Prelude to Space

An Epithaliamium

So Man, grown vigorous now,

Holds himself ripe to breed,

Daily devises how

To ejaculate his seed

And boldly fertilize

The black womb of the unconsenting skies.

Some now alive expect

(I am told) to see the large,

Steel member grow erect,

Turgid with the fierce charge

Of our whole planet's skill,

Courage, wealth, knowledge, concentrated will,

Straining with lust to stamp

Our likeness on the abyss-

Bombs, gallows, Belsen camp,

Pox, polio, Thais' kiss

Or Judas, Moloch's fires

And Torquemada's (sons resemble sires).

Shall we, when the grim shape

Roars upward, dance and sing?

Yes: if we honour rape,

If we take pride to Ring

So bountifully on space

The sperm of our long woes, our large disgrace.

- C.S. Lewis

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After reading Into the Silent Planet, and now Prelude to Space, i think i have a bit more perspective on how C.S Lewis is portraying space. Lewis describes space as being full of light, not darkness. Since we only see "space" at night, when we are looking away from the sun, we see darkness. But once you get outside our planet, it all becomes light. Then Lewis associates this bright space with goodness, innocence, and purity. It is obvious from the book that humans are bent, and that other creatures are not. In this poem, Lewis equates man's venture into the depths of space with bringing the sin of our world--war, disease, concentration camps, lust, rape, and murder--out into the purity of the unknown. I appreciate how Lewis implies that if there is life outside our planet, we should leave then untainted... unbent.