Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics (Cosimo Classics Literature)
Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics (Cosimo Classics Literature) book cover

Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics (Cosimo Classics Literature)

Paperback – November 1, 2005

Price
$7.12
Format
Paperback
Pages
88
Publisher
Cosimo Classics
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1596053724
Dimensions
5 x 0.21 x 8 inches
Weight
3.68 ounces

Description

Irish writer CLIVE STAPLES ("JACK") LEWIS (1898-1963) was born in Belfast. A volunteer in the British Army during World War I, he served in the trenches of France, and returned to study and teach at Oxford University; he later accepted a post at Cambridge University, retiring only months before his death. His best-known works are The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956), Mere Christianity (1952), and his autobiography, Surprised by Joy (1955).

Features & Highlights

  • So piteously the lonely soul of man Shudders before this universal plan, So grievous is the burden and the pain, So heavy weighs the long, material chain From cause to cause, too merciless for hate, The nightmare march of unrelenting fate, -from "Dungeon Grates" C. S. Lewis is a profound and perhaps the most respected Christian apologist because his belief was so hard-won. This collection of verse, written immediately after he returned from the battlefields of World War I in 1919, offers penetrating insight into the psyche of a young man struggling with traumatic wartime experiences and the crisis of faith they engendered. By turns angry, bitter, and melancholy, these poems constitute a provocative document of Lewis's journey from atheism through agnosticism and on to conviction. Irish writer CLIVE STAPLES ("JACK") LEWIS (1898-1963) was born in Belfast. A volunteer in the British Army during World War I, he served in the trenches of France, and returned to study and teach at Oxford University; he later accepted a post at Cambridge University, retiring only months before his death. His best-known works are The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956), Mere Christianity (1952), and his autobiography, Surprised by Joy (1955).

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(124)
★★★★
25%
(103)
★★★
15%
(62)
★★
7%
(29)
23%
(94)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Must have for Lewis fans.

I loved this short book of Lewis' poems. It's interesting to see a pre-Christian lewis expressing himself through this medium. Most of these were written when he was still just an older teenager. His atheism of the time shines through as well as his ironic love for the mythical. I think this is a must have for true Lewis fans as it gives you a peak at him as a young man who very much needed Christ in his life.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Little-known writing on par with Lewis' best

The creativity and keen spiritual insights that have made C.S. Lewis the most renowned Christian writer of the modern era combine with eloquent poetry to reveal the writer's struggles, hopes and nightmares that predate his conversion to Christianity. This book of poems illustrates his yearning for truth and salvation by revealing his images God, man and Satan in delightful, rhyming lyrics. The intellectual and spiritual force present in these poems create a powerful edge rarely matched. Readers will discern the drive that eventually leads Lewis to find "his heart's delight." This is a must-have for those who have appreciated Lewis' other writings.

Lewis' searching and questions parallel many who have had doubts about the present reality and character of a God that seems to hide in mysteries. The genius behind Mere Christianity and the Chronicles of Narnia is behind these poems, even though he has yet to have his eyes opened. The heart of a desperate, sincere seeker of God is painted in these lyrics that in themselves make great poetry.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Early poetry

Written in his formative years and as something (poetry) not his forte, it was good perspective for me on this wonderful writer and gentleman..