The Coming of Lucifer: A Dream of “Progress”

The Coming of Lucifer is a satirical verse narrative that critiques the post-World War I era’s obsession with “progress” and the abandonment of traditional values. Set in the reimagined land of “Ing”—a “fresh named and up-to-dated” version of England—the poem follows the birth and rise of Lucifer to oversee the “evil days to be”. Through the character of “Mister Bliffin,” the author lampoons the popular intellectuals and pseudo-scientific authors of the day who claimed that “the old theology was dead” and that human evolution had reached its peak in modern thinkers. By portraying modern advancements and secular philosophies as a demonic “reconstructed earth,” this work serves as a sharp, allegorical warning against the spiritual decay and intellectual arrogance the author believes are inherent in the twentieth century’s march toward a utopian commonwealth.