Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics was C. S. Lewis's first published work. Lewis was twenty years old and had just returned from military service in the First World War. His tutor, William T. Kirkpatrick, encouraged him in publishing the book, although it was unusual at Lewis's age, as writers were expected to wait longer before sharing their work with the world. The book is composed of three different sections of poetry. The poems take on several styles and rhythms throughout the book, but share common themes. This work stands out among Lewis's writings not only because of the focus on poetry rather than prose, but because the author had not yet made his conversion to Christianity; therefore the themes and world views offered in Spirits in Bondage differ greatly from those for which Lewis is most well known. The title is derived from Milton's Paradise Lost.