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2edwinbcn
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics
Finished reading: 1 April 2012
C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963) was a scholar, and a writer. Beside scholarly publications, he wrote and published novels and a small body of poetry. Having fallen away from his faith in his youth, becoming an atheist at the age of 15, he regressed to theism in 1929, and converted to Christianity in 1931, becoming a member in the Church of England. Following his conversion he became an apologist of the Christian, and published many books exploring religious questions.
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics was published in 1919, when C. S. Lewis was just 20 years old. It is a difficult cycle of poems, dark and gloomy, and packed with references to Irish-Celtic mythology, as well as Classical mythology. The cycle consists of three parts: (I) The Prison House, (II) Hesitation and (III) The Escape, consisting of 40 poems and a Prologue. The cycle suggests a progression from (Winter, through Spring), Summer and Autumn (in Part 1); the following parts contain no references to the seasons.
The dark atmosphere of the cycle can be ascribed to Lewis's experience in the Great War. Despite his atheism, his interest in the occult speaks through the place given in the poems to Satan, sorcery (ghosts and witches) and the ruthlessness of nature. Fear and hesitation are the effects of these brutal forces. Poem (II) French Nocturne (Monchy-Le-Preux) speaks explicitly of the horror of the war, the trenches, bombing and sacked villages.
Another theme, apparent, is homesickness. While the Phoenicians describe and long for a Paradise in the West, the Garden of the Hesperides, Lewis's longing for the Tin Isles is a longing for home and the steadfastness of that home as expressed in the poems In Praise Of Solid People (XXIV) and Oxford (XXX).
The cycle also describes a turn in fate of the spirit, over the course of a day, from Night, To Sleep, Noon, Autumn Morning and Night, again, the mood swings from Despair, to desolation, to an idle hope in dreams and revelry, and back to despair, the way out only to be found in death.
Superficially, the poems could be seen as an adolescents verbal Symphonie fantastique; however, since they were written by C.S. Lewis they deserve closer scrutiny. Regarding his professed atheism, the religious overtones of the poems are remarkable, particularly the references to Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.
Milton Read Again (In Surrey)
Three golden months while summer on us stole
I have read your joyful tale another time,
Breathing more freely in that larger clime
And learning wiselier to deserve the whole.
Your Spirit, Master, has been close at hand
And guided me, still pointing treasures rare,
Thick-sown where I before saw nothing fair
And finding waters in the barren land,
Barren once thought because my eyes were dim.
Like one I am grown to whom the common field
And often-wandered copse one morning yield
New pleasures suddenly; for over him
Falls the weird spirit of unexplained delight,
New mystery in every shady place,
In every whispering tree a nameless grace,
New rapture on the windy seaward height.
So may she come to me, teaching me well
To savour all these sweets that lie to hand
In wood and lane about this pleasant land
Though it be not the land where I would dwell.
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics is the only work of C.S. Lewis in the public domain. I enjoyed listening to the Librivox recording, and have reread the poems several times, using the etext from the Project Gutenberg.
Rereading is a must, for a complex work like this.
Finished reading: 1 April 2012
C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963) was a scholar, and a writer. Beside scholarly publications, he wrote and published novels and a small body of poetry. Having fallen away from his faith in his youth, becoming an atheist at the age of 15, he regressed to theism in 1929, and converted to Christianity in 1931, becoming a member in the Church of England. Following his conversion he became an apologist of the Christian, and published many books exploring religious questions.
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics was published in 1919, when C. S. Lewis was just 20 years old. It is a difficult cycle of poems, dark and gloomy, and packed with references to Irish-Celtic mythology, as well as Classical mythology. The cycle consists of three parts: (I) The Prison House, (II) Hesitation and (III) The Escape, consisting of 40 poems and a Prologue. The cycle suggests a progression from (Winter, through Spring), Summer and Autumn (in Part 1); the following parts contain no references to the seasons.
The dark atmosphere of the cycle can be ascribed to Lewis's experience in the Great War. Despite his atheism, his interest in the occult speaks through the place given in the poems to Satan, sorcery (ghosts and witches) and the ruthlessness of nature. Fear and hesitation are the effects of these brutal forces. Poem (II) French Nocturne (Monchy-Le-Preux) speaks explicitly of the horror of the war, the trenches, bombing and sacked villages.
Another theme, apparent, is homesickness. While the Phoenicians describe and long for a Paradise in the West, the Garden of the Hesperides, Lewis's longing for the Tin Isles is a longing for home and the steadfastness of that home as expressed in the poems In Praise Of Solid People (XXIV) and Oxford (XXX).
The cycle also describes a turn in fate of the spirit, over the course of a day, from Night, To Sleep, Noon, Autumn Morning and Night, again, the mood swings from Despair, to desolation, to an idle hope in dreams and revelry, and back to despair, the way out only to be found in death.
Superficially, the poems could be seen as an adolescents verbal Symphonie fantastique; however, since they were written by C.S. Lewis they deserve closer scrutiny. Regarding his professed atheism, the religious overtones of the poems are remarkable, particularly the references to Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.
Milton Read Again (In Surrey)
Three golden months while summer on us stole
I have read your joyful tale another time,
Breathing more freely in that larger clime
And learning wiselier to deserve the whole.
Your Spirit, Master, has been close at hand
And guided me, still pointing treasures rare,
Thick-sown where I before saw nothing fair
And finding waters in the barren land,
Barren once thought because my eyes were dim.
Like one I am grown to whom the common field
And often-wandered copse one morning yield
New pleasures suddenly; for over him
Falls the weird spirit of unexplained delight,
New mystery in every shady place,
In every whispering tree a nameless grace,
New rapture on the windy seaward height.
So may she come to me, teaching me well
To savour all these sweets that lie to hand
In wood and lane about this pleasant land
Though it be not the land where I would dwell.
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics is the only work of C.S. Lewis in the public domain. I enjoyed listening to the Librivox recording, and have reread the poems several times, using the etext from the Project Gutenberg.
Rereading is a must, for a complex work like this.
3streamsong
ewinbcn thank you for posting that. I have not read any of Lewis's poetry.
I've been reading several of CS Lewis books using the Teaching Company/Great Courses's The Life and Writings of C S Lewis as my guide. Louis Markos dismisses his poetry out of hand as 'not very good' so it's interesting to see an example of it and to know it's available in the public domain.
I'm currently reading Mere Christianity.
I've been reading several of CS Lewis books using the Teaching Company/Great Courses's The Life and Writings of C S Lewis as my guide. Louis Markos dismisses his poetry out of hand as 'not very good' so it's interesting to see an example of it and to know it's available in the public domain.
I'm currently reading Mere Christianity.
4MarthaJeanne
I'm starting by rereading The Chronicles of Narnia. Today I read The Magician's Nephew.
5marell
I will be reading A Year with C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works. The book includes biographical commentary too.
6edwinbcn
Today, I have also started reading A Year with C. S. Lewis: 365 Daily Readings from his Classic Works
7MarthaJeanne
I've now also read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Horse and His Boy. I have a book of his essays ordered, and am wondering if I should try the trilogy http://www.librarything.com/series/Space+Trilogy again. I tried it over 30 years ago and really did not enjoy it.
Edited to add Prince Caspian
Now I've finished The chronicles of Narnia.
In the meantime I am reading Essay collection : faith, christianity and the church. I'm enjoying it very much.
Edited to add Prince Caspian
Now I've finished The chronicles of Narnia.
In the meantime I am reading Essay collection : faith, christianity and the church. I'm enjoying it very much.
8edwinbcn
I finished reading A year with C. S. Lewis. 365 daily readings from his classic works about one week ago. I really hated that book (I seldom hate books). I cannot stand this apologetic style, pulling God into all and everything, telling readers how misguided they are when they do not believe. In this book, Lewis is dogmatic and uninspiring.
I also did not like the way the book was organized, with short readings for every day of the year. Firstly, because there is no logic to the selection and spread over the year. Secondly, because that reading mode, i.e. pick up the book randomly on a day and read the excerpt for that day, would not work, because some days would have to be read consecutively, as entries could otherwise not be understood. Even more superfluous seemed the sparse, ultra-short and factual notes on some pages, referring to facts and events in C.S. Lewis' life.
What a horror to include this book in the Library of the International Space Station
9MarthaJeanne
Well, I finished the essays. I actually enjoyed the book at some levels. There is no denying that Lewis was racist, sexist, classist, highly egocentric... I can't imagine reading just paragraphs picked out of his essays. Even when they run a lot longer than I think necessary for the content, it is the longer context that makes him more human and his opinions easier to digest. It is the discussion around the concentrated bits that I found most useful.
However his arguments came across over 50 years ago, many of them are not convincing today. But in many of them there are nuggets that are worth taking out and reworking.
However his arguments came across over 50 years ago, many of them are not convincing today. But in many of them there are nuggets that are worth taking out and reworking.
10edwinbcn
055. A year with C. S. Lewis. 365 daily readings from his classic works
Finished reading: 16 April 2012
C. S. Lewis'book A year with C. S. Lewis. 365 daily readings from his classic works is edited as a devotional calendar. For everyday of the year, in chronological order from January 1 through December 31, the book consists of excerpts from a number of C.S. Lewis' philosophical and spiritual books. Philosophical and spiritual means Christian, in this context. The excerpts are taken from The Abolition of Man, The Great Divorce, A Grief Observed, Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Problem of pain, The Screwtape Letters, and The Weight of Glory. From each of these works, short readings are chosen for every day of the year. There is no discernible logic to the selection and spread over the year. However, while on most devotional calendars selections for a day are "stand-alone" pieces, presenting a selections of disconnected pieces every day, this book by Lewis cannot be read in that way, because some days would have to be read consecutively, as entries could otherwise not be understood. There are many such short series, which require quite concentrated reading, and since the book consists of rather philosophical texts, a day-by-day reading is rather disruptive (although I suppose Christians are quite used to that kind of reading mode). Rather superfluous seem the sparse, ultra-short and factual notes on some pages, referring to facts and events in C.S. Lewis' life.
From a reading of this book, C.S. Lewis appears as a deeply, and dogmatically religious person. The aim of the book is quite clearly to convert readers to Christianity. References to God or Jesus appear in multiplicity in almost every paragraph, telling readers how misguided they are when they do not believe. The main theme in all excerpts is the proof of the existence of God. In this book, Lewis is dogmatic and uninspiring.
What a horror to include this book in the Library of the International Space Station .
Other books I have read by C.S. Lewis:
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics
Finished reading: 16 April 2012
C. S. Lewis'book A year with C. S. Lewis. 365 daily readings from his classic works is edited as a devotional calendar. For everyday of the year, in chronological order from January 1 through December 31, the book consists of excerpts from a number of C.S. Lewis' philosophical and spiritual books. Philosophical and spiritual means Christian, in this context. The excerpts are taken from The Abolition of Man, The Great Divorce, A Grief Observed, Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Problem of pain, The Screwtape Letters, and The Weight of Glory. From each of these works, short readings are chosen for every day of the year. There is no discernible logic to the selection and spread over the year. However, while on most devotional calendars selections for a day are "stand-alone" pieces, presenting a selections of disconnected pieces every day, this book by Lewis cannot be read in that way, because some days would have to be read consecutively, as entries could otherwise not be understood. There are many such short series, which require quite concentrated reading, and since the book consists of rather philosophical texts, a day-by-day reading is rather disruptive (although I suppose Christians are quite used to that kind of reading mode). Rather superfluous seem the sparse, ultra-short and factual notes on some pages, referring to facts and events in C.S. Lewis' life.
From a reading of this book, C.S. Lewis appears as a deeply, and dogmatically religious person. The aim of the book is quite clearly to convert readers to Christianity. References to God or Jesus appear in multiplicity in almost every paragraph, telling readers how misguided they are when they do not believe. The main theme in all excerpts is the proof of the existence of God. In this book, Lewis is dogmatic and uninspiring.
What a horror to include this book in the Library of the International Space Station .
Other books I have read by C.S. Lewis:
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics
11edwinbcn
061. The problem of pain
Finished reading: 29 April 2012
The problem of pain is C.S. Lewis first book about Christianity. Many readers are disappointed that the book is not about "pain," as they might be looking for solace. In C.S. Lewis' book pain is a problem, because it seemingly denies the existence of God.
In The problem of pain Lewis is still a hesitant apologist. His main thesis is born out of a negation. In the first chapter he refers to the time he was an atheist as "not many years ago" (which was in fact nearly a decade), posing that if anyone had asked him then why he were not a Christian, his answer would refer to the coldness and suffering in the world.
C.S. Lewis had been an atheist since his early teenage years. The foundation for his atheism seems rather weak. After a Christian upbringing he "abandoned" the faith for Nordic mythology and the occult. It seems Lewis built a personal cult around his professed atheism, which was more like a cloak, a screen behind which he made up his mind about the existence of God.
Although Lewis remained an atheist until at least 1929, when he embraced theism, before his Christian conversion in 1931. The problem of pain seems born out of his youthful "anger with God for not existing" and the horrors Lewis had witnessed during the trench war of the Great War in France. His poetry of that period Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics seems to carry the seeds of a return to Christianity, with its focus on evil, pain and suffering.
A peculiar aspect of the publication history is that Lewis originally hoped to publish The problem of pain as shame and inexperience (as a layman) made him want to hide in anonymity. It hints at a certain uncertainty and discomfort at making bold statements, which he however not shuns, and which make this and later books so unpalatable to readers. Unlike many of his later works, which are outspoken apologetic, The problem of pain is written as a theodicy, an attempt at reconciliation.
Superficially, The problem of pain seems a very readable book. At a glance, many sentences are captivating and invite to further reading. However, as in other, later works, Lewis has a very dogmatic style, which leaves the reader no space to make up their own mind. There is no residual trace of doubt in Lewis' mind, but denying readers to retrace their own steps, makes his books unreadable, to all those readers who are less convinced.
Lewis' Christian works are likely enjoyable to Christian readers. But what is the point of writing apologetic works for your own congregation?
Other books I have read by C.S. Lewis:
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics
A year with C. S. Lewis. 365 daily readings from his classic works
Finished reading: 29 April 2012
The problem of pain is C.S. Lewis first book about Christianity. Many readers are disappointed that the book is not about "pain," as they might be looking for solace. In C.S. Lewis' book pain is a problem, because it seemingly denies the existence of God.
In The problem of pain Lewis is still a hesitant apologist. His main thesis is born out of a negation. In the first chapter he refers to the time he was an atheist as "not many years ago" (which was in fact nearly a decade), posing that if anyone had asked him then why he were not a Christian, his answer would refer to the coldness and suffering in the world.
C.S. Lewis had been an atheist since his early teenage years. The foundation for his atheism seems rather weak. After a Christian upbringing he "abandoned" the faith for Nordic mythology and the occult. It seems Lewis built a personal cult around his professed atheism, which was more like a cloak, a screen behind which he made up his mind about the existence of God.
Although Lewis remained an atheist until at least 1929, when he embraced theism, before his Christian conversion in 1931. The problem of pain seems born out of his youthful "anger with God for not existing" and the horrors Lewis had witnessed during the trench war of the Great War in France. His poetry of that period Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics seems to carry the seeds of a return to Christianity, with its focus on evil, pain and suffering.
A peculiar aspect of the publication history is that Lewis originally hoped to publish The problem of pain as shame and inexperience (as a layman) made him want to hide in anonymity. It hints at a certain uncertainty and discomfort at making bold statements, which he however not shuns, and which make this and later books so unpalatable to readers. Unlike many of his later works, which are outspoken apologetic, The problem of pain is written as a theodicy, an attempt at reconciliation.
Superficially, The problem of pain seems a very readable book. At a glance, many sentences are captivating and invite to further reading. However, as in other, later works, Lewis has a very dogmatic style, which leaves the reader no space to make up their own mind. There is no residual trace of doubt in Lewis' mind, but denying readers to retrace their own steps, makes his books unreadable, to all those readers who are less convinced.
Lewis' Christian works are likely enjoyable to Christian readers. But what is the point of writing apologetic works for your own congregation?
Other books I have read by C.S. Lewis:
Spirits in bondage. A cycle of lyrics
A year with C. S. Lewis. 365 daily readings from his classic works
