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The Poetic "I"
One should never assume that the narrator in a poem is expressing views identical to the author’s. “For words, like Nature, half reveal / And half conceal the Soul within,” wrote Tennyson. Autobiographical elements tend to be so mixed in with the fictional that lines blur. Bazyn’s revolving carousel of poetic “I’s” includes an egotist who makes fun of his arrogance; a baby confused by his wobbly surroundings; the simple joys of a childhood Christmas; youth’s dilemma at forging a vocation; the peculiar circumstances surrounding one’s first love; reminiscences of a recent class reunion; a period of self-examination following the death of a neighbor; anxiously awaiting a monog...
Creation Groans On
We live in a sacramental universe, where each and every object we encounter can, in the twinkling of an eye, signify God’s presence. In the introductory essay Christ himself is imaginatively likened to that king of the savanna, the lion. Bazyn’s nature poems, via bright and subtle similes, move freely between the abstract and the specific, the static and the dynamic, the solemn and the whimsical—in an entrancing series of acrobatic maneuvers. Spring rain elicits the Great Awakening; a bumper harvest heralds the first Thanksgiving; a mist-covered waterfall excites a chance reverie; a flower in bloom infuses the ordinary with the supernatural; an animal game amusingly depicts quotidian d...
The Poetic “I”
One should never assume that the narrator in a poem is expressing views identical to the author's. "For words, like Nature, half reveal / And half conceal the Soul within," wrote Tennyson. Autobiographical elements tend to be so mixed in with the fictional that lines blur. Bazyn's revolving carousel of poetic "I's" includes an egotist who makes fun of his arrogance; a baby confused by his wobbly surroundings; the simple joys of a childhood Christmas; youth's dilemma at forging a vocation; the peculiar circumstances surrounding one's first love; reminiscences of a recent class reunion; a period of self-examination following the death of a neighbor; anxiously awaiting a monogrammed invitation;...
Jesting Angels
"All of us ought to be ready to laugh at ourselves," wrote theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, "because all of us are a little funny in our foibles, conceits, and pretensions." Yes, to a greater or lesser extent, we all belong to Hypocrites Anonymous. Laughter helps us to preserve sanity in a crazed world; provides the lubrication we so desperately need to deal with irritating people and situations. Furthermore, it accents our need for humility by pricking the balloons of vain pretension. These vivid poems are thick with allusions to literature, theology, spirituality, history, and legend. They range from sentimental impressions of the Iowa State Fair to a fantasy visit to All Saint's Night in Dublin; from musings on the extinct dodo to a whimsical take on the pranks mischievous angels play; from a litany of the likely suspects in a murder mystery to a beatnik's view of the ascension. In life, no doubt we will become the butt of many well-deserved jokes. As Don Quixote's sidekick, Sancho Panza, once acknowledged, "Master, I confess that all I need to be a complete ass is a tail." Laughter, then becomes, in the words of Niebuhr, "a vestibule to the temple of confession."
Nuptial Favors
After a close reading of the imagery of Song of Songs in its ancient Near Eastern context, Bazyn reveals the ins and outs of love via a series of startling metaphors. His language is strong and direct, commemorating intense emotions, exposing varied vulnerabilities. You hear tales of a music box, a keepsake, a valentine, a love potion, a romantic boat ride--wistful longings punctuated by profound regrets. The beloved is compared to a rugged outcropping, urban architecture, a bounding gazelle. We encounter teasing and laughter, nudity and deepened communion, misunderstandings and tears. There are bold entreaties at the beloved's door, tongue-in-cheek conquests, forbidden rendezvous, everyday ...
Artistic Alchemy
Bazyn's poems seek to encourage Christians of all stripes to present a new song unto the Lord--by actual example and useful advice. All sorts of issues relating to creativity are touched upon, whether theological, psychological, sociological, philosophical, linguistic, or autobiographical. Among the topics covered: finding your own voice; reading widely and deeply in the classics; being spare, concise in your style; discovering your genuine self beneath its assorted masks; taking occasional flights of fantasy; considering your mind as a house of memory; perfecting your art, even in a miniature way. Celebrating your mentors--among the authors are Dickinson, Donne, and Hafez; reflecting on you...
The Living Church
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The Virtues and Vices in the Arts
The seven deadly sins are pride, envy, anger, sloth, gluttony, greed, and lust. The seven virtues are prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice, faith, hope, and love. This book brings all of them together and for the first time lays out their history in a collection of the most important philosophical, religious, literary, and art-historical works. Starting with the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian antecedents, this anthology of source documents traces the virtues-and-vices tradition through its cultural apex during the medieval era and then into their continued development and transformation from the Renaissance to the present. This anthology includes excerpts of Plato's Republic, the Bible,...
Gratitude
"This worthy meditation on an essential state of being uplifts without sugarcoating."--Publishers Weekly What is gratitude? Where does it come from? Why do we need it? How does it change us? In Gratitude, award-winning author Cornelius Plantinga explores these questions and more. Celebrating the role of gratitude in our lives, Plantinga makes the case that it is the very key to understanding our relationships with one another, the world around us, and God. Going deeper than mindfulness and positive psychology, Plantinga explores gratitude in a theologically informed and pastorally sensitive way. He shows that being grateful to God is not only our righteous duty but also the single best predictor of our well-being. Gratitude makes us more faithful, joyful, generous, healthy, and content. While it's easy to focus on the suffering, fear, and worries that surround us, Plantinga places all of that in the larger context of provision, abundance, and delight, empowering readers to experience the deep joy of giving thanks.
