Who but G. K. Chesterton could write a poem about a drunk, that defines the history and character of England, shines a light on mortality, opens a doorway to heaven, and is alliterative, humorous, war-like, and beautiful? I love the final stanza.
The Rolling English Road
by G.K.Chesterton
by G.K.Chesterton
Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.
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| Beachy Head: the scenic route to Birmingham. |
I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire,
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made,
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made,
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.
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| Glastonbury is the Woodstock of England, well west of London, while Goodwin Sands is a sand bank known for sinking ships in the channel. |
His sins they were forgiven him; or why do flowers run
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which,
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch.
God pardon us, nor harden us; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which,
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch.
God pardon us, nor harden us; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.
My friends, we will not go again or ape an ancient rage,Or stretch the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But walk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.
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| Kensal Green |
1 comment:
Hi David, i visit this site (among many others) every now and then, to find good stuff to read. Your exchange with Carrier is interesting. I guess he milks every iota of skepticism he can find on the historical and literary questions relating to the NT literature to PROVE what he wants to believe in the first place--that Jesus is a myth. Without an openness to the possibility of transcendent reality and the validity of faith (as Lewis slowly developed and later fully embraced), i guess Carrier will always fall for "confirmation bias." Anyway, I am a PhD student (Ateneo de Manila University offshore program being run at Ateneo de Davao University, Philippines--Ateneo schools are among the top schools in the country founded and run by Jesuits, but they are quite liberal in terms of academic freedom which is good for the most part), now preparing to do my Thesis paper (i opted a non-thesis track in my MA in NT Theology at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary, Baguio City). Wanting to write on CS Lewis' defense of MORAL REALISM (if i'm classifying his stance correctly) in his ABOLITION OF MAN. The head of the PhD program questioned whether Lewis wrote enough material on the question of ethics and morality for his works to be the basis for an MA Thesis paper. I've read some of Lewis' works, but my materials are quite limited. WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW LEWIS' WORKS ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A LIST OF HIS MOST SIGNIFICANT WORKS THAT DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF MORALITY? If i can prove that there is enough material then i can go ahead with this, and i'm also planning the MA paper as part of my doctoral dissertation. NEED SOME HELP HERE BROTHER!
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