# XXVII: The Ass explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by C. S. Lewis.

## What happens

The speaker encounters an ass in the morning and reflects on the creature's gentle, mysterious nature, questioning whether it too is a mask of God and expressing a wish for its freedom from human labor.

## Themes in this chapter

### Nature vs. Spirit

The speaker contemplates the ass as a creature of nature and questions whether it shares in the divine spirit, blurring the line between animal and soul.

### The Search for Meaning

The speaker seeks understanding of the ass's inner thoughts and its place in the cosmos, reflecting a broader quest for meaning.

## Character check-ins

### Dymer

The speaker who wakes, slips away to the hills, and addresses the ass with wonder and affection.

## Key lines

> Can it be true, as the wise men tell, That you are a mask of God as well, And, as in us, so in you no less Speaks the eternal Loveliness

Could it be that the ass, like humans, is a manifestation of the divine and expresses eternal beauty?

_The speaker questions whether the ass shares in the divine nature, a key theme of the chapter._

> God send you peace and delight thereof, And all green meat of the waste you love, And guard you well from violent men Who’d put you back in the shafts again.

May God grant you peace and joy, with plenty of the wild plants you enjoy, and protect you from those who would force you back into labor.

_The speaker expresses a wish for the ass's freedom and well-being, contrasting natural life with human exploitation._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxvii-the-ass
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_3_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters