A recurring theme in the Chesterton writings is seeing the world anew by turning it upsidedown. There's even a blog called Standing on my Head.
What does it mean to see the world upsidedown? How can we get a new perspective on our lives by seeing things differently?
It seems to me as if The Poet and the Lunatics is Chesterton's attempt to answer these questions.
On Monday, we'll begin with Chapter One.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
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At a luncheon in Chicago (of all places!) GKC was introduced by Bishop Craig Stewart with this poem by Oliver Herford:
ReplyDeleteWhen plain folks such as you and I
See the sun sinking in the sky,
We think it is the setting sun
But Mr. Gilbert Chesterton
Is not so easily misled;
He calmly stands upon his head,
And upside down obtains a new
And Chestertonian point of view.
Observing thus how from his nose
The sun creeps closer to his toes
He cries in wonder and delight
How fine the sunrise is tonight!
[See Ward's Gilbert Keith Chesterton 586]
I'm reading St. Francis and there's a lot about that standing-on-the-head point of view in that. I'm looking forward to finding it in Gabriel Gale, though; I hadn't noticed it last time I read it.
ReplyDeleteLuciaRosa
The point of paradox is to see whether a truth is the same if turned upside down.
ReplyDeleteGabriel Austin