the metaphor got murky ( )

Mr. Merton was a Catholic monk, and an amazing man. I learned a new word from this book: eschatology (having to do with the "end of times"), and Merton's discourse on the subject soothed me: every ending in this world also represents a beginning in another world. ( )

A GATHERING OF MERTON'S PROSE, WITH AN OCCASIONAL POEM. WE FORGET HE WAS AN ACOMPLISHED POET, HIS PROSE REFLECTS THIS. THIS BOOK IS ILLUSTRATED WITH SOME OF HIS DRAWINGS (WASHES). THE FIRST PIECE IS ONE OF HIS MOST FAMOUS, "RAIN AND THE RHINOCEROS" A REFLECTION ON TODAY'S WORLD AND THE COMFORT HE HAS FOUND IN HIS HERMITAGE. IF THIS WERE THE ONLY ESSAY IN THE BOOK IT WOULD BE WORTH HOLDING ON TO. OF INTEREST IS HIS "MESSAGE TO POETS" WITH THE STARTLING PHRASE "THE REASON FOR A POEM IS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL THE POEM ITSELF EXISTS." ( )

Parts were insightful but most of the book was unrelated to anything I can identify with. Along with capitalized Religious words was an invented mythology and a contrived convention that was a waste of words. Surely not on of Merton's best. Or am I just beyond or deaf mythology now? ( )