St. Augustine Confessions Analysis

“Confessions” recounts St. Augustine’s life of materialistic desires, newfound philosophy, and final conversion to Catholicism. Specifically in Book IV of “Confessions,” St. Augustine is talking to God about his grieving the death of a close friend of his. Consequently, he is saddened when he realizes that everything he loves on this Earth is mortal, except God. He states, “For that first grief had pierced so easily and so deep only because I had spilt out my soul upon the sand, in loving a mortal as if he were never to die.”1 As the prayer continues, St. Augustine accepts that loving friends can be fulfilling, but having an equal or greater love for God will protect and bring internal peace.
St. Augustine’s mourning seems to stem from how