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Wordsworth wrote an endless poem in blank verse on” the growth of a poet’s mind.”  I shall attempt a more modest feat for a more distracted age: a blog, “Things which a Lifetime of Trying to Be a Poet has Taught Me.”

NOTE:  Starting in July, 2020, Dr. Williams’s poetry blog will  be moving to http://www.thefivepilgrims.com.  Watch for it there!

Plato started a conversation in The Republic that is still ongoing.  Fortunately for us, Sir Philip Sidney was one of the participants.

Plato

THE CHALLENGE OF “THE REPUBLIC”

Plato banned the Poets from his state,

Yet said, if one could make a sound defense

In lilting verse with cogent arguments

That they do more than merely imitate

An imitation and dissimulate,

He’d take them back again.  And ever since

Our best minds have been trying to convince

His cautious Guardians of their mistake.

 

Sir Philip Sidney laid a firm foundation

In his divine “Defense of Poesy”:

The Poet gives us Virtue’s exaltation

More strong than History or Philosophy,

Concretely shows through his imagination

Not just what is, but more:  what ought to be.

Sir Philip Sidney

Remember: for more poetry like this, order Dr. Williams’s collected poetry, Stars through the Clouds, 2^nd edition (Lantern Hollow Press, 2020) at https://smile.amazon.com/dp/173286800X?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860!  And look for Williams’ very latest books: Deeper Magic: The Theology behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis (Square Halo Books, 2016), An Encouraging Thought: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of L. R. R. Tolkien (Christian Publishing House, 2018), and The Young Christian’s Survival Guide: Common Questions Young Christians Are Asked about God, the Bible, and the Christian Faith Answered (Christian Publishing House, 2019)!  Order from the publisher or Amazon.

 

310

Wordsworth wrote an endless poem in blank verse on” the growth of a poet’s mind.”  I shall attempt a more modest feat for a more distracted age: a blog, “Things which a Lifetime of Trying to Be a Poet has Taught Me.”

The conversion of C. S. Lewis is one of the strangest—and most instructive—conversion stories in the long and glorious history of Christian conversion.  It deserves a villanelle.

C. S. Lewis

SEHNSUCHT II

God knows no shame in what He will employ

To win a wandering sinner back again.

Thus, C. S. Lewis was surprised by joy.

A childish garden made to be a toy

Of moss and twigs upon a biscuit tin?

God knows no shame in what He will employ.

The silly garden helped him to enjoy

The real ones, made him want to enter in.

Thus, C. S. Lewis was surprised by joy.

Not Athens (first), Jerusalem, or Troy,

But Squirrel Nutkin’s granary and bin?

God knows no shame in what He will employ.

When Balder the beautiful was dead, destroyed,

The voice that cried it came into his ken;

Thus, C. S. Lewis was surprised by joy.

But pagan legend!  Could that be the ploy?

Somewhere the path to Heaven must begin.

God knows no shame in what He will employ;

Thus, C. S. Lewis was surprised by joy.

Remember: for more poetry like this, order Dr. Williams’s collected poetry, Stars through the Clouds, 2^nd edition (Lantern Hollow Press, 2020) at https://smile.amazon.com/dp/173286800X?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860!  And look for Williams’ very latest books: Deeper Magic: The Theology behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis (Square Halo Books, 2016), An Encouraging Thought: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of L. R. R. Tolkien (Christian Publishing House, 2018), and The Young Christian’s Survival Guide: Common Questions Young Christians Are Asked about God, the Bible, and the Christian Faith Answered (Christian Publishing House, 2019)!  Order from the publisher or Amazon.

Donald T. Williams, PhD

303

Wordsworth wrote an endless poem in blank verse on” the growth of a poet’s mind.”  I shall attempt a more modest feat for a more distracted age: a blog, “Things which a Lifetime of Trying to Be a Poet has Taught Me.”

I have written a whole chapter of a book to explain how and why Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings differs from Tolkien’s translation of The Red Book of Westmarch from the original Westron into modern English.  My book was An Encouraging Thought: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of J. R. R. Tolkien (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2018).  While you are waiting to read that fuller treatment, we can boil a good bit of the essence down into a sonnet:

 

THE QUEST MOTIF

What Lewis and Tolkien Knew, but Peter Jackson Does Not

 

Snaking out across the vast expanse

Of History and Legend lies a trail,

The footing treacherous, the markings pale,

And peril lies in wait for those who chance

To travel it.  But if they can advance,

And if their luck and courage do not fail,

They may emerge into a mystic vale

And find the magic realm of fair Romance.

 

The landscape’s always changing.  There is no

Map that can be trusted once you swerve

Aside; you only compass is your quest.

If, true to friend, implacable to foe,

You’re faithful to the Vision that you serve,

You’ll find that country which the Muse has blessed.

Remember: for more poetry like this, order Dr. Williams’s collected poetry, Stars through the Clouds, 2^nd edition (Lantern Hollow Press, 2020) at https://smile.amazon.com/dp/173286800X?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860!  And look for Williams’ very latest books: Deeper Magic: The Theology behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis (Square Halo Books, 2016), An Encouraging Thought: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of L. R. R. Tolkien (Christian Publishing House, 2018), and The Young Christian’s Survival Guide: Common Questions Young Christians Are Asked about God, the Bible, and the Christian Faith Answered (Christian Publishing House, 2019)!  Order from the publisher or Amazon.

Donald T. Williams, PhD

 

296

Wordsworth wrote an endless poem in blank verse on” the growth of a poet’s mind.”  I shall attempt a more modest feat for a more distracted age: a blog, “Things which a Lifetime of Trying to Be a Poet has Taught Me.”

Aragorn and Arwen:  Now there’s a love story!  What was Aragorn thinking when Frodo saw him holding the niphredil in Cerin Amroth?  Maybe something like this. 

ARAGORN,

SMELLING THE NIPHREDIL IN Cerin Amroth,

THINKETH ON ARWEN

 

Thou wert not there by trail or stream

Beneath the green, tree-filtered light;

Thou wert not there but as a dream

Remembered from the night.

 

Thou wert not there by stream or trail

But as a vision sweet and fair.

I tried to take thy hand, but failed,

Clasping only air.

 

And will I ever know thee as my wife,

Or will the future leave us both behind?

How can this valley be so full of life

Yet feel so empty, lacking only thine?

Thou wert not there by glade or glen

Except as memory and desire

That burns as strongly now as when

It first sprang into fire.

 

Thou wert not there by glen or glade

Save as desire and memory:

Memory that will never fade

While life is left to me

 

And will I ever know thee as my wife,

To tip each other that sweet cup of wine?

How can this valley be so full of life

Yet feel so empty, lacking only thine?

 

Full soon the long, hard road of grief and strife

Resumes.  For now, that destiny is mine.

Remember: for more poetry like this, go to https://lanternhollow.wordpress.com/store/ and order Stars Through the Clouds! Also look for Inklings of Reality and Reflections from Plato’s Cave, Williams’ newest books from Lantern Hollow Press: Evangelical essays in pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.  And look for Williams’ very latest books: Deeper Magic: The Theology behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis (Baltimore: Square Halo Books, 2016), An Encouraging Thought: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of L. R. R. Tolkien (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2018), and The Young Christian’s Survival Guide: Common Questions Young Christians Are Asked about God, the Bible, and the Christian Faith Answered (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019)!  Order from the publisher or Amazon.

 

268

Wordsworth wrote an endless poem in blank verse on” the growth of a poet’s mind.”  I shall attempt a more modest feat for a more distracted age: a blog, “Things which a Lifetime of Trying to Be a Poet has Taught Me.”

 C. S. Lewis is known for the Argument from Reason. If our thought processes just evolved randomly, and our minds were not created in the image of a rational and personal God, then why should we trust the thoughts are minds were randomly evolved by chance to have—including the ones about evolution? The fact that we can think rationally and that our thoughts can correspond to reality—not just to physical aspects of it that we get through our senses but to laws and principles—is a great mystery, however you slice it.

C. S. Lewis, his thoughts corresponding to reality.

THOUGHT

Whence comes a reason’s power to convince,

Illuminate the searching intellect

With sudden serendipity of sense?

No change of chemicals or elements

Could equal insight, letting us detect

Whence comes a reason’s power to convince.

Electrical impulses give no hints,

Yield nothing that could lead us to expect

A sudden serendipity of sense.

A chain of neurons firing boldly prints

Its trace upon a screen which can’t reflect

Whence comes a reason’s power to convince.

By faith we must accept this light that glints.

The eye can’t see itself, cannot inspect

Its sudden serendipity of sense.

A mystery much like the sacraments

Whose grace unseen we yet do not reject:

Whence comes a reason’s power to convince?

From sudden serendipity of sense.

Remember: for more poetry like this, go to https://lanternhollow.wordpress.com/store/ and order Stars Through the Clouds! Also look for Inklings of Reality and Reflections from Plato’s Cave, Williams’ newest books from Lantern Hollow Press: Evangelical essays in pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.  And look for Williams’ very latest books: Deeper Magic: The Theology behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis (Baltimore: Square Halo Books, 2016) and “An Encouraging Thought”: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of L. R. R. Tolkien (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2018)!  Order from the publisher or Amazon.