C.S. Lewis wrote poetry?

Honestly who knew? I didn't. I was doing some research for my Senior thesis on Tolkien, Lewis and their contribution to the fantastic genre via the Inklings circle and I stumbled across an entire book of poems by Lewis, published posthumously.
Looking through it, I found this awesome little wonder which is quite good. He basically is writing about how he is not like the great poets. Best of all, he harshes on T.S Eliot and Wordsworth a little.
Here it is:





A Confession, By C.S. Lewis
I am so coarse, the things the poets see
Are obstinately invisible to me.
For twenty years I’ve stared my level best
To see if evening–any evening–would suggest
A patient etherized upon a table;
In vain. I simply wasn’t able.
To me each evening looked far more
Like the departure from a silent, yet a crowded, shore
Of a ship whose freight was everything, leaving behind
Gracefully, finally, without farewells, marooned mankind.

Red dawn behind a hedgerow in the east
Never, for me, resembled in the least
A chilblain on a cocktail-shaker’s nose;
Waterfalls don’t remind me of torn underclothes,
Nor glaciers of tin-cans. I’ve never known
The moon look like a hump-backed crone–
Rather, a prodigy, even now
Not naturalized, a riddle glaring from the Cyclops’ brow
Of the cold world, reminding me on what a place
I crawl and cling, a planet with no bulwarks, out in space.

Never the white sun of the wintriest day
Struck me as un crachat d’estaminet.
I’m like that odd man Wordsworth knew, to whom
A primrose was a yellow primrose, one whose doom
Keeps him forever in the list of dunces,
Compelled to live on stock responses,
Making the poor best that I can
Of dull things…peacocks, honey, the Great Wall, Aldebaran
Silver weirs, new-cut grass, wave on the beach, hard gem,
The shapes of horse and woman, Athens, Troy, Jerusalem.

When finding a poem like this I can't help but get ecstatic. So of course I had to read it at the Annual Poetry Bash at OU. It was fun times. The Poetry Bash is always great but I was a tad disappointed there were less people there this year. Maybe it was the wonderful weather. Which makes no sense because nice weather makes me want to read more poetry and literature. Anyways it was still a great time with the people awesome enough to show up.
So now I think this is going to be one of my favorite poems ever. Definitely going on the list along with Ballad of the White Horse, The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock, and The Eve of St. Agnes.

T.S. Eliot love.

And now we shall delve into the world of another literary friend, T.S. Eliot. I seem to be finding that I long to read whatever literature I'm not actually studying at the moment. Last fall I was longing for Dickens, and now I'm ironically taking Victorian Lit.
But anyways T.S. Eliot is one of the insane literary geniuses of the modernist period. No he wasn't literally insane, his writing is just so crazy awesome I like to call him insane. I wish I could be him! No not really, I just really admire his style and genius. He wrote "The Wasteland" among other things, I read Wasteland last Fall. It was so mindblowing that the first time you read it, it hurts your brain and you have no idea what is going on. But then you re-read it, discuss it in class, and it becomes one of the most complicatedly awesome original, intelligent thought-provoking piece of poetry you have ever read.
The other reason I love T.S. Eliot, he makes up his own words. Polyphiloprogenitive. Basically it is composed of latin root words and means extremely prolific.
The word is found in his poem "Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service." The line is: "Polyphiloprogenitive/ The sapient sutlers of the Lord/ Drift across the window-panes."
And if that doesn't give you a pretty good idea of just how epically insane he is, then I don't know what else will, unless you read more of his poems.

The other reason I love T.S. Eliot, he is oft quoted by one of my most favorite heroic male fictional characters: Fish, or Benedict Denniston from The Fairy Tale novel series by Regina Doman. Definitely some of my favorite books ever. I could go on forever about them, but I'll have to save that for another post. Let's just say that Fish is one of the best fictional heroes I have ever read about. He definitely knocks Mr. Darcy out of first place in my book.But Mr. Knightley did that already I guess so Fish takes 3rd or 4th place after Han Solo and Westley. He quotes literature, that's pretty attractive if you ask me.

But I am diverging, basically if you get the chance, read T.S. Eliot. You will not regret the choice to read one of the best literary geniuses of the 20th century. And now I must go back to my homework on Literature from the 18th and 19th centuries.

As American as Apple Pie

It's the fourth of July! The day our country declared that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

So today I am going to list a few things that to me are just American-ness at it's best. Now these are not the stereotypical things people think of when they think of America. There's definitely more to this country than eagles, George Washington and loud tourist clothing.

So what do I deem filled with Americana?

#1. Bruce Springsteen.
Now I know most people think of genuine American music as country, but Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is THE American Band. All of his songs just have an American feel to them and fill you with that fervor that makes you feel glad to live in this country. Even if he does sing about the grittier side of our country, it's still super American. The song that epitomizes this feeling the most, is I would have to say, "Born to Run."

#2. School House Rock
Where else did we learn not only grammar and math, but American history? It's one of the only chances we had as kids to see our cartoon Founding Fathers dancing like chickens and pursuing happiness.

#3 1776-the musical
Here we also get to see dancing and singing Founding Fathers. Not to mention that they weren't all that different from us. They had tempers, emotions and crazy personalities. And that Congress wasted just as much time back then. Plus it made politics look really fun. Not to mention I fell in love with John and Abigail Adams and how sweetly their marriage was portrayed.

#4 The Music Man
This movie is just the epitome of small town America. Which is why I love it. Of the times on family road trips, when we have driven through Gary Indiana, or Iowa, we always think of it fondly.

#5 Norman Rockwell Paintings
He captured the hometown family feel of America perfectly. His iconic images portray a simpler and happier time, but I think that it still exists in America today.#6 Will Smith
Because he is little Willie from Philly, the All-American boy. And he also is the hero in many films, particularly Independence Day seems rather relevant.


#7 Liberty's Kids
Because this show was just awesome. It was funny, cheesy, and taught us lots of cool things about the American Revolution. Not to mention it had a wicked theme song.

#8 American Girl, by Tom Petty
This song is just plain awesome and pretty full of American-ness.

#9 Chuck Taylor Converse All-stars
Because these sneakers are so comfortable, just plain awesome, and superly American. And they come in lots of different colors so you can get red, white and blue if you so desire.


#10 Wizard of Oz
This is THE American fairy-tale. It had the best characters and who didn't want ruby slippers after watching it? The little Kansas farm girl going on a strange and wondrous adventure. Very American.

#11 Star Wars
I couldn't resist doing a #11, and if the Wizard of Oz is the American fairy-tale, Star Wars is the American epic mythology. It's the American ideal, a small-town farm boy going up against the evil Empire. That's what's great about America, we fight for the little guy.

Happy Independence day to all! God Bless our wonderful country, the United States of America!

Excuses for my abscence. Anyone, anyone,-Bueller

I know it's been awhile since I posted. Come to think of it, I haven't posted all semester.
But yes, I do have excuses. At the beginning of the semester, I was in Narnia, directing a play involving a cast of a lion, a witch, and 20-plus extras all under the age of 12. After that I was transported to the beginning of creation, by Milton's Paradise Lost. Now that I've come back from my other-worldy trips. Oh boy, it's time for finals. My how the semester flies.
Well in other trips, I've discovered a new writing site, webook.com where you can post your book. My "The Light of Stella" is up there, with the first 6 chapters posted. So please check it out and comment.
Other than that, I hope to be posting again soon about further new excursions in the fictional world, both real, written, or televised.

Childhood Christmas Classics

Christmas is a season that can tend to get crowded with commercialization and emphasis on the unnecessary and the superfluous. Now I'm not going to sit here and preach like everybody and his brother. Unlike the renowned Everybody's fraternity, I merely want to say that what has brought me the most joy this season is being around others. Being around my friends and family especially at this time of year has helped me to value them more than usual. But enough of the gooey stuff. Just wanted to say love you all lots and Merry Christmas!

This weekend I discovered a long lost video from my childhood Christmases. Bloom County's A Wish for Wings that Work. I had a random whim to search for it on youtube, and low and behold, there it was. Wow, this did bring back memories: Opus, Bill the cat, hairballs, albatross, rhinoceros, lobotomy coupons and barfing on the Chinese rug. Nothing like the randomness of a Bloom County classic. I have to admit, it was so much funnier to watch now as an adult, there was so much stuff that had gone over my head while watching it as a kid. There are some great lines such as when Opus the penguin says: “I'm an insult, I might as well be a dung beetle, or a fly infested worm infused molded mildewed scrub of rotten banana...or a network executive.” Classic.
Of the odd memories of this cartoon my brother and I distinctly remember, is that Opus faxes his letter to Santa, oh how very 90's.

Another of my esoteric Christmas Special loves is “It's Christmastime again Charlie Brown!” A lesser known Charlie Brown special that if I remember correctly was obtained by my family from the shell station back in the early 90's. It is a combination of classic short Peanuts story lines, including: Charlie Brown selling his entire comic book collection to buy gloves for the little red-haired girl; Peppermint Patty obsessing over holiday homework assignments, as well as being relegated to playing the sheep in the school play, while Marcie gets to play Mary. Most memorably however, Sally is cast as an angel in the play, all she has to say is hark, but much to the 50 apostles chagrin, she belts out “Hockeystick!”
Yes, this is one Christmas classic that has and will be a staple in my family for generations.

A Thanksgiving Skywalker Special

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating food, family, and football. One of the things that come to my mind at the thought of this holiday in addition to the above mentioned alliterative threesome is Star Wars. Yes, I do mean the epic, dramatic, and at times campy silliness that is George Lucas’ classic saga of the triumph of good over evil. If thanksgiving is about family, then yes, this is in part because of an unnamed tradition, largely spurred on by my mother’s side of the family, of watching at least one volume of this excellent saga. Star Wars is excellent family fare, and not necessarily the nerdy bantha fodder it’s made out to be.

Star Wars is the Galactic saga with something for everyone in the words of the Grandfather in Princess Bride, it has: torture, revenge, chases, escapes, true love, miracles. However, the prequels can be too political and full of the cheesiest lines in the galaxy. The Prequels’ only saving graces are Yoda fighting like a wicked awesome little Tasmanian devil, Natalie Portman as Padme, Liam Neeson as Qui Gon Jin, Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, a fully gadgeted R2D2, and the best light saber fight ever in Phantom Menace with Darth Maul and his double bladed light saber.

I side with the rebel alliance of the original trilogy, because after all, we know that these campier older movies had the best dialogue and the cleverest plots. Who wouldn’t want to team up with guys like Han Solo and Chewbacca and fight the Empire? I must say, having some silly droids along the way would help as well. And I’m sure inside every little girl, there is a Princess Leia. She is a lot tougher than her politically driven mom, because in an era where politics is corrupt, some skill with a hair-dryer-like weapon and bagel-bun hair are a must. And as we all have discovered, it is so much better to be Leia than it is to be Padme, because she has a much better and fulfilling relationship (if not funny and full of more clever playful banter) with Han Solo than Padme had with Anakin. On the one hand you have Harrison Ford, on the other you have wooden-voiced, bad-acting, brooding Haden Christianson. You make the call.

The transcending message of all six of these films is tremendous. Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side as a result of giving into his own anger and desire for revenge. But he is also fuelled in his turning away from the light by the conniving worm-tongue like Senator Palpatine (who eventually proclaims himself Emperor of the new Galactic Empire, doing away with the Old Galactic Republic). Anakin is encouraged by Yoda and the other Jedi to become detached, and not be so preoccupied with saving those he loves and cares about. In the end, he is so bent on keeping Padme from dying, that his own turn to the evil dark side in order to protect her, ends up saddening and killing her. So he brought about the death of the very person he was trying to save. However, we all know, as Luke says, “There is still some good in him.” Because by the end of Return of the Jedi, it is his character of caring about those he loves that saves him, and rids himself of the evil influence of Palpatine forever. When Darth Vader sees his son Luke being tortured by Palpatine, the old good feelings of Anakin overpower the confused and mutilated feelings he had as Darth Vader. He reaches out to defend his son, throwing Palpatine down the endless pit thing. Even though by doing so he destroys the very machinery that has kept him alive. In the end, Anakin redeems himself, and tries to undo the very evil and anger that had influenced his actions for so long. So, contrary to the old Yoda’s beliefs that detachment will save him, it is love and self-sacrifice that redeems Anakin Skywalker.

And as a final word to my fellow rebels, since we all know that the little farm-boy from a moisture farm on Tatooine triumphs over the creepy, power hungry Senator aka Emperor Palpatine. So no more whining that we would rather go down to the Tosche Station to pick up some power converters, let’s get out there and be rebels and join the Light side. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may the force be with you!

Our DLF, Dickens

I'm not sure if it comes from reading modern Lit, like Waiting for Godot, which is dry, sparse, and unfriendly to the alliterative and assonance-loving eye, or if it's the fun and fabulous festive season that is leaving me suddenly longing for Dickens.
Yes, I'm talking about our dear little friend Charles. You know, that guy from 19th century England who got paid by the word, causing his novels to be telephone directory sized, and the bane of the existence of all high school students for decades. I'm sure we all can boast of reading at least one of his works, or falling asleep during one of the obnoxious BBC dramatizations. I myself can boast of reading his A Christmas Carol as well as A Tale of Two Cities. Both of which are some of his most famous works and contain some of the best of his infamously penned lines. They also include some of the most hysterical, interesting, and sympathy invoking characters in the history of English literature.
Yes, I am longing for his excellent and melodious prose. I never thought I would say those words. It really seems that you don't appreciate genius like Dickens' until you find it lacking in the courses taught on the dry, hopeless and Godless modern English literature. I have the heart that longs to live in the magically flowing rhythm of a Dickensian sentence.

For instance: "Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."--A Christmas Carol.
This line flows lyrically off the tongue and instantly creates the perfect image of Scrooge's cruelty, making him one of the most infamously characterized selfish villains in literature, which also makes his conversion at the end of the novel all the more beautifully touching. It's a story we come back to year after year. It's been retold in numerous ways, in particular, by my favorite troop of varied and lovable actors, the Muppets.
A Muppet Christmas Carol has definitely been one of my favorite Christmas classic movies to pull out and dust of when that time of year rolls around. The Muppets are in part responsible for introducing me to much of the great literature today (Wishbone and Bugs Bunny supplied the other half of the introduction).
One of the most creatively pulled of escapades of the muppet rendition of Dicken's classic novel, is having Gonzo the great supply the narration under the guise of calling himself Mr. Dickens. Included in the muppet fun and frolick of the tale, Gonzo, er Mr. Dickens, narrates in the lovely flowing style of Charles Dickens own words used in the original novel itself. How wonderful. This truly is literary culture at work. I cannot wait to pull out the old, time-worn, recorded off the Disney Channel VHS tape and watch it again this Christmas.