Metaphor should not be approached as some “thing,” but as a transformative power, the invisible process by which “things” come into being. Using metaphor, even very simple language and very common-place images can be brought into new, unique constellations. Contrary to the sundry definitions of metaphor proffered by many school teachers and dictionaries, metaphor is [...]
William Shakespeare (baptized April 26, 1564, died April 23, 1616) is arguably the greatest writer in any language. Shakespeare’s classical poetry is not only one of the most exalted examples of what an immortal sense of creative identity can accomplish, it is a symbol of the artist’s immortality, and timelessness itself. As today’s coronavirus crisis [...]
The name Edgar Allan Poe conjures images of the macabre, murder, insanity, and self-destruction, but is this the real Edgar Poe? BUT for the cruel aspersions upon the character and life of America’s poetic genius, EDGAR ALLAN POE, this volume would have remained unwritten. EDGAR ALLAN POE has been more misunderstood than any other poet [...]
A century after its composition, Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” continues to leave readers, academics, poetry lovers, and poets alike pondering its meaning. Undoubtedly, the poem has a magical quality: its images are simple, yet elusive; the scene of dark woods, snow-blanketed trails, and a single farmhouse are painted with clarity, [...]
People are often ashamed or confused about the idea of wrestling with eternal longing because it means first acknowledging a very specific kind of emptiness, one that can’t be filled by cake or any other earthly pleasure. C.S. Lewis gives his listeners heart by echoing St. Augustine, who said “God gives where he finds empty [...]
Understanding Beauty as Percy Bysshe Shelley does—as a principle, like Truth or Justice—should lie at the heart of any rigorously-developed classical curriculum that aims to inspire a new generation of poets, scientists, artists, and genuinely creative citizens. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty”—perhaps one of his greatest works—is a wonderfully Platonic exploration of the [...]
They toil not, neither do they spin Mathew 6:28 They toil not, neither Do they spin, these soulful sprites— These sweet birds of song. They toil not, neither Do they spin, these brave songsters— These faithful soldiers. Like wraiths in the day, Hiding among trembling leaves, They whisper like wind. They sing in shadows, Beneath [...]
She looked at me with all the mystery of twilight stars; She spoke in words I thought only the stars could glean. She smiled with lips as precious as sweet Sappho’s’ lips, Although her eyes gleamed like an ancient sibyl’s eyes— […]
The opposite of dark is light; The opposite of light is dark. The opposite of day is night; The opposite of night is day. […]
I’ve dreamt dreams fairer than my father’s dreams— I’ve dreamt dreams fairer than my mother’s dreams— Dreams dreamt by strangers stranger than ourselves— Dreams dreamt by travelers older than ourselves— […]
I dreamt an endless dream; I dreamt my dreams had ceased. I dreamt the darkest dream; I dreamt of blinding light. […]
The dreams I had have been forgotten now— The dreams I once believed I knew were true— The dreams I know will haunt me every day— The dreams I dreamt about just yesterday— The dreams I won’t forget to dream each day— […]
A rose is lying in the summer mud— The dew still fresh from when it fell last night. A phoenix sinks into a sea of sands— See how the midnight’s sky outshines the day? It’s true—a comet burns one moment then It fades and scatters on the cosmic surf. […]
Lay down your armor And play for me your precious lyre; And let me hear Your deepest dreams and frail desires. […]