The Plumed Serpent

novel by Lawrence

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July 2, 2026

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"The Plumed Serpent" is a novel by D.H. Lawrence, published in 1926. The story is set in Mexico and explores the idea of reviving indigenous religious traditions to regenerate a post-war society. The novel's prophet-hero attempts to establish a new theocratic state based on Aztec rites, with leaders worshipped as gods. A European woman in the story marries one of these leader-gods but struggles with his violence and irrationality. This novel reflects Lawrence's exploration of religious and social renewal, drawing inspiration from ancient Mexican deities like Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, a significant deity in ancient Mexican pantheons associated with vegetation, the morning star, and resurrection.12

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D.H. Lawrence
Later life and works
…embarked on the ambitious novel The Plumed Serpent (1926). In this novel Lawrence maintains that the regeneration of Europe’s crumbling postwar society must come from a religious root, and if Christianity is dead, each region must return to its own indigenous religious tradition. The Plumed Serpent’s prophet-hero, a Mexican general,…
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…embarked on the ambitious novel The Plumed Serpent (1926). In this novel Lawrence maintains that the regeneration of Europe’s crumbling postwar society must come from a religious root, and if Christianity is dead, each region must return to its own indigenous religious tradition. The Plumed Serpent’s prophet-hero, a Mexican general,…
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English literature
Anglo-American Modernism: Pound, Lewis, Lawrence, and Eliot
In Kangaroo (1923) and The Plumed Serpent (1926), Lawrence revealed the attraction to him of charismatic, masculine leadership, while, in For Lancelot Andrewes: Essays on Style and Order (1928), Eliot (whose influence as a literary critic now rivaled his influence as a poet) announced that he was a “classicist…
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In Kangaroo (1923) and The Plumed Serpent (1926), Lawrence revealed the attraction to him of charismatic, masculine leadership, while, in For Lancelot Andrewes: Essays on Style and Order (1928), Eliot (whose influence as a literary critic now rivaled his influence as a poet) announced that he was a “classicist…
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fable, parable, and allegory
Modern period
Lawrence shaped novels such as The Plumed Serpent to project a thematic, cultural polemic. W.H. Auden’s operatic librettos reflect once more the allegorical potential of this mixture of media.
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Lawrence shaped novels such as The Plumed Serpent to project a thematic, cultural polemic. W.H. Auden’s operatic librettos reflect once more the allegorical potential of this mixture of media.
Read More