What name did C.S. Lewis use for his early poetry collection published in 1919?

C.S. Lewis used the pseudonym Clive Hamilton for his early poetry collection Spirits in Bondage, published in 1919. The name combined his first name, Clive, with Hamilton, a family name associated with his mother’s side.

Spirits in Bondage was published while Lewis was still a young man and reflects the pessimistic mood of some of his early poetry. He had served in the British Army during the First World War, and his wartime experiences contributed to the emotional atmosphere surrounding his early writing. At this stage, Lewis was not yet the Christian apologist and children’s novelist known worldwide.

The pseudonym can be confused with another name connected with Lewis’s poetry: he published Dymer in 1926 as Clive Hamilton as well. Later, after his literary reputation developed, he generally published major works under C.S. Lewis. His middle name, Staples, came from his mother’s family.