Joy and Faith: The Poetry of Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc is a well-known figure in Catholic circles and was a contemporary of G.K. Chesterton. Belloc was an author who penned an astounding 153 books, the most famous of which is The Servile State. Additionally, Belloc was involved in Catholic political circles, in which he contributed to the formulation of a political theory called “Distributism,” which sought to mitigate perceived issues in Capitalism and Socialism by proposing another alternative that he believed to be more reflective of a medieval model. Belloc wrote about almost everything under the sun, covering: history, politics, economics, literature, and philosophy. However, what is not so well known about Belloc, considering the prominence of his other works, is his poetry, which offers a subtle and more personal insight into this 20^th century renaissance man.

Like his other writings, Belloc’s poetry is comprehensive in its subjects. From more profound poems such as A Trinity to the humorous Cautionary Tales for Children, it is certainly hard to characterize Belloc’s poetic style. Nevertheless, a sublime religious connotation is constant in his works. Whereas his books emphasize the intellectual aspects of Catholicism, Belloc’s poems stress a more joyful theme as ultimately all good we experience comes only through the Grace of God. A delightful sample of this jovial focus is his short poem The Catholic Sun, which reads: “Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, / There’s always laughter and good red wine. / At least I’ve always found it so. / Benedicamus Domino!”

In line with his joyful overtones, Belloc’s poetry often carries a hint of comedy that brings a smile and an accompanying laugh to the reader. Take, for an example, his poetry for children, which are funny in their candid absurdity, “Matilda, who told lies and was burned to death”, or “Rebecca: who slammed doors for fun and perished miserably”. While the majority of poems cover more serious topics such as beauty and love, his approach to humor certainly has a lasting effect in the imagination of his readers, whether as stern warnings to children or as comical laughs to adults.

The joy reflected in Belloc’s writings can manifest in a more romantic sense through themes such as beauty- which he often uses to express more nuanced topics. Even abstract concepts, which would take pages to properly explain, can be navigated in just a few short words by Belloc’s enchanting style. For an example, take the Doctrine of the Trinity, a subject that has been written about for thousands of years and has been fiercely debated; even some Protestant denominations were established because of how difficult it is to formulate the Trinitarian nature of God’s essence. However, Belloc’s poem about the Trinity, conveniently called A Trinity, gives a general view of this doctrine that is beautiful and accessible: “Of three in One and One in three / My narrow mind would doubting be / Till Beauty, Grace and Kindness met / And all at once were Juliet.”

If there is anything to take away from Belloc’s poetry, it is the Divine spark within each of us, a reminder that we were formed in the image and likeness of God. The creative arts express this connection we have to the Divine by rendering order upon something harmoniously so as to bring about its goodness. While God is the creator, and we are just creatures, we are called to be shepherds of nature, keepers of the creation God has freely given us. In this role, we can show our appreciation to God through the joyful thanksgiving of tending to our works- to make them as good and beautiful as we can so we can receive the fruits God has invested in them.

It is important for us Catholics to remember that our faith is ultimately a joyful one. We believe in the one true God, and we can have a relationship with this God, who, in His sacrifice and glory, makes all things good. Isn’t that truly special? When we contemplate the beauty of our faith, we feel inspired to partake in God’s goodness by unlocking our creative potential as a means to receive the sheer beauty of God’s creation and grace. In this capacity, Belloc’s poetry serves as a model and an inspiration for the glory we can give to God in our creativity.