Tagged: Romantics

Three Nineteenth-Century Poets on Night

Now that we’re in the thick of the semester, we’re all lacking for a full night’s sleep. Here is what three of the English Romantics had to say about the subject of night. The Sun Has Long Been Set William Wordsworth The sun has long been set, The stars are out by twos and threes, […]

Another Facet of William Blake

Who was William Blake? Ask a CC202 student and they’ll tell you he was an English Romantic poet. They’re right but that’s not all. Blake was also a talented artist and many of his subjects will appear familiar to keen-eyed core students. We thought we’d take a moment to share a bit of this lesser […]

Analects of the Core: Blake on energy

Energy is an eternal delight, and he who desires, but acts not, breeds pestilence. — William Blake, “The Fly.” Fun Fact: Esperanza Spalding put out a song based on this poem.

Analects of the Core: Shelley on legs of stone in the desert

I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on […]

Analects of the Core: Wordsworth on grandeur

Wisdom and Spirit of the universe! Thou Soul, that art the Eternity of thought! And giv’st to forms and images a breath And everlasting motion! not in vain, By day or star-light, thus from my first dawn Of childhood didst thou intertwine for me The passions that build up our human soul; Not with the […]

Analects of the Core: Burns on honesty and poverty

Is there, for honest poverty, That hangs his head, and a’ that? The coward-slave, we pass him by, We dare be poor for a’ that! For a’ that, and a’ that, Our toils obscure, and a’ that; The rank is but the guinea-stamp, The man ‘s the gowd for a’ that! What tho’ on hamely […]

Analects of the Core: Blake on dawn

O Earth O Earth return! Arise from out the dewy grass; Night is worn, And the mourn Rises from the slumberous mass. – from “Introduction” to Songs of Experience by William Blake, whose poetry among others’ will be considered by Prof. Christopher Ricks in a lecture next Tuesday for the students of CC202

Christopher Ricks on Keats, embarrassment, and the separation of poetry and prose

Prof. Christopher Ricks lectured today for the students of CC201, on the subject of the John Milton. He is the author of Milton’s Grand Style (Oxford University Press, 1978). In the spring semester, he often lectures on the English Romantic poets. Students, with their Kerberos password, can access his packet of selected readings here. Today’s […]