2026-11-13T17:23:34+01:00 All Rights Reserved blogSpirit https://starter.blogspirit.com/ https://starter.blogspirit.com/en/explore/posts/tag/Charles%20Causley/atom.xml David Woodward http://diaphania.blogspirit.com/about.html tag:diaphania.blogspirit.com,2007-12-06:1437827 2007-12-06T19:10:00+01:00 2007-12-06T19:10:00+01:00

The unfashionable Cornish poet and playwright Charles Causley died in 2003....

<p><img src="http://diaphania.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/6a1a040fe7a06fb91f6e8598d5b89e26.jpg" id="media-96568" title="Dorchester Abbey" alt="6a1a040fe7a06fb91f6e8598d5b89e26.jpg" style="border-width: 0pt; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0pt; float: left" name="media-96568" />The unfashionable Cornish poet and playwright Charles Causley died in 2003. At an Advent service in <a href="http://dorchester-abbey.org.uk/" title="Dorchester Abbey" target="_blank">Dorchester Abbey</a> I heard what may be one of his greatest poems, 'I am the great sun':</p> <p>From a Normandy crucifix of 1632<br /> <br /> <i>I am the great sun, but you do not see me,<br /> I am your husband, but you turn away.<br /> I am the captive, but you do not free me,<br /> I am the captain but you will not obey.<br /> I am the truth, but you will not believe me,<br /> I am the city where you will not stay.<br /> I am your wife, your child, but you will leave me,<br /> I am that God to whom you will not pray.<br /> I am your counsel, but you will not hear me,<br /> I am your lover whom you will betray.<br /> I am the victor, but you do not cheer me,<br /> I am the holy dove whom you will slay.<br /> I am your life, but if you will not name me,<br /> Seal up your soul with tears, and never blame me.</i></p> <p>In this wonderfully simple devotional sonnet, Christ speaks from the cross, full of compassion for human inadequacy.</p> <p>An essay by <a href="http://www.danagioia.net/essays/ecausley.htm" title="Gioia on Causley" target="_blank">Dana Gioia</a> analyses Causley's powerful work. You can also hear <a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=123" title="Poetry Archive" target="_blank">Causley himself</a> reading 'At the British war cemetery, Bayeux'. Poets' own voices often seem inadequate, but Causley brings his rythmic and incantatory lines to life.</p>