The original cover of Spirits in Bondage.
Perhaps, when you are unsure of where to start, the best answer is “somewhere” over “nowhere.” I hope to pick back up with my previous post stream when I can, but I would rather work on something Lewis related than let the blog languish again.
To that end, I picked up a copy of Spirits in Bondage, which is Lewis’s first attempt at fame. It is, rather obviously, a book of poetry and Lewis hoped that it would be the vehicle that launched him to lyrical glory and fame. He had written most of the poems in his spare time while working with William Kirkpatrick (the “Great Knock”, on whom he later based the character of Professor Kirke) and in the army during World War I. It was initially published under the pseudonym “Clive Hamilton” by William Heinemann in 1919. This book differs greatly in tone and style from the later works that we know better.
It is important to remember that it was composed while Lewis was an atheist, and it doesn’t take much to figure out Lewis’s views. In fact, he doesn’t so much as wear his atheism on his sleeve as pick it up and slaps you in the face with it. He is fascinated with Milton and the characterization of Satan held therein. Consider the following verses directed at God from “XII De Profundis”:
Yet I will not bow down to thee not love thee,
For looking in my own heart I can prove thee,
And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right,
Our mercy and long seeking of the light,
Shall we change these for they relentless might?Laugh then and slay. Shatter all things of worth,
Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth-
Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.
I’ll have more to say on these later, but I want to finish the book first. (So far, I’m about halfway through.) In general, I am very underwhelmed, which is a strange thing to hear me say about Lewis. My disinterest isn’t due to his atheism at all as it is his tone and composure. Frankly, his flailing against God seems hollow–very like the petty tantrum of a spoiled child. Perhaps others will find him more profound and I am simply a barbarian who cannot appreciate good poetry, but to me he has the same tone as any insecure religious believer who thinks that he or she can me more sure of his or her own faith by shouting at others over theirs.
Historically, the book was not a success and it did not secure Lewis a place as one of England or Ireland’s foremost poets. I begin to see why….
P.S. Spirits in Bondage is the first of Lewis’s works to enter the public domain. You can pick it up for free in various places, including the Kindle store. Here is the link to the book from Project Gutenberg.
Mere Lewis 
Lewis has not yet hit his stride as a writer. Some of the poems are effective, though. “French Nocturne” is better than the one you quoted, as are several others. To evaluate these for poetic merit, you have to compare them to other atheist poets of the time. Lewis has a more classically restrained and mature voice than Swinburne, but yields often enough to ranting at this period that he does not have the artistic perfection of many of Hausman’s poems that say pretty much the same thing. The most interesting are the ones like “Dungeion Grates,” “Song,” and “The Roads,” which show the Sensucht that would eventually lead him to better answers refusing to be completely submerged by the cynical mood engendered by the War.
I am definitely lacking in the literary context here, and I went into it understanding that. 🙂 I will be looking at these more close though as I go along and get to that stage in his life. Janet Croft mentioned that there is a book about SIB coming out soon–I’ll try to pick it up when I can.
It will be interesting to read through his letters to Arthur Greaves and look for parallels between them and SIB.