A poem from The Demiurge- any source?

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"...with the perdition of dreams, the rites of youth fade like pale smoke, and ember's dust by blood of loss. We ask for whom serves this vantage of hideous strength, to reap another harvest in [click]..."

Well, it sounds too good to be written just for Breen TV. It sounds almost Shakespeare-ian. Any ideas as to where this originates?

Is this a similiar literary reference as in Thanatophobia's "That which does not kill us makes us [stranger}." from Neitzsche? Anyone? Mr. Mirarchi?

-- Robert F. Beck (rfbeck@deltanet.com), December 13, 1998

Answers

There was a book called "That Hideous Strength" by C. S. Lewis. I read it about 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure the quote is in the front of the book, with attribution. But i don't remember who wrote the poem. Try your local library, or if you're really desparate buy the book, it's only about US$6 at amazon.

-- David K. Blackman (david@acquerra.com.au), June 27, 1999.

I looked. It ain't there./

-- GreyGhost (gryghost@opcnet.com), October 20, 2001.

The title of That Hideous Strength comes from Sir David Lyndsay’s description of the Tower in his medieval poem Ane Dialog (The Monarche)

-- James Mose (ibgrad@netscape.net), April 19, 2003.

Sir David Lyndsay medieval poem Ane Dialog (The Monarche)

-- James Mose (ibgrad@netscape.net), April 19, 2003.

I think I wrote it.

-- Peter Gaffney (trypsys@yahoo.com), April 20, 2003.


The quote by Sir David Lyndsay says "The Shadow of that Hyddeous Strength, Sax Myle and More It Is of Length." The quote mentioned does not come from Ane Dialog. I'm not sure where it comes from, just wanted to let you know that it isn't David Lyndsay.

-- Chad Caedmon (plaidchad37@juno.com), October 11, 2003.

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