land of dreams’. In other words it is an illusion to suppose that joy, love light, etc., come to us through faith and a relationship with God. The second denies that they are to be found in the world in which ignorant armies clash by night.[8]
The direction in which the poet turns for ‘consolation’ (let us be true/ To one another) might appear more revelatory than consolatory if we think of it as a prompted, prompting thought which shows him something true.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

V.

[David L.]

...if we think of it as prompting thought that shows him something true.

This is grammatically correct, but I'm not exactly sure what is meant.

[vil]

Dear David L.

Thank you for your due backing.

I allow oneself to switch the conversation in another direction. I know what is the meaning of "prompting thought". I know what is the meaning of "prompted thought". But I wander at the following combination of words: prompted, prompting thought.

Let's see a more simple example:He answered through the locked door.
He answered through the locking door.
He answered through the locked, locking door.

Do you see some sense in the last three sentences?

V.

[David L.]

He answered through the locked door.
Correct. It means that he replied, but either didn't open the door, or couldn't because it was locked and he didn't have the key, so he had to be heard from the other side of the closed door.

He answered through the locking door.
Incorrect. One could say,
He answered as he/they locked the door
He answered as he was locking the door
He answered through the sound of the locking door (that is, his voice had to penetrate, be heard above,to be heard over, the sound of the door being locked)

[vil]

Hi David L.

Thank you for your prompt and comprehensive reply. Your last reply supports indirectly my suspicion concerning the usage the expression prompted, prompting thought in my primary post, which goes to show that there was really a misconception.

Thank you for your consciousness and application, which you produce always by giving your explanations.

V.