Moste Potente Poems

     I'm not sure that I've ever fallen in love with a poet or his works as fast as I have fallen for Lewis. His ballads are wrought with such imagery that I can fall into the rhythm of the poem quite easily and just get lost in the stories that he tells. I have found myself actually interested in the outcome of the works, rather than giving them a quick read-through and then going out to "find the meaning" or make a few notes about certain devices before moving on. My second read-throughs of the poems are out of pure want, rather than need.
     The persistence of Gothic themes in Lewis' ballads is rampant, and I have to say that I enjoy it. The morals, love stories, castles, spirits, flames and the supernatural all feed into what has been a long-standing enjoyment of fantasy in me. I have already briefly mentioned the rhythm a bit, but I want to really consider the importance of his limericks: their sing-songy feel contribute to the overall impact of the poetry more than I thought possible. I can honestly say that I will be doing much more than the required reading here, as far as Lewis goes, and I may have found the next book to rest at the ever-important spot on my bedside for those sleepless nights.