The most painful episodes of twentieth century history are its wars. Starting with the losses of the First World War in 1914 the Second World War was even more catastrophic. Then followed the theatre of the Cold War, in which the American military intervened far and wide in the globe. Notable examples include the Korean…
Category: Literature
How does Aeneas’s piety and sense of duty change as the Aeneid unfolds?
In Virgil’s great epic poem Aeneid, the adventures of Aeneas are registered to create a powerful human drama that still retains its force two millennia past. Aeneas, the hero of the epic, is born of a divine union between the mortal Anchises and the goddess Venus. Believed to have been written circa 20 BC, this…
Comparison and Contrast: Poems ‘The Flea’ and ‘Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?’
William Shakespeare and John Donne are early masters of the English verse. We see their textual dexterity, skilful turn of phrase and creative metaphor in their body of work. The two poems chosen for this essay are about love. But what makes them stand out from conventional love poetry is that they project praise of…
The relevancy of cultural icons, perceived or otherwise, to the modern writers of Scottish Highlands and Islands
As the opening poem to the ASLS website proclaims, ‘Forget your Literature, Forge your Soul’. This is very true and its veracity can only be understood by patrons of literature who assimilate its refined aesthetic in the very fabric of their personhood. Just as literary art seeps through to the soul of the patron, so…
Critical Interpretation of Where Are You Going and Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates’
Joyce Carol Oates’ Where Are You Going and Where Have You Been? is a suspenseful and thrilling story. I found some aspects of it interesting while others superfluous. The following passages will lay out my critical interpretation of the story. Firstly, the characterization of the two main characters is very impressive. The mental makeup of…
The celebration of the virtues of the social underclass in Bret Harte’s stories
Bret Harte is a writer whose works are full of human empathy and insight. He is also exceptional in terms of attention to detail and gifted in coming up with beautiful turns of phrase. In the three short stories of the author chosen for this essay, we see ample examples of remarkable literary and humane…
Response to Equiano the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man
The book Equiano the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man is one of the most important historical documents of imperialism. The book narrates the story of a former slave – Olaudah Equiano (born circa 1750 and died 1797) – who is one of the earliest voices of African slaves. Reading this book has been an…
‘I Started Early, Took My Dog’ by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson’s poems lend themselves to Freudian psychoanalysis as they are full of psycho-emotional posturing and insight. The poem in question ‘I Started Early, Took My Dog’ is subject to various interpretations as it is abstract and lacks a concrete meaning. The poem is thus rich in its interpretive scope across both literary and psychological…
The Kiss by Anton Chekhov: Summary & Analysis
The Kiss by Anton Chekhov is a brilliant short story. It contains all the requisite features of a good short story. Elements of excitement, drama, romantic infatuation and suspense make the story hold its ground. In terms of literary devices, the apt yet optimal use of imagery and symbolism accentuates the overall effect on the…
Expository Essay: Every piece of literature is an argument
Wendy Wasserstein’s one-act play Tender Offer makes a persuasive argument in favor of openness and discussion in family relations. This two-character short play is centered on the conflict and miscommunication that could arise between a father and daughter. The concerns and preoccupations of Lisa and her father are very distant. The father, for example is…