Hi all, today we start this year's Summer Challenge. As announced on our Home Page, we are reading together through "The Silver Chair" this year.
This is the thread for posting reflections each day after reading the two assigned chapters.
Reflections can be in the form of art-work, poetry, fan-fic-lets or just written summaries of your thoughts. Don't worry if you fall behind. You can post anything on any day.
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
Ok! Rough schedule is as follows --
11th - Chapter 1
12th - 2
13th - 3
14th - 4
15th - 5
16th - 6
17th - Rest and/or catch up day.
18th - 7
19th - 8
20th - 9
21st - 10
22nd - 11
23rd - 12
24th - second rest day
25th - 13
26th - 14
27th - 15
28th - 16 CLOSING DAY
I look forward to hanging out with you all as we explore!
Wohoo!! Excited to be looking at The Silver Chair again!.
I'm a bit swamped with work and responsibilities today and tomorrow but will try catching up on Wednesday. Watch this space...
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
Ok! Got a little poem for Chapter 1. 🙂
---
The Answer
They hadn't finished praying yet
When wonder came like a cliffhanger story,
Rich as jewels and sweet and sharp as peppermint candy.
For a moment they had cause to forget
Their sorrows in a blaze of strangeness and glory,
A sudden gift beyond any words they could bandy.
The heavy gray autumn was interrupted.
The words unspoken, already accepted.
Very fitting, Lil!
I've been considering experimenting with fingerpainting with ink, and this was as good a time as any to start. Eustace is my subject because... well. "His name unfortunately was Eustace Scrubb, but he wasn't a bad sort." What a difference from "There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it"! His change is further covered by his contrasting this term from last, and Jill acknowledging that she's noticed it. So, with me being the lover of high contrast -- thematically and visually --, I've done up a high-contrast portrait of Eustace in commemoration of his change. I've also included a bit of laurel, since their presence in the scene prompted me to wonder if there might be any symbolic meaning. I won't go so far as to claim Lewis intended it, but laurel leaves are associated with victory and, apparently, "spiritual enlightenment", both of which fit Eustace in this context.
@ariel-of-narnia A lovely portrait! I really enjoy the high contrast, and that cautious side-eye -- and I hadn't thought about the possibility of symbolism in the laurels before.
--
I have two things for y'all today -- a chapter poem, and I am resurrecting some old art (circa: probably 2013?) of Jill in Aslan's Country.
---
Chapter Two (For Such a Time)
Need met need like a handclasp
When the door you opened called you before you called.
You had wanted out of your enemies’ weak grasp,
But he wanted you willing to stand where evil prowled–
To go down from the mountains of the sun
Into the cold and dark and stone.
To reach past your earthly hopes and fears,
To liberate unearthly captives groan.
Did you know you entered in a bargain
When you crossed the threshold of the call?
Did you know how much you'd dare and learn
By simple needing, when you breached the wall?
(Thank you. The side-eye was courtesy of the photograph of Will Poulter I used as reference, haha.)
😲 😲 Whoa, Lily! I love the poem! (Did I mention I like high-contrast? 😀 ) It's not just the calling before they called, or from the height to the depth, but the contrast between looking for the solution to a need and becoming part of something greater for someone else.
(Hey, I remember that artwork! Was that from the last SC summer reading?)
For chapter two, I went with the comparison of Aslan to the Trafalger Square lions, pairing it with Jill's sense of his power. The word that comes to mind is "austerity": he is stern, matter-of-fact, and an enforcer of discipline. He is a king who can take his leisure, who can make the claims he does without embellishment, who commands obedience, and for all that, is yet watchful. (He is, of course, also gentle and patient in this chapter, but it was his power that stood out to me this time around.)
Amazing work so far, Lily and Ariel. Lily, both your poems are so powerful. I'm still struck by the "hadn't finished praying" line and the "door opened called before you called" echoes that thinking. Such great reminders of God knowing wgat we need before we do.
Ariel: Both your pictures are great, but I'm especially loving the texture of Aslan's mane.
So I have decided for this Challenge, since I'm on a knititing mini things kick at the moment (just finished my Noah's Ark set last week), to find a small knitting pattern inspired by each chapter.
I'm a bit overwhelmed with work right now and can't knit a-thing-a-day unless it's really tiny, so for now I'll just share patterns I find. Then, if I get a chance, in the evenings while watching TV, I might make some of my favourites.
My rules are that the pattern must be free and something I might actually make.
Here's the first 2.
Chapter 1 - Cloud:
https://ravel.me/cloud-with-raindrops (if I make it, I'll leave out the raindrops)
Chapter 2 - Lion:
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
Thanks, Ajjie. Your knitting plans look cute!
For chapter 3, I attempted a couple things that... didn't really translate into art the way I hoped, haha. It's supposed to be the scene of Caspian's sailing away, with a bit of light-dark contrast to suggest the lost opportunity to follow the first sign.
Chapter 3 - Sailing ship:
Chapter 4 - Owl
(Please let me know if the links don't work; you should be able to view without logging in)
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
@ariel-of-narnia A lovely take on Himself, with that almost cloud-like mane. I am afraid I have a little trouble "reading" the departure scene.
@ajnos what darling little fibercrafts ideas! I especially dig the lion and the boats, personally.
I'm behind on the reading and poeting, so I'll upload that as soon as available...
(Chapter 3: Red at Night)
The sunset was red at the close of the day,
And so was the ship, as the King went away.
He was well in the evening of his years,
Who you'd seen bright as morning, before all his tears,
When you sailed to the lands where dawn was made;
When his murdered queen was a starry maid
And her son but a twinkle in the Lion's eye.
You didn't know who it was you spied.
You couldn't guess how many years had passed
In the few brief months since you saw him last.
(Chapter 4: Green Light)
Know this: her poison shines.
She killed the light of stars.
She leads your heart beneath the mines.
She slinks between the signs
Spinning half-truths into cages’ bars.
Know this: her poison shines.
Her forked tongue, fanged tines
Leave deep and hidden scars.
She leads your heart beneath the mines.
Allies are sent where the giant dines,
Or sung to sleep and dream and join her wars.
Know this: her poison shines.
Only at night he pines,
By day no rebel hope may mar
Her lead, your heart beneath the mines.
Her music purrs and whines
And plays the Sun a fiery farce.
Know this: her poison shines.
She leads your heart beneath the mines.
@Lily, yeah, my chapter 3 scene is... rough. 😓 To the left is Cair Paravel, dark after sunset (symbolically so, due to the missed opportunity to catch Caspian); to the right, Caspian's (very, very) faint ship sails away in light (again, symbolically, as a hope out of reach). The dots are just me attempting to make a crowd, heh-heh.
Meanwhile, your chapter 3 poem is sad. I like it for that.
And your chapter 4 poem makes excellent use of the witch's description and methods!
My chapter 4 could be read two ways (hence the written references to two different characters).
Lovely work again, Lily and Ariel. I love the depth both of you are finding in the story.
I was looking for a wigwam for Chapter 5. Haven't found a free one, but this is cute:
I also have an idea for knitting a marsh-wiggle, but I'd need to find the right tall-hatted thin figure. I started looking for humanesque frogs, but nothing looked quite right. Might have to compare an elf with a frog's feet or something. I've had a bunch of practice mixing patterns this year (can't yet create one from scratch on my own yet).
I started on the lion while watching TV tonight but didn't get very far as I have a cold and wasn't feeling too into it.
Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.
