Because everyone loves a good story
Tolkien, Heaney, and Beowulf
Youth is wasted on the young, and college classes are wasted on college students. When I was a junior in college, I took a History of Modern English class that seemed, at the time, drier than dust and older than dirt. To this day,…
“Introduction to Poetry” By Billy Collins
There are two approaches to studying poetry: observation and interrogation. Only one leads to enjoyment. Which will you choose?
“Earth’s Crammed with Heaven” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
According to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who see and those who don’t. We all enjoy the same universe around us, but our reactions depend on whether or not we see God’s signature in the mundane.
“I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
Happy Independence Day, America! If you’re reading this on July 4th, you’ve probably got a busy day planned with cookouts, boat rides, and time with family—all topped off by fireworks. These are a great way to spend any summer day, and I plan to…
“Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Today I’d like to point you back to a post I wrote four years ago. It’s about one of my favorite poems by my very favorite poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. In “Pied Beauty,” Hopkins celebrates the dappled variety of creation in language that does…
“Passing and Glassing” by Christina Rossetti
Aging is inevitable, but aging with grace is optional. Rossetti uses mirrors and fading flowers to contrast two views of growing old.
Sail Away: Tolkien’s Frodo and Tennyson’s Ulysses
After their adventures, Tolkien’s Frodo and Tennyson’s Ulysses both longed to sail to the world’s end. What caused this longing, and did they find what they were looking for? Let’s find out!
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