"Poetry and the Gods" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and Anna Helen Crofts. The two authors wrote the story in or shortly before the summer of 1920. It was published the following September in United Amateur, which credits Lovecraft as Henry Paget-Lowe.[1] In the story, a young woman dreams that she has an audience with Zeus, who explains to her that the gods have been asleep and dreaming, but they have chosen a poet who will herald their awakening.[2]
The story was written after "The Green Meadow", and before "The Crawling Chaos"—two tales that Lovecraft and Winifred Jackson co-wrote with a Greek mythology basis.[2] What Anna Helen Crofts contributed to "Poetry and the Gods" is unknown.[3] Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi reports that she "appeared sporadically in the amateur press, and may have been introduced to [Lovecraft] by Winifred Jackson."[3] Lovecraft's surviving letters do not mention "Poetry and the Gods".[3]
In his 1955 essay on the Cthulhu Mythos, Lovecraft scholar George Wetzel compares the messenger god Hermes in "Poetry and the Gods" with Nyarlathotep, the "messenger of Azathoth". Wetzel considers the dream communication used by Hermes to be "the same psychic device used later by Cthulhu to contact his cult followers."[4]
The story begins in a drawing room on an April evening "just after the Great War". A young woman, Marcia, is there alone, feeling an "immeasurable gulf that [separates] her soul" from her uninspiring surroundings: 20th-century life and the "strange home" in which she lives. She wonders whether she was born in the wrong age. She leafs through a magazine to look for some soothing poetry, and lands on an atmospheric free verse poem. With its sensually rich images, the poem sends her into a reverie. Marcia believes it to herald a new age. She repeats its words to herself as she drifts off to sleep. Hermes appears before her sleeping body, and confirms that a new age is indeed coming: one in which the gods wake from their own dream-filled sleep, and take action.
Hermes carries her to the court of Zeus, where Apollo, Dionysus, the Muses, and the Bacchae also wait. "Long have we… spoken only through our dreams," Zeus tells her, "but the time approaches when our voices shall not be silent. It is a time of awakening and change." He says that the gods have chosen a poet "to blend into one glorious whole all the beauty that the world hath known before, and to write words wherein shall echo all the wisdom and the loveliness of the past." This consummate poet is to be the harbinger of the gods' awakening. He was chosen not only by the gods themselves, but by select poets whom Zeus and Apollo granted immortality and honor. In turn, these six poets come forth and contribute lines of verse: Homer, Dante, Goethe, Shakespeare, Milton, and Keats. They continue until just before dawn, and Hermes carries Marcia back to her house.
Years later, Marcia is with the poet foretold by Zeus. When she tells him that his poetry is "fit for the gods", Zeus sends her a vision and declares: "By his word shall thy steps be guided to happiness, and in his dreams of beauty shall thy spirit find all that it craveth."
^Faig, Ken Jr. (July 2009). "The Strange Story of 'Poetry of the Gods'" (PDF). The Fossil. 105 (4). Glenview: The Fossils, Inc.: 6. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
^ abWetzel, George (2001) [1976]. "Genesis of the Cthulhu Mythos". In Schweitzer, Darrell (ed.). Discovering H. P. Lovecraft (Revised and expanded ed.). Holicong: Wildside Press. pp. 55–56. ISBN978-1-58715-471-3. OCLC 48212283 – via Google Books.
^Wetzel, George T. (2015). "The Cthulhu Mythos: A Study". Collected Essays on H. P. Lovecraft and Others. Wildside Press. p. 21. ISBN978-1-4794-0769-9 – via Google Books.
External linksedit
The full text of "Poetry and the Gods" at Wikisource
"Poetry and the Gods" public domain audiobook at LibriVox
January 01, 1970
poetry, gods, short, story, lovecraft, anna, helen, crofts, authors, wrote, story, shortly, before, summer, 1920, published, following, september, united, amateur, which, credits, lovecraft, henry, paget, lowe, story, young, woman, dreams, that, audience, with. Poetry and the Gods is a short story by H P Lovecraft and Anna Helen Crofts The two authors wrote the story in or shortly before the summer of 1920 It was published the following September in United Amateur which credits Lovecraft as Henry Paget Lowe 1 In the story a young woman dreams that she has an audience with Zeus who explains to her that the gods have been asleep and dreaming but they have chosen a poet who will herald their awakening 2 Poetry and the Gods Short story by Anna Helen CroftsH P Lovecraft as Henry Paget Lowe Text available at WikisourceCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishGenre s FantasyPublicationPublished inUnited AmateurPublication typeMagazineMedia typePrintPublication dateSeptember 1920 1920 09 The story was written after The Green Meadow and before The Crawling Chaos two tales that Lovecraft and Winifred Jackson co wrote with a Greek mythology basis 2 What Anna Helen Crofts contributed to Poetry and the Gods is unknown 3 Lovecraft scholar S T Joshi reports that she appeared sporadically in the amateur press and may have been introduced to Lovecraft by Winifred Jackson 3 Lovecraft s surviving letters do not mention Poetry and the Gods 3 In his 1955 essay on the Cthulhu Mythos Lovecraft scholar George Wetzel compares the messenger god Hermes in Poetry and the Gods with Nyarlathotep the messenger of Azathoth Wetzel considers the dream communication used by Hermes to be the same psychic device used later by Cthulhu to contact his cult followers 4 Contents 1 Plot 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksPlot editThe story begins in a drawing room on an April evening just after the Great War A young woman Marcia is there alone feeling an immeasurable gulf that separates her soul from her uninspiring surroundings 20th century life and the strange home in which she lives She wonders whether she was born in the wrong age She leafs through a magazine to look for some soothing poetry and lands on an atmospheric free verse poem With its sensually rich images the poem sends her into a reverie Marcia believes it to herald a new age She repeats its words to herself as she drifts off to sleep Hermes appears before her sleeping body and confirms that a new age is indeed coming one in which the gods wake from their own dream filled sleep and take action Hermes carries her to the court of Zeus where Apollo Dionysus the Muses and the Bacchae also wait Long have we spoken only through our dreams Zeus tells her but the time approaches when our voices shall not be silent It is a time of awakening and change He says that the gods have chosen a poet to blend into one glorious whole all the beauty that the world hath known before and to write words wherein shall echo all the wisdom and the loveliness of the past This consummate poet is to be the harbinger of the gods awakening He was chosen not only by the gods themselves but by select poets whom Zeus and Apollo granted immortality and honor In turn these six poets come forth and contribute lines of verse Homer Dante Goethe Shakespeare Milton and Keats They continue until just before dawn and Hermes carries Marcia back to her house Years later Marcia is with the poet foretold by Zeus When she tells him that his poetry is fit for the gods Zeus sends her a vision and declares By his word shall thy steps be guided to happiness and in his dreams of beauty shall thy spirit find all that it craveth See also edit Nyarlathotep 1920 The BacchaeReferences edit Faig Ken Jr July 2009 The Strange Story of Poetry of the Gods PDF The Fossil 105 4 Glenview The Fossils Inc 6 Retrieved 2018 08 04 a b Wetzel George 2001 1976 Genesis of the Cthulhu Mythos In Schweitzer Darrell ed Discovering H P Lovecraft Revised and expanded ed Holicong Wildside Press pp 55 56 ISBN 978 1 58715 471 3 OCLC 48212283 via Google Books a b c Joshi S T Schultz David E 2001 Crofts Anna Helen An H P Lovecraft Encyclopedia Greenwood Press p 50 ISBN 978 0 313 31578 7 via Google Books Wetzel George T 2015 The Cthulhu Mythos A Study Collected Essays on H P Lovecraft and Others Wildside Press p 21 ISBN 978 1 4794 0769 9 via Google Books External links edit nbsp The full text of Poetry and the Gods at Wikisource nbsp Poetry and the Gods public domain audiobook at LibriVox Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Poetry and the Gods amp oldid 1183000934, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
