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Noah
February 17, 2014
After Prayers Lie Cold Analysis
C.S. Lewis was an extraordinary writer and poet who over the course of his career wrote
more than 30 books and used a unique style of writing that most secular Christian writers try to
imitate (Biography.com). Clive Staples Lewis was an English writer, born and raised in England,
who lived the earlier part of his life as an Atheist but through some conversation and discussion
came to embrace Christianity (Biography.com). In Lewis poem After Prayers, Lie Cold,
through his unique style of writing, was able to express some of basic beliefs of Christianity.
With his recent conversion to Christianity, Lewis used Imagery, Mood and Allusions to express
his feelings towards Christianity.
Lewis wrote this poem as a way to show his feelings toward Christianity and a few
common beliefs that Christians share. Lewis grew up confused with religion as a youth and
doubted his faith (Biography.com). Over time, he ultimately abandoned all faith-based beliefs
and professed to be an Atheist, denying Gods existence (Biography.com). However, through
some discussion with some of his colleagues, Lewis would come to embrace Christianity
(Biography.com). Most of Lewis latter works reflect this inner conversion and show his
conviction with Christianity. The main meaning of the poem is Lewis talking about God being
merciful and he is forgiven but that this feeling will not last (Yerrington). The first stanza reflects
the feelings that Lewis has towards God and what he feels that God has done for him
(Garthright). Lewis says in After Prayers, Lie Cold, Enough, and He is merciful; we are
forgiven, (Lewis). These words are common words that Christians use when referring to God
and how forgiving and merciful he is. Lewis converted to Christianity a few years after his father
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died which played an integral part in his decision (cslewis.com). Lewis then goes on in the
second stanza to say that this feeling of forgiveness will not last because man is constantly
falling and always needs to be forgiven due to all the terrible things that man does (Yerrington).
Lewis also says that he has been tortured, struck down and whipped by the world (Lewis).
Lewis, throughout his life, had gone through many horrible life experiences (cslewis.com). Some
of which include: his mother dying when he was at a young age, his best friend dying in battle,
the mother of a close friend who he moved in with dying and his wife died from cancer 4 years
after he married her (cslewis.com). Lewis feels that these things have attacked him and worn
him down but thanks to some external power beyond himself, he can continue living and keep
moving on.
Throughout the poem, Lewis uses avid imagery to give the reader a stronger image of his
feelings towards Christianity and what he believes to be true. In the first stanza of the poem,
Lewis uses imagery of a small, feeble person, extremely pale and weak and says that this man is
whiter than bed sheets (Lewis). This is supposed to convey that man is extremely weak and a
very feeble thing that always needs constant attention and extraordinary care or else well wreck
everything (Yerrington). Lewis in the poem also uses the imagery of a clean and dirty sheet, a
dark and light analogy, to portray the forgiveness from everything that has happened in Lewis
life (Lewis). He now feels that he is clean and spotless like a washed sheet (Lewis). He feels that
he is free from everything that has held him down and is warm once again (Yerrington). Lewis
in the last two lines of the poem uses a different kind of imagery from the other two stanzas. In
these lines he uses imagery of bitter water, breathing a chilly death and riots (Lewis). This
imagery portrays Lewis views on the world around him and how he feels the world is towards
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his newly cleaned self. He feels that the world is vicious, angry and ready to strike at his warm
self (Yerrington).
There are two main moods to Lewis poem, one mood for each stanza. The first stanza
has a darker mood to it; a mood of gloom, nighttime, and darkness. The first stanza is about a
dark and gloomy night, a pale man with clammy hands who is scared beyond belief (Lewis).
The first stanza has a bit of hope in its mood when Lewis uses the words He is merciful; we
are forgiven, (Lewis). Lewis with is trying to depict himself, he is weak and feeble but is still
hopeful in dark and gloomy surroundings. The second stanza is the complete opposite mood: a
light and happy mood with a dark undertone. Lewis in the second stanza talks about being
cleansed and emptied, being dirty and being made new (Lewis). This imagery is used represent a
human that has been forgiven from everything that they have ever done (Yerrington). There is an
evil mood to the second stanza as well most especially when he talks about bitter water, death
and riots (Lewis). This mood is used in aiding the portrayal of Lewis feelings after his
conversion; he is forgiven and clean but the world is ready to hit back at him. Lewis in the
second stanza of his poem also uses imagery of lying cold (Lewis). This is used to illustrate
what Lewis thinks about the lurking evils of the world (Yerrington). Lewis is trying to say to
never feel comfortable because there is always something ready to attack you.
Lewis throughout the poem uses allusions to teach some of the basic tenants of
Christianity. In the first stanza the main allusion is the mercy and forgiveness of God
(Garthright). Lewis this simple allusion is used to let the reader know what Lewis believes about
Christianity. He believes that God forgives him for all the wrong things that he has done in the
past and he is now freed from these things. Lewis uses another allusion to demonstrate how he
feels in Gods eyes when he writes about a human being weak, pale and puppet-like, (Lewis).
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This is used to show man without prayer and without God in his life; he is weak, feeble, and
easily controlled by the outside world (Garthright). Another allusion in the first stanza is when
Lewis says He is merciful; we are forgiven, which alludes to God being merciful and
forgiving. This is most likely how Lewis felt when he wrote this poem. The second stanzas main
allusion is to Catholicisms Sacrament of Reconciliation. He feels that he is made clean by the
death of Jesus Christ which is what most, if not all, Christian believe (Garthright). The next
allusion in the second stanza is Lewis alluding to the world and how evil and bad it can be. These
words most likely are alluding to the World War I that was going on before he started his writing
career (cslewis.com). These two lines are Lewis views on the world around him, filled with evil
and sin and always ready to strike at someone who is filled with Gods grace, someone like
Lewis during this time (Garthright). All of the allusions in this poem are all related to religion
and are direct reflections of Lewis thoughts on these topics and his conversion to Christianity
that he made toward the middle of his writing career.
Lewis was a great Christian writer who, through his unique style of writing, used
amazing imagery, mood and allusions to convey basic Christian beliefs. C.S. Lewis through his
poem After Prayers, Lie Cold, conveyed his attitudes and feelings toward his recently
professed Christian faith. C.S. Lewis being a devout Christian after his conversion, in his latter
works, was able to give an easy to understand take on the quite confusing beliefs of Christianity
and this poem is no exception.



Work Cited
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About C.S. Lewis. cslewis.com. Harper Collins Publishers, n.d.. Web. February 6, 2014.
<https://www.cslewis.com/us/about-cs-lewis>
C.S. Lewis biography. Biography.com. n.p., 2014. Web. February 6, 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/print/profile/cs-lewis-9380969>
Garthright, Cierra. After Prayers, Lie Cold. blogspot.com. n.p., January 25, 2010. Web.
February 8, 2014. <http://cngarthright.blogspot.com/2010/01/after-prayers-lie-cold.html>
Lewis, Clive S.. After Prayers, Lie Cold. poemhunters.com. n.p., January 1, 2004. February 5,
2014. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/after-prayers-lie-cold/>
Yerrington, Brooke. After Prayers/Lie Cold. blogspot.com. n.p., January 26, 2010. Web.
February 8, 2014. <http://bsyerrington.blogspot.com/2010/01/after-prayers-lie-cold>