"Spirits in Bondage" differs from more widely read Lewis works in that he does not yet write from a Christian worldview. The poems are meant to be read in order (thus, "A Cycle of Lyrics") so that the themes can develop and present themselves to the reader properly. Although not an atheist, Lewis takes the stance of an agnostic with a pessimistic outlook on religion and God. A central theme to his poetry, which led him to choose the title "Spirits in Bondage", is his early belief that God had instilled deep desires in Man that could not be attained, and that Man would think he were reaching his goal only to be ultimately bitterly disappointed.