Laudator Temporis Acti

C.S. Lewis, diary (January 30, 1923):

[Edgar Frederick] Carritt, [Cyril William] Emmet and I fell into a conversation on the expressionist theory of art. I contended that two persons might be equally expressive, but in practice one preferred the one who had the better content. Emmett [sic] agreed with me. [Carleton Kemp] Allen was brought in on the question of whether any emotions were unfit for art and a lot of jokes wh. I did not understand passed between him and Carritt.

Carritt followed me out and asked me to come up to his room. We talked about books chiefly. He explained to me his mysterious conversation with Allen. Nearly a year ago there had been an argument on the same subject and Allen had said, as an example, that the emotions of a man going to the ————— could not be matter for art: Carritt had taken up the challenge and written a poem on that subject. He said it was not very good, but he thought it had proved his point.

I'd like to read Carritt's poem, but I don't know if it has survived.


Photograph of Edgar Frederick Carritt

Labels: noctes scatologicae