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Ms. Finney
9/23/16
Although most Christians think of Mass as the primary place where they can encounter
God, the Church teaches us that we can encounter God all around us. The Catholic Church
emphasizes this connection between the divine and material aspects of our world. This idea is
Catholics that we can worship God in the everyday and ordinary things which surround us. These
same principles can be observed in literature. I chose The Naked Seed as an example of this
because I have previously read other works by this author. The poem by C.S. Lewis is an
example of the principle of sacramentality and it is a representation of Grace and viewing the
spiritual through material. The author also uses the poem to have us reflect on our relationship
with God.
The reason I selected this poem was primarily because I have already read other works by
C.S. Lewis. Of the works I have read by C.S. Lewis, the work that has stuck with me the most
was Mere Christianity. The book was based off a series of radio broadcasts Lewis gave in Britain
during WWII. I thought the novel was compelling because it was the arguments of someone who
for a long time identified himself as an atheist, and had only recently came back into Christianity.
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My experience in reading this book definitely pushed me towards researching other literature
that he wrote.
In the poem, C.S. Lewis uses the principle of sacramentality to make the message of his
poem more powerful. Through this principle he can represent the divine through material things
and the grace of God. In the first two lines of the poem he uses the image of fountains and water
to discuss longing for God. When he wrote, All the fountains that should run / with longing, are
in me / dried up, he uses this images to describe what he felt was a lack of longing for God, but
this is also powerful considering the uses of water in the Church. Water has been used as a sign
of Gods Grace and through baptism represents the formation and strengthening of a relationship
with God. On lines 3 and 4 he uses the image of a country with none of its water heading for the
seas to strengthen this further. Later on lines 16 through 18 he discusses the image of a buried
deep and forgotten seed, yet even though it is ignored it still lives and fights to grow. This image
of a neglected seed which still grows and is watered by rain from the skies is a representation of
God sending grace onto us to try to strengthen our relationship, even when we may be neglecting
it. By doing this C.S. Lewis is using the sacramental principle in literature. He is using everyday
ordinary things to give us a new way to see and understand God, like in his images of a tiny
neglected seed which struggles to break free. By using material images in this way, humans are
better able to understand what is being discussed and feel more personally engaged than we
In the poem C.S. Lewis is sharing his feelings and is trying to get us to think about the
same issues. In the beginning of the poem, he is acknowledging that he feels like he does not
have the proper longing for God in his heart and soul. As the poem progresses, it takes on a more
optimistic view. Lewis states that even when we may be neglecting our relationship with God, he
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never does. We can always turn back to God and find him waiting for us to return. So in the
poem, Lewis is challenging the reader to examine themselves and question whether they are
maintaining their relationship with God. He then tells the reader that even if they feel they have
been neglecting this relationship that they can still turn back to God, and that he has never given
Through the sacramental principles we are able to better understand the divine nature of
God and worship him through the ordinary material things that are all around us. In the poem
The Naked Seed, C.S. Lewis uses this principle to talk about our relationship with God and his
Grace by relating it to material things. This system is profoundly well suited for humanity, as we
are composed of a material body and a soul. After all, it is almost impossible for someone to
fully grasp the divine nature of God, but though the material we can foster a better connection
Works Cited
Lewis, Clive. The Naked Seed. The Poetry Foundation. n.d. Web.