Hymn To Lucifer
Ware,
nor of good nor ill, what aim hath act?
Without its climax, death, what
savour hath
Life?
an impeccable
machine, exact
He
paces an inane and pointless path
To glut brute appetites, his sole
content
How tedious were he fit to comprehend
Himself! More, this
our noble element
Of fire in nature, love in spirit, unkenned
Life hath no
spring, no axle, and no end.
His body a bloody-ruby radiant
With noble
passion, sun-souled
Lucifer
Swept through the dawn colossal, swift aslant
On Eden's imbecile
perimeter.
He blessed nonentity with every curse
And spiced with
sorrow the dull soul of sense,
Breathed life into the sterile universe,
With Love and Knowledge drove out innocence
The Key of Joy is disobedience.
Includes:
Religious references
Metaphors
Personification
In this poem, Crowley expresses an extensive and passionate view on the meaning of life, in terms of religion, pleasure, individuality and rebellion. Crowley expresses his extreme personal views on the restraints of religion, whilst using biblical references as a metaphor for the meaningless of life.
Crowley refers to life as ‘an impeccable machine’, implying the repetition existent in human life. The author strongly believes that the human race is 'meaningless’, as if people work in an endless cycle achieving absolutely nothing. Crowley even goes to the extent of saying death is the ‘climax’ of life, further expressive of the poet’s dark views on life.
Throughout this poem, Crowley constantly and consistently uses a combination of imagery and biblical references in order to convey his message. For example, at the beginning of the second stanza the poem quotes ‘His body a bloody-ruby radiant with noble passion, sun-souled Lucifers swept through the dawn colossal, swift aslant’. This particular quote is describing the physical characteristics of Lucifer Satan; a biblical figure notorious for his treacherous, deceiving and cunning nature.
Conclusively, this poem offers an insight into Crowley’s personal views on religion and human life primarily via the use of imagery and biblical references.
nor of good nor ill, what aim hath act?
Without its climax, death, what
savour hath
Life?
an impeccable
machine, exact
He
paces an inane and pointless path
To glut brute appetites, his sole
content
How tedious were he fit to comprehend
Himself! More, this
our noble element
Of fire in nature, love in spirit, unkenned
Life hath no
spring, no axle, and no end.
His body a bloody-ruby radiant
With noble
passion, sun-souled
Lucifer
Swept through the dawn colossal, swift aslant
On Eden's imbecile
perimeter.
He blessed nonentity with every curse
And spiced with
sorrow the dull soul of sense,
Breathed life into the sterile universe,
With Love and Knowledge drove out innocence
The Key of Joy is disobedience.
Includes:
Religious references
Metaphors
Personification
In this poem, Crowley expresses an extensive and passionate view on the meaning of life, in terms of religion, pleasure, individuality and rebellion. Crowley expresses his extreme personal views on the restraints of religion, whilst using biblical references as a metaphor for the meaningless of life.
Crowley refers to life as ‘an impeccable machine’, implying the repetition existent in human life. The author strongly believes that the human race is 'meaningless’, as if people work in an endless cycle achieving absolutely nothing. Crowley even goes to the extent of saying death is the ‘climax’ of life, further expressive of the poet’s dark views on life.
Throughout this poem, Crowley constantly and consistently uses a combination of imagery and biblical references in order to convey his message. For example, at the beginning of the second stanza the poem quotes ‘His body a bloody-ruby radiant with noble passion, sun-souled Lucifers swept through the dawn colossal, swift aslant’. This particular quote is describing the physical characteristics of Lucifer Satan; a biblical figure notorious for his treacherous, deceiving and cunning nature.
Conclusively, this poem offers an insight into Crowley’s personal views on religion and human life primarily via the use of imagery and biblical references.