# Dymer — Poetry character guide > Dymer in Poetry by C. S. Lewis. **Role:** major **Also known as:** See Dymer, This Dymer **First appearance:** 0045-dymer ## Snapshot A young man who breaks his chains, takes up a dead angel's armor, and stands alone against a beast only he is fated to fight. ## Who they are Dymer is the poem's restless center: a youth who has already wooed and won the bridal earth, only to find the world unmasked as a ruinous land of broken trees and dead pools. When a scarred, angelic stranger yields his armor and warns that no god can help him now, Dymer accepts the vigil anyway, certain of what he knows. His stubborn courage and his shame drive the early arc, turning a private rebellion into a solitary stand at dawn. ## Relationships ### [the Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/the_master) _psychological_ The Master exerts a manipulative, almost hypnotic influence over Dymer, treating him as a pawn. ### [Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/mother) _family_ Mother is protective of Dymer but often overbearing, leading to a strained maternal bond. ### [Bran](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/bran) _friendship_ Dymer and Bran share a fleeting but meaningful connection, rooted in shared experiences. ### [Joy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/joy) _social_ Joy and Dymer have a single, insignificant encounter that does not develop further. ### [Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/mother) _family_ Mother is protective of Dymer but often overbearing, leading to a strained maternal bond. ### [Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/mother) _family_ Dymer's relationship with his mother is marked by frequent but conflicted interactions, blending care and frustration. ### [Joy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/joy) _social_ Dymer and Joy are acquaintances who interact briefly, with no deep emotional connection. ### [Bran](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/bran) _friendship_ Bran and Dymer share a close but complicated bond, often acting as allies yet with underlying tension. ### [the Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/the_master) _psychological_ Dymer is intensely obsessed with the Master, viewing him as a manipulative figure who controls his fate. ## In the story ### [Spirits in Bondage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/spirits-in-bondage) Implied as the central consciousness grappling with bondage and transcendence. ### [Part I: The Prison House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/part-i-the-prison-house) Protagonist born into the Perfect City; kills his master and escapes. ### [I: Satan Speaks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/i-satan-speaks) Implied as the target of Satan's address, representing the fantasy and rebellion she seeks to thwart. ### [II: French Nocturne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/ii-french-nocturne) The speaker of the poem, reflecting on the war-torn landscape and his own loss of humanity. ### [III: The Satyr](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/iii-the-satyr) The satyr is not explicitly named, but the description of a being with cloven feet, horns, and a white brow may allude to Dymer's dual nature or a symbolic representation of his inner conflict. ### [IV: Victory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/iv-victory) Referenced implicitly through the 'yearning, high, rebellious spirit of man' that mirrors Dymer's own journey. ### [VI: Spooks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/vi-spooks) The narrator, appearing as a ghost in his own dream, unable to enter his beloved's house. ### [VIII: Ode for New Year’s Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/viii-ode-for-new-year-s-day) Implied speaker who reflects on his own past madness and cursing of God, now claiming greater wisdom. ### [X: To Sleep](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/x-to-sleep) The speaker, presumably Dymer, prays to Sleep for solace and a gentle end. ### [XI: In Prison](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xi-in-prison) The speaker of the poem, expressing anguish over human suffering and cosmic isolation. ### [XII: De Profundis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xii-de-profundis) Implied as the speaker, expressing personal rebellion and existential anguish. ### [XV: Dungeon Grates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xv-dungeon-grates) The universal 'lonely soul of man' is implicitly Dymer's own, as the poem's protagonist enduring the 'nightmare march of unrelenting fate.' ### [XVI: The Philosopher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xvi-the-philosopher) Implied as the potential 'seer' or prophet figure, young and unbroken, who might cross the bridge to the eternal. ### [XVII: The Ocean Strand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xvii-the-ocean-strand) Implied as the one who is invited to leave the town and wander toward the ocean. ### [XX: Sonnet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xx-sonnet) The speaker of the sonnet, yearning for oblivion and escape from time. ### [XXI: The Autumn Morning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxi-the-autumn-morning) The speaker who walks alone and reflects on the autumn morning. ### [Part II: Hesitation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/part-ii-hesitation) Dymer is caught in a moment of hesitation, reflecting on his past actions and the uncertain path ahead. ### [XXII: L’Apprenti Sorcier](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxii-l-apprenti-sorcier) The narrator, standing alone on a shelf of stone, is tempted by elemental spirits to leap into the sea of cosmic experience. ### [XXIII: Alexandrines](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxiii-alexandrines) The speaker who dreads the empty house and the waiting presence. ### [XXIV: In Praise of Solid People](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxiv-in-praise-of-solid-people) The speaker's voice aligns with Dymer's introspective and restless nature, contrasting with the solid folk. ### [Part III: The Escape](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/part-iii-the-escape) Protagonist who escapes the Perfect City after killing his Master. ### [XXV: Song of the Pilgrims](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxv-song-of-the-pilgrims) Implied as one of the pilgrims or the collective voice, seeking the land beyond the North Wind. ### [XXVII: The Ass](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxvii-the-ass) The speaker who wakes, slips away to the hills, and addresses the ass with wonder and affection. ### [XXVIII: Ballade Mystique](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxviii-ballade-mystique) The speaker of the poem, isolated in a red house, yet possessing a visionary inner realm. ### [XXX: Oxford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxx-oxford) Implied as part of 'us' who cherish the city as a spiritual refuge. ### [XXXII: “Our Daily Bread”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxii-our-daily-bread) The speaker, likely Dymer, describes his own experiences of glimpsing the divine in mundane settings and his resolve to embark on a spiritual journey. ### [How He Saw Angus the God](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxiii-how-he-saw-angus-the-god) The narrator who rises at dawn, creeps out of the house, and runs through the morning landscape, eventually witnessing the god Angus. ### [XXXIV: The Roads](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-roads) The speaker, standing on the uplands and feeling the call of the roads. ### [XXXV: Hesperus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxv-hesperus) The speaker of the poem, yearning to follow Hesperus to a place of peace and fulfillment. ### [XXXVI: The Star Bath](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxvi-the-star-bath) The narrator or observer who recalls witnessing the star bath ages ago, though not explicitly named, the perspective aligns with Dymer's transcendent awareness. ### [XXXVII: Tu Ne Quæsieris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxvii-tu-ne-qu-sieris) The speaker of the poem, reflecting on his own desires, struggles, and the limitations of selfhood. ### [World's Desire](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xxxix-world-s-desire) Implied as the beloved addressed in the poem, offered a place in the castle's sacred court. ### [XL: Death in Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/xl-death-in-battle) The speaker who longs for the gates of a peaceful castle and describes his release from battle and pain. ### [Dymer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/dymer) Protagonist who rebels against the Perfect City, kills his master, and embarks on a journey through forest and storm, seeking meaning and confronting his own fate. ### [Dymer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/dymer) Protagonist who rebels against the perfect city, kills his master, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and transcendence. ### [Canto I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-i) Protagonist who rebels against the Perfect City, kills his lecturer, and flees into the wild, eventually entering a mysterious house. ### [Canto II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-ii) Explores the dome, dresses in royal clothes, feasts, and experiences a transformative encounter in the dark room. ### [Canto III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-iii) Wakes from his night with Joy, explores the house, and confronts the old woman blocking his way. ### [Canto IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-iv) Sits silently beside the dying man, listening to the story of the revolution he inadvertently sparked. ### [Canto V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-v) Dymer is the central figure, wandering in despair, reflecting on his actions and losses, and experiencing a near-death fall before a moment of surrender and a vision of renewal. ### [Canto VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-vi) Dymer descends from the mountain, confronts the Master, and resists the lure of dreams, insisting on facing reality and his sins. ### [Canto VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-vii) Wakes from a drunken sleep, recounts a dream of a false paradise, and narrowly escapes the Master's gunshot. ### [Canto VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-viii) Wounded and in pain, Dymer questions the woman about truth and the gods, reflecting on his past selves and his impending death. ### [Canto IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/chapters/canto-ix) Dies in battle with the beast, ascends through the spheres, learns the beast is his son, and ultimately faces it again. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters/dymer - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_3_se/characters