Uncommon Sense
The Podcast of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, where we talk about everything under the sun with a Chestertonian perspective, as well as the writings and legacy of G.K. Chesterton himself. The podcast is hosted by Grettelyn Darkey and Joe Grabowski. Want to give us feedback? Email podcast@chesterton.org.

Nancy Brown joins to talk about what the Chestertons might be doing in a quarantine pandemic and things that we can be doing with our time!

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Books Nancy mentions: 

The Woman Who Was Chesterton  by Nancy Brown

G.K. Chesterton: A Biography by Ian Ker

Direct download: Nancy_Pandemic.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Dale recites poetry by Chesterton and it the poetry is amazing.

Get (out of print!) books of collected Chesterton poetry at the Chesterton store here.

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The poem's read in the podcast:

Elegy in a Country Churchyard
By G.K. Chesterton

The men that worked for England
They have their graves at home;
And bees and birds of England
About the cross can roam.

By they that fought for England,
Following a falling star,
Alas, alas for England
They have their graves afar.

And they that rule in England,
In stately conclave met,
Alas, alas for England
They have no graves as yet.

 

The Happy Man
By G.K. Chesterton

To teach the grey earth like a child,
To bid the heavens repent,
I only ask from Fate the gift
Of one man well content.

Him will I find: though when in vain
I search the feast and mart,
The fading flowers of liberty,
The painted masks of art,

I only find him at the last,
On one old hill where nod
Golgotha's ghastly trinity –
Three persons and one god.

 

A Chord Of Colour
By G.K. Chesterton

My Lady clad herself in grey,
That caught and clung about her throat;
Then all the long grey winter day
On me a living splendour smote;
And why grey palmers holy are,
And why grey minsters great in story,
And grey skies ring the morning star,
And grey hairs are a crown of glory.

My Lady clad herself in green,
Like meadows where the wind-waves pass;
Then round my spirit spread, I ween,
A splendour of forgotten grass.
Then all that dropped of stem or sod,
Hoarded as emeralds might be,
I bowed to every bush, and trod
Amid the live grass fearfully.

My Lady clad herself in blue,
Then on me, like the seer long gone,
The likeness of a sapphire grew,
The throne of him that sat thereon.
Then knew I why the Fashioner
Splashed reckless blue on sky and sea;
And ere 'twas good enough for her,
He tried it on Eternity.

Beneath the gnarled old Knowledge-tree
Sat, like an owl, the evil sage:
'The World's a bubble,' solemnly
He read, and turned a second page.
'A bubble, then, old crow,' I cried,
'God keep you in your weary wit!
'A bubble - Have you ever spied
The colours I have seen on it ?'

 

Fantasia
By G.K. Chesterton

The happy men that lose their heads
They find their heads in heaven
As cherub heads with cherub wings,
And cherub haloes even:
Out of the infinite evening lands
Along the sunset sea,
Leaving the purple fields behind,
The cherub wings beat down the wind
Back to the groping body and blind
As the bird back to the tree.

Whether the plumes be passion-red
For him that truly dies
By headsman's blade or battle-axe,
Or blue like butterflies,
For him that lost it in a lane
In April's fits and starts,
His folly is forgiven then:
But higher, and far beyond our ken,
Is the healing of the unhappy men,
The men that lost their hearts.

Is there not pardon for the brave
And broad release above,
Who lost their heads for liberty
Or lost their hearts for love?
Or is the wise man wise indeed
Whom larger thoughts keep whole?
Who sees life equal like a chart,
Made strong to play the saner part,
And keep his head and keep his heart,
And only lose his soul.

Direct download: Poetry.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT

Dale and Matt discuss an article: Common Sense Apostle & Cigar Smoking Mystic

Watch the Chesterton Minute video series on YouTube.

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Direct download: Faith_and_Family_.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Dale and Matt go back and forth with more Great, Knowledgable Chesterton quotes.

Read more Chesterton! Here are some essential quotes to start with.

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Direct download: Another_Quote_Episode.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:00am EDT