Re-Enchanting Re-Enchanting... Myths and legends - Malcolm Guite
Apr 15, 2026
Malcolm Guite, poet, Anglican priest and storyteller, reflects on poetry, beauty and old tales. He talks about how Keats, Coleridge and Narnia shaped his faith and craft. He explains choosing ballad verse for his Arthurian project Galahad and the Grail. Conversations range from Merlin and Grail imagery to imagination as a way of knowing.
01:06:02
Ice Cream Factory Reading That Rekindled Faith
- Malcolm Guite re-read Narnia and the Gospels while working 20-minute shifts in an ice cream factory, using brief breaks to reflect and read aloud to himself and others.
- He used constrained reading slots (20 minutes on, 20 off) to sink into texts like Narnia, the Gospels, and Plato, which shaped his spiritual return.
Create Short Hospitable Encounters To Sustain Presence
- Recreate 'a spell in the library' style presence by offering brief, hospitable, non-judgmental listening that invites deeper conversation and reading.
- Guite began short YouTube visits during lockdown with his wife knocking as a visitor proxy and reading passages to sustain students' spiritual presence.
A Keats Poem Sparked Spiritual Reopening
- Keats' Ode to a Nightingale acted as a decisive hinge for Guite, opening him from doctrinaire atheism to a sense that beauty points beyond mere brain chemistry.
- Standing in Keats' house reading the poem, Guite felt transcendent windows open—an experience that started his spiritual re-evaluation.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
What Malcolm Is Reading Now
03:25 • 3min
Spell in the Library and Lockdown Beginnings
06:05 • 2min
Poetry That Shaped Him: Narnia and Keats
08:31 • 4min
Poets Who Remain Companions
12:48 • 1min
Poetry, Beauty and the Return to Faith
14:08 • 12min
Defining Re-Enchantment
26:07 • 9min
Coleridge on Imagination and Knowing
34:50 • 3min
Reason, Imagination and Meaning
37:36 • 12sec
Origins of Galahad and the Grail
37:49 • 6min
Choosing Ballad Verse for the Epic
43:42 • 38sec
Testing the Verse and Reader Response
44:20 • 1min
How Ballad Rhythm Carries Readers
45:41 • 53sec
Christian Imagery in Arthurian Legend
46:34 • 5min
Grail as Sacrament and Pagan Continuity
51:18 • 5min
Martin Shaw and Modern Retellings
56:04 • 5min
Merlin: Archetype, Prophet, and Mentor
01:01:16 • 2min
Reading the Prelude and Invitation
01:03:37 • 2min
Outro
01:05:12 • 42sec
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Tenebrae
Geoffrey Hill
Geoffrey Hill's 'Tenebrae' is a sequence of poems marked by formal intensity, moral seriousness and theological concern, reflecting on history, guilt and the human condition.
Hill's language is allusive and compact, demanding attentive reading and rewarding depth of engagement.
The work often addresses Christian motifs and wrestles with the relation of faith to historical experience, especially in the modern world.
'Tenebrae' displays Hill's preoccupation with the ethical dimensions of poetry and the poet's responsibility in the aftermath of catastrophic history.
Its concluding sonnet sequence, including 'Lacrime,' expresses an intense spiritual quest that influenced readers like Malcolm Guite.
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La corona
John Donne
John Donne's 'La Corona' is a sequence of seven sonnets that form a crown-like structure through linked repetition.
Each sonnet focuses on a different aspect of Christ's life, from the Annunciation to the Ascension.
The last line of each sonnet becomes the first line of the next, creating a cyclical effect.
The final line of the seventh sonnet echoes the first line of the first, completing the crown.
This structure reflects the interconnectedness of Christ's life and the continuous cycle of salvation.
'La Corona' showcases Donne's intellectual complexity and his ability to blend theological themes with intricate poetic form.
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• Mentioned in 20 episodes
The rhyme of the ancient mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" is a narrative poem renowned for its haunting atmosphere, supernatural elements, and allegorical depth.
The poem follows an old mariner who shoots an albatross, bringing a curse upon his ship and crew.
Through his arduous journey, he confronts his guilt and learns the importance of respecting all living creatures.
The poem's exploration of themes like guilt, redemption, and the interconnectedness of nature and humanity has resonated with readers for centuries.
Its unique blend of fantasy, symbolism, and psychological insight makes it a cornerstone of Romantic literature.
The poem's enduring appeal lies in its ability to evoke profound emotions and spark contemplation on the human condition.
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• Mentioned in 178 episodes
Confessions
Augustine
Written in Latin between AD 397 and 400, 'Confessions' is a blend of autobiography, philosophy, theology, and critical exegesis of the Christian Bible.
The first nine books are autobiographical, tracing Augustine's life from his birth to his conversion to Catholicism.
He recounts his sinful youth, his involvement with Manicheism and Neoplatonism, and his eventual conversion in a Milanese garden.
The last four books focus on philosophical and theological issues, including memory, time, eternity, and the interpretation of the Book of Genesis.
The work is structured as a series of prayers to God, reflecting Augustine's journey of redemption and his understanding of God's grace and providence.
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• Mentioned in 109 episodes
The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis
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England's antiphon
George MacDonald
George MacDonald's 'England's Antiphon' reflects on English poetry's spiritual character, imagining an internal 'auricular chapel' where poets' voices sing antiphonally across time.
MacDonald treats poetic tradition as a communal liturgy, suggesting that poets participate in a shared, sacramental conversation about beauty and truth.
The book blends literary criticism with spiritual reflection, urging readers to hear poetry as a formative, religious practice rather than mere ornament.
MacDonald's insights influenced later Christian writers and fantasy authors, emphasizing imagination's moral and theological significance.
'England's Antiphon' remains a touchstone for those exploring poetry's role in spiritual formation.
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• Mentioned in 23 episodes
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
C.S. Lewis
In this adventure, Lucy, Edmund, and their cousin Eustace are transported back to Narnia, where they join Prince Caspian on his ship, the Dawn Treader.
Their journey takes them to various islands, each with its own unique challenges and wonders.
Along the way, they encounter a sea serpent, an island where anything turns to gold, and a mysterious Dark Island.
Eustace's transformation into a dragon and his subsequent redemption are pivotal moments in the story.
The crew's quest to find the seven lost lords and reach the edge of the world is filled with trials, temptations, and the guidance of the lion Aslan.
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• Mentioned in 9 episodes
Planet narnia
Michael Ward
Michael Ward's "Planet Narnia" explores the allegorical structure of C.S.
Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, arguing that the series reflects the imagery of the seven heavens.
The book delves into the literary and theological depth of Narnia, revealing its profound Christian symbolism.
Ward meticulously examines each book in the series, demonstrating how Lewis subtly incorporated theological concepts and celestial imagery.
This analysis challenges the perception of Narnia as mere children's literature, showcasing its rich intellectual and spiritual significance.
The book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Lewis's masterpiece.
#36027
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Dialogues of Plato
Plato
The Dialogues of Plato are a series of philosophical works that cover a broad spectrum of topics.
These dialogues are categorized into three periods: early, middle, and late.
The early dialogues, such as 'Apology' and 'Crito', focus on Socratic method and ethical questions.
The middle period includes works like 'The Republic' and 'Phaedo', where Plato develops his own philosophical views, including the theory of Forms and the nature of justice and the soul.
The late dialogues, such as 'Theaetetus' and 'Laws', are more didactic and less dramatic, delving into metaphysics and the nature of reality.
These dialogues are renowned for their exploration of central philosophical questions, including the nature of justice, the ideal society, the immortality of the soul, and the distinction between the world of senses and the world of Forms.
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Mariner
Malcolm Guite
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The Boundless Deep
Richard Holmes
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• Mentioned in 11 episodes
Galahad and the Grail
Malcolm Guite
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• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Ode to a nightingale
John Keats
Written in the spring of 1819, 'Ode to a Nightingale' is one of John Keats' most famous odes.
The poem delves into the speaker's deep meditation on time, death, beauty, and human suffering, inspired by the song of a nightingale.
The speaker yearns to escape the sorrows of the world through various means, including alcohol, poetry, and even death, but ultimately realizes the impossibility of fully joining the nightingale's immortal realm.
The poem contrasts the eternal, beautiful song of the nightingale with the mortal, suffering life of humans, highlighting the themes of creative expression, mortality, and the fleeting nature of human experience.
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• Mentioned in 15 episodes
Is a River Alive?
Robert Macfarlane
Malcolm Guite is a beloved poet, storyteller, Anglican priest, and academic. He is author of numerous books including the Faith Hope and Poetry, Lifting thr Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God. As well as his latest offering - his first installment of a mighty four-volume work - Galahad and the Grail.
It really was only a matter of time until Malcolm found his way into the world of Re-Enchanting.
In this conversation, Belle, Justin and Malcolm speak of poetry, beauty, old stories and slow reading. Together, they seek to re-enchanting myths and legends.
For Galahad and the Grail: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Galahad-Grail-Merlins-Isle-1/dp/1786227126/ref=asc_df_1786227126?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80470713939164&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=40877&hvtargid=pla-4584070184762788&psc=1&msclkid=4c396487aaa5167bd39a0d4109bc2dc3
If you found this conversation interesting, Seen & Unseen, the creators of Re-Enchanting, offers thousands of articles exploring how the Christian faith helps us understand the modern world. Discover more here: www.seenandunseen.com
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