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The Defeat of Youth and Other Poems
Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1963) was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death in 1963. Best known for his novels and wide-ranging output of essays, he also published short stories, poetry, travel writing, and film stories and scripts. He was a humanist but was also interested towards the end of his life in spiritual subjects such as parapsychology and philosophical mysticism. By the end of his life Huxley was considered, in some academic circles, a leader of modern thought and an intellectual of the highest rank. He was also well known for advocating and taking LSD, including on his death bed.
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First published January 1, 1918
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About the author
Aldous Huxley
971 books13.8k followersAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems.
Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine Oxford Poetry, before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.
Huxley was a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism, as well as universalism, addressing these subjects in his works such as The Perennial Philosophy (1945), which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mysticism, and The Doors of Perception (1954), which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel Brave New World (1932) and his final novel Island (1962), he presented his visions of dystopia and utopia, respectively.
Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine Oxford Poetry, before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.
Huxley was a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism, as well as universalism, addressing these subjects in his works such as The Perennial Philosophy (1945), which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mysticism, and The Doors of Perception (1954), which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel Brave New World (1932) and his final novel Island (1962), he presented his visions of dystopia and utopia, respectively.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 24, 2023
“And I’m not a poet:”
yea, I noticed
yea, I noticed
August 28, 2013
Only liked one poem in the whole book and even then my like isn't very strong.
June 6, 2020
Theme of the book: Not only is the outward man decaying, but the inward too, so I may as well grab what pleasure I can and indulge what passions I have.
Therefore, its super depressing. Aldous Huxley has rejected what will fill the void, which make him infinitely pitiful.
He harms the very one he desires, and then is upset with her for being "mortal".
Its a picture of how self-destructive, and other-destructive, we humans often are.
Quotes:
And love flows in on him, its vastness pent Within his narrow life: the pain it brings, Boundless; for love is infinite discontent With the poor lonely life of transient things.
Men see their god, an immanence divine, Smile through the curve of flesh or moulded clay, In bare ploughed lands that go sloping away To meet the sky in one clean exquisite line. Out of the short-seen dawns of ecstasy They draw new beauty, whence new thoughts are born And in their turn conceive, as grains of corn Germ and create new life and endlessly Shall live creating. Out of earthly seeds Springs the aerial flower. One spirit proceeds Through change, the same in body and in soul— The spirit of life and love that triumphs still In its slow struggle towards some far-off goal Through lust and death and the bitterness of will.
Truth is brought to birth Not in some vacant heaven: its beauty springs From the dear bosom of material earth.
The days pass by, empty of thought and will: His thought grows stagnant at its very springs, With every channel on the world of things Dammed up, and thus, by its long standing still, Poisons itself and sickens to decay.
The world a candle shuddering to its death, And life a darkness, blind and utterly void Of any love or goodness: all deceit, This friendship and this God: all shams destroyed, And truth seen now. Earth fails beneath his feet.
Therefore, its super depressing. Aldous Huxley has rejected what will fill the void, which make him infinitely pitiful.
He harms the very one he desires, and then is upset with her for being "mortal".
Its a picture of how self-destructive, and other-destructive, we humans often are.
Quotes:
And love flows in on him, its vastness pent Within his narrow life: the pain it brings, Boundless; for love is infinite discontent With the poor lonely life of transient things.
Men see their god, an immanence divine, Smile through the curve of flesh or moulded clay, In bare ploughed lands that go sloping away To meet the sky in one clean exquisite line. Out of the short-seen dawns of ecstasy They draw new beauty, whence new thoughts are born And in their turn conceive, as grains of corn Germ and create new life and endlessly Shall live creating. Out of earthly seeds Springs the aerial flower. One spirit proceeds Through change, the same in body and in soul— The spirit of life and love that triumphs still In its slow struggle towards some far-off goal Through lust and death and the bitterness of will.
Truth is brought to birth Not in some vacant heaven: its beauty springs From the dear bosom of material earth.
The days pass by, empty of thought and will: His thought grows stagnant at its very springs, With every channel on the world of things Dammed up, and thus, by its long standing still, Poisons itself and sickens to decay.
The world a candle shuddering to its death, And life a darkness, blind and utterly void Of any love or goodness: all deceit, This friendship and this God: all shams destroyed, And truth seen now. Earth fails beneath his feet.
December 15, 2023
Puanım 3/5 (%63/100)
Genel olarak hoşuma gitti. Huxley'nin Cesur Yeni Dünya'sı en en sevdiğim bilimkurgu eserlerindendir. Onun dışında yazarı pek tanıdığım da söylenemez. Bu kitabı da birkaç kere görmüştüm. Plüton Yayınları sağ olsun bana yolladı kitabı. Huxley'nin şiir yazdığını bilmiyordum ve romanı kadar başarılı bulmasam da bence yeteneği olduğu ortada. Hatta bazı yerlerde stilini ve bahsettiği şeyleri kendi şiirlerime benzettim. Özellikle "Dağlar" ve "Küçük Odada" şiirlerini çok beğendim. İkincisi gerçekten çok güzeldi. Kitap uzun değil, şiirler zaten çok yorucu değil o yüzden okumanızı tavsiye ediyorum. He bir de editörlüğünü sevgili Toprak Tezcan ve çevirmenliğini de Onur Sakarya yapmış. Geçenlerde Toprak'ın bir kitabını yorumlamıştım zaten. Biraz oldu ama Onur Sakarya'nın da Misafir Odası Kanıyor adlı şiir kitabını incelemiştim.
Genel olarak hoşuma gitti. Huxley'nin Cesur Yeni Dünya'sı en en sevdiğim bilimkurgu eserlerindendir. Onun dışında yazarı pek tanıdığım da söylenemez. Bu kitabı da birkaç kere görmüştüm. Plüton Yayınları sağ olsun bana yolladı kitabı. Huxley'nin şiir yazdığını bilmiyordum ve romanı kadar başarılı bulmasam da bence yeteneği olduğu ortada. Hatta bazı yerlerde stilini ve bahsettiği şeyleri kendi şiirlerime benzettim. Özellikle "Dağlar" ve "Küçük Odada" şiirlerini çok beğendim. İkincisi gerçekten çok güzeldi. Kitap uzun değil, şiirler zaten çok yorucu değil o yüzden okumanızı tavsiye ediyorum. He bir de editörlüğünü sevgili Toprak Tezcan ve çevirmenliğini de Onur Sakarya yapmış. Geçenlerde Toprak'ın bir kitabını yorumlamıştım zaten. Biraz oldu ama Onur Sakarya'nın da Misafir Odası Kanıyor adlı şiir kitabını incelemiştim.
March 20, 2020
And so continues my chronological journey through Aldous' bibliography.
Although a fair few of the poems were as way beyond me as most were in The Burning Wheel , this did seem a little bit more accessible. I have no idea how much of that is me becoming used to the lexicon and style, or if Aldous has began to write a little more accessibly.
Anyway, another book of poetry that some of you may find enjoyable if you're into early 1900's poetry.
To be honest i'll be glad to finally finish reading Aldous' poetry and get onto things more enjoyable.
Although a fair few of the poems were as way beyond me as most were in The Burning Wheel , this did seem a little bit more accessible. I have no idea how much of that is me becoming used to the lexicon and style, or if Aldous has began to write a little more accessibly.
Anyway, another book of poetry that some of you may find enjoyable if you're into early 1900's poetry.
To be honest i'll be glad to finally finish reading Aldous' poetry and get onto things more enjoyable.
November 8, 2021
In a past life I was told that the only interesting thing about Aldous Huxley was that he was an atheist and that he died on the same day as the infinitely talented Christian author C.S. Lewis and that on that day Huxley and Lewis would stand before God and that it would be clear who’s work was of value. I reject that absolutely. While Lewis will always be one of my favorite authors, Huxley is not far behind and this collection of poetry has helped plant him there. I understand this collection is not very popular, but I find the honesty refreshing as he gazes into the abyss and beautifully tells us what he finds there.
June 24, 2023
Some truly beautiful poems
These poems, many masterfully written, include some of the most powerful evocations I have ever read. Particularly powerful were those depicting the dawn of love.
These poems, many masterfully written, include some of the most powerful evocations I have ever read. Particularly powerful were those depicting the dawn of love.
September 15, 2021
My favorite one is The Life Theoretic Poem
June 22, 2020
Aldous Huxley writes beautifully, I especially liked "Mountains"(a part of "the Defeat of youth") and "revelation"
May 22, 2012
I wasn't fond of the overall organization of the book.
June 9, 2015
Not as profound as what I was expecting, based on his other writing.
April 7, 2013
Not my favorite Huxley work, nor work of poetry, but it was a decent read.
January 5, 2019
Well, that was brutal.
I think I’ll stick to his prose from now on.
I think I’ll stick to his prose from now on.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews