The Poetry of Trees
Pondering the Legacy of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien's Friendship
My family just returned from a ten day trip in England. We attended a friend’s wedding in Oxford and while we were there celebrating we also had the opportunity to explore this historical city.
The colleges of the University fill in the majority of the downtown area. A city strategically built around its sprawling campuses and picturesque gardens. My family got to visit and tour Magdalen college with a friend who knows the campus very well since he studied at Oxford.
Magdalen is the college where C.S. Lewis was a fellow and tutor in English and Literature from 1925-1954.
While visiting the campus we set foot on the trails of Addison's Walk. The same pathway Lewis and Tolkien frequently walked. It felt like a dream, I didn’t know this was on my bucket list of things to see but it certainly became one.
My family loves The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as well as The Chronicles of Narnia. And, Mere Christianity is also a favorite.
On our walk I lagged behind taking in the sights, observing the way this place must have shaped Lewis and Tolkien's conversations. There’s something about their friendship that feels unshakable, sturdy as the trees that brimmed their surroundings.
The years of Lewis and Tolkien were no easier than our times. They also faced unthinkable evils and tragedies. I imagine their walks together and the stories they wrote carried them forward. Instilling hope, as they dreamed of new worlds where goodness and honor prevail.
Their legacy and faith give me a sense of comfort. And after meandering Addison’s Walk this reality sunk in—though their fiction stories are fantasy and regarded as some of the best literary works of the twentieth century—let’s not forget these men wore flesh and skin. They walked the same wearied earth we do, and if they could endure, this is true for us.
I love Oxford, one of my favourite cities. I love the student vibe. I am a fan of CS Lewis and Inspector Morse so have connected with Oxford through their eyes too. Welcome back 🙏
Kassi, what an amazing opportunity! I'm also a big fan of C.S. Lewis. We're knee deep into the Chronicles of Narnia as a read aloud, I just finished A Grief Observed with a friends' book club, and my son just read The Screwtape Letters for school. Lewis's breadth of perspective and imagination is simply incredible. I'm so glad you got to walk in a few of his footsteps!