Candles in Babylon: Denise Levertov's Spiritual Journey

Abstract

Through all her work, Denise Levertov’s (1923-1997) penchant for describing religious issues is evident. Various religious images punctuate her work, an indication of either her deep conviction of the existence of a supreme deity, or just a mere description of the wonders of the metaphysical world. But even though her works are punctuated with these religious emblems, Candles of Babylon seems to have taken a new trajectory. There is an admission to the effect that she is on a spiritual odyssey; she gives a clear description of how she makes this journey. Like John Bunyan’s Pilgrims’ Progress (1678), she described her transition from a cosmetic believer into a profound spiritual understanding. Levertov’s spiritual journey shall be discussed in detail through her own lenses in her poems. The paper attempts to discuss her experiences of transformation through her spiritual experiences and how these have been captured in her poems. The research paper will attempt to discuss how she uses various literary devices to package her odyssey and how these have worked together to help the readers get a picture of her transition through life.

Keywords

• Babylon
• Candles
• Denise
• Journey
• Levertov