Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Latin

T.S. Eliot's Concept of Literary Tradition

This concept forms a crucial point of union between Eliot, Pound, Arnold, and the New Critics. While 'traditional' often implies outdated, for Eliot, it held a unique meaning. Eliot's perspective on history sometimes appears contradictory. He sometimes viewed the poet's role as simply expressing their epoch, and at other times, as actively disagreeing with their contemporary period. Eliot leaned towards the former, believing a poet should passively represent their era's ideas without disagreement. This is why he praised Elizabethan poets for their wonderful capacity to 'poetize' their period.

Great universal classic art, in his view, lacks a critical historical capacity; it doesn't question events but... Continue reading "T.S. Eliot's Poetics: Tradition, Language, and the Poet's Role" »

Caedmon: The First Known English Poet

Caedmon is considered the first English poet. While no original manuscripts of his work survive, we know of him through the writings of Bede, a historian who lived a century later. In his historical accounts, Bede included a monk named Caedmon and introduced a fragment of one of his poems, known as "Caedmon's Hymn" in Old English.

Caedmon lived in a monastery and was illiterate. According to Bede, he had a dream in which a man instructed him to sing. Though initially hesitant, Caedmon began composing poems based on what he heard in his dreams. He was also believed to possess prophetic abilities.

Caedmon used poetry to spread Christianity and was imitated by other monks. His work shared formal characteristics... Continue reading "Early English Literature and Romanticism: Key Figures and Concepts" »

Thomas Hardy: Realism, Fate, and the Wessex Novels

Thomas Hardy's novels are primarily set in his native province of Dorchester, often referred to as 'Casterbridge' in his works. His narratives are characterized by a deep knowledge of architecture and a profound exploration of human destiny.

The Mayor of Casterbridge: A Tragic Yet Hopeful Narrative

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) stands as a significant tragedy, echoing the traditions of Greek tragedies and Shakespeare's King Lear. Despite its tragic arc, the novel remarkably concludes with a glimmer of hope for humanity. Its underlying philosophy is rooted in the malevolence of fate, which Hardy portrays as a primary source of suffering.

In this novel, Hardy masterfully applies the concept of... Continue reading "Thomas Hardy & Jane Austen: Literary Legacies" »

Eru Ilúvatar – The Main God who made the Valar through music.

The Valar: Elite of the "Angelic" Beings

Melkor / Morgoth

The First Dark Lord and the first of the Ainur to be created by Eru. He created discord in the music of the Ainur. Spiritual brother of Manwë, he was the most powerful of the Valar, possessing all aspects of Eru’s thoughts. He was taken back to Valinor in the chain Angainor, and after the poisoning of the Two Trees, he fled Valinor.

Tulkas (Astaldo)

Husband of Nessa. Known as “The Brave One,” he is the strongest of all the Valar, using only his fists as weapons. He laughs in sports and war, even in the face of Melkor. He was the last of the Valar to descend into Arda.

Estë (Rest)

The Gentle, known as “Healer of hurts... Continue reading "The Valar: Divine Beings of Tolkien's Legendarium" »

Modernist vs. Contemporary Poetry

To clarify, not all contemporary poetry is considered "modern" in the sense of the Modernist literary movement. The Modernist poets, such as T.S. Eliot, tended to favor intellect over emotion and valued themes of alienation and isolation as reactions to the Romanticism of the previous literary era. For contemporary poetry, common trends include stream of consciousness, free verse, and the preference for suggestion or ambiguity of ideas.

Key Characteristics of Modernist Poetry

Disrupted Syntax

Modernist poetry often features disrupted syntax, which refers to irregular sentence structures.

Stream of Consciousness

In addition, many Modernist poems feature a stream of consciousness presentation in which the narrator... Continue reading "Modernist Poetry: Characteristics and T.S. Eliot's Legacy" »

Simple Present

Pres. Simp. -> She cleans her.. -> She has her brushes cleaned

Present Continuous

Past Simple

Past Continuous

Future Simple

Future Continuous

Present Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect

Past Perfect Continuous

A more formidable objection to the plan of the book might be that I have taken too little into account the historical backgrounds of the poems I have discussed. An adequate answer to this charge will have to be furnished by the book itself, but I should like to forestall some misapprehensions, here and now. If literary history has not been emphasized in the pages that follow, it is not because I discount its importance, or because I have failed to take it into account. It is rather that I have been anxious to see what residuum, if any, is left after we have referred the poem to its cultural matrix.

The temper of our times is strongly relativistic. We have had impressed upon us the necessity for reading a poem in terms of its historical context,... Continue reading "Timeless Poetry: Beyond Historical Context" »

Avant-Garde Movements

Favism

• Matisse: The Dessert, Harmony in Red (1908), Portrait of Madame Matisse (1905)
• Derain: The River Seine at Chatou (1906)
• Vlaminck
• Rouault

Cubism

• Picasso
• Braque: Woman with a Guitar (1913)
• Juan Gris: Portrait of Picasso (1912)

Expressionism

• Munch: The Scream (1893)
• Kirchner
• Nolde

Futurism

• Boccioni
• Giacometti

Cubist Sculpture

• Brancusi

Between-War Period

Dadaism

• Duchamp: Mona Lisa, Fountain (1917)
• Picabia
• Grosz: The Pillars of Society (1926)

Surrealism

• Dalí: The Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1931), The Persistence of Memory (1931)
• Chagall: I and the Village (1911)
• Magritte: The Son of Man (1964)

Abstract Art

• Kandinsky: On White II (1923)
• Malevich
• Mondrian
• Klee: Red and White Domes (1914), Senecio (1922)
• Miró

Sculpture

• Brancusi
• Giacometti
• Moore:

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Henry James (1843-1916)

A Cosmopolitan Life

Born in New York in 1843, Henry James was a true cosmopolite, moving seamlessly between drawing rooms in Europe, England, and America. While he may have felt more at home in Europe, his American roots profoundly influenced his writing. His works often explore the complex relationship between American and European cultures, highlighting the confrontations and contrasts between these two worlds.

Early Influences and Literary Beginnings

In his youth, James's family embarked on a European journey, immersing themselves in the intellectual and cultural landscapes of Switzerland, France, and Germany. Upon returning to America, they settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a hub of intellectual thought. James's... Continue reading "Henry James: Exploring American Identity and European Influence" »