Cs Lewis Research Paper

Clive Staples Lewis, or better known as C.S. Lewis, was an Irish author who wore many hats. Best known for the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, Lewis was also a poet, soldier, and christian apologist. Born in Belfast, Ireland, Lewis was the younger of the two boys of Albert J. Lewis and Florence Augusta Hamilton Lewis. From a young age Lewis exhibited a strong imagination, along with his brother, Warren, Lewis created an imaginary land called Boxen. In fact, Lewis even wrote his very own stories and made illustrations to explain the history of this imaginary land (C.S. Lewis). It was this kind of imagination that would aid Lewis in writing poetry, his first love. In 1908, when Lewis was only ten years old, his mother died of cancer.
Within a month of his mother’s passing, Lewis was sent off to boarding school at Wynyard School, where his brother had been attending since 1905. In April 1917 Lewis began attending University College in Oxford, there he studied literature and classic philosophy (The Life of C.S. Lewis Timeline). Although, only a few months later Lewis enlisted in the British army and went off to officer

training, and later Lewis was assigned to 3rd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (The Life of C.S. Lewis Timeline). About a year after Lewis enlisted in the army he was wounded in the battle of Arras by shrapnel. After being wounded in April of 1918, Lewis returned to duty in October 1918, and was discharged in December 1919 ( The Life of C.S. Lewis Timeline). In 1919 Lewis resumed studies at University College in Oxford. Lewis graduated from University College in 1925, in the same year he began teaching english at Magdalen College in Oxford (C.S. Lewis Biography). Obviously throughout Lewis’ studies he had a natural inclination for english, and at Magdalen he was finally afforded the opportunity to teach the subject he loved.
After previously abandoning his childhood faith earlier in life, Lewis became a christian in 1931. As a result, this event would influence Lewis’ writing tremendously. 1933 marked the year the “inklings” were formed, this group would meet up until 1949. Including figures such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Hugo Dyson, and Charles Williams, the group was very notable. The “inklings” would often meet in Lewis’ room and have many discussions on a myriad of topics, in fact it was through this group Lewis found himself embracing christianity (C.S. Lewis). During World War two Lewis gave man radio speeches that dealt heavily with christianity. These speeches were later gathered and composed into two books (C.S. Lewis). The “Chronicles of Narnia” was written in 1950, debatably Lewis’ most notable work of his career. The first book of the series was met with much admiration, and particularly amongst children. Two years after joining the Cambridge University staff, in 1956 Lewis married Joy Davidman (C.S. Lewis). Through Joy’s many struggles and scares with cancer Lewis remained by her side; however, in 1960 Lewis’ wife died of cancer. Lewis resigned from Cambridge University in 1963, and in September of that same year Lewis died.
Christianity drove Lewis’ inspiration for the poetry he composed, it pervades the majority of his writings. In his poem “After Prayers, Lie Cold”, Lewis illustrates a person’s death experience. “Arise my body, my small body, we have striven / Enough, and He is merciful; we are forgiven.” (lines 1-2). Lewis is describing life as a christian and the christian ideology of salvation. The speaker describes their body as something unimpressive and strained, as though their body cannot achieve whatever goal it set out to do. Using words like “arise” and “striven enough,” the speaker gives the impression that they have already tried and failed to achieve the goal. Then as the poem continues it describes “He,” being God, as merciful, showing God has compassion upon the speaker and that God has forgiven him. With confidence the speaker knows they can let go, they know where they are headed. For Lewis he would have faith in his destination in the afterlife, his christian faith molds the thought behind these two lines.
Barely recognizing their body, the speaker adds another level of description to their body.
Arise small body, puppet-like and pale, and go,
White as the bed-clothes into bed, and cold as snow,
Undress with small, cold fingers and put out the light,
And be alone, hush'd mortal, in the sacred night, (3-6)
Not only is it tired and worn, but now it is “puppet-like,” “white,” and “cold.” Thus this gives the illusion that the speaker no longer controls their actions, and is close to death. Giving more evidence to the idea that the speaker is close to death, it is as if they tell their body to succumb to death when it describes putting out a light and being alone (5-6).
Elaborating on the speaker’s body, the next three lines are analogies that give the reader insight into how they feel. These analogies invoke the feeling that the speaker feels as though he has served his purpose and has a sense of completeness.
The last five lines the speaker is trying to convince his body to give into death.

“Be not too quickly warm again. Lie cold; consent / To weariness' and pardon's watery element.” (11-12) Clearly, the speaker wants to let go of and put out the light which was mentioned in line five of the poem. Telling his body to consent, the speaker states his desire to no longer fight, to no longer go on in their rugged body, to no longer be tired. Because of the diction throughout the poem it gives the reader the image of someone who no longer controls their body, who sees death as a form of relief. Regardless of rather Lewis wrote this about his own experience of death, the feelings of contentment and hope reflect his beliefs. Being a christian would cause Lewis to not fear death, to be willingly to let go when his time came, feeling as though he lived a full

life.
Clearly, Lewis was not quiet about his beliefs, which are even more evident in his poem “Satan Speaks”. Throughout the whole poem satan is being described in ways that are not only relatable to Lewis but also to the reader. Each description is easy to understand, implying a different attribute.
I am the flower and the dewdrop fresh,
I am the lust in your itching flesh.

I am the battle’s filth and strain,
I am the widow’s empty pain. (3-6)
As a christian satan is the enemy to Lewis, the one that would cause Lewis to struggle and feel pain. For example, Lewis portrays satan as the lust in his flesh meaning that is what is causing him to sin.
In lines 11 and 12 Lewis gives satan the traits of a predator: “I am the spider making her net, / I am the beast with jaws blood-wet.” Following this in lines 13 and 14 satan is compared to a wolf and states that one day the prey will be caught. This further amplifies the idea of satan being the enemy to Lewis, making himself the prey to be devoured. This analogy comes straight from the Bible in which satan is called a “roaring lion”, therefore Lewis is expressing his beliefs on satan and alluding to the idea of spiritual warfare. Since christians believe in the battle of good and evil, Lewis is expressing his belief by making satan the predator, himself the prey.
Lewis’ christian faith strongly influenced his writing of poetry. Lewis used poetry to portray different aspects of his faith, to express what he could not through mere words. Although poetry is not among Lewis’ most notable work, to him it was what he loved the most.