In 1797 a young brother and sister executed one of the more intriguing moves in the history of English literature: William and Dorothy Wordsworth took up residence in Alfoxden, Somersetshire, a stone's throw from Samuel Coleridge's home in Nether Stowey. The three would form the most productive liter

Lush, Organic, Rhythmic, Romantic poetry, Sensual, Sublime

History begins with the invention of writing -- the rendering of the world in concrete form. Writing removes the guesswork, the slippage, that comes with oral traditions. When Homer sat down to record the legends he had heard throughout his life, he not only initiated literature, but also began the h

Classical & biblical poetry, Dramatic, Epic, Lyrical, Mythic, Sublime

When Abraham raised his sword to slice off the head of his son Isaac, he did so with absolute faith in God. Dante Alighieri, on the other hand, was not so convinced. Dante was a devout Christian who believed that divine love required a journey towards, not a blind acceptance of, religion. Unlike Abra

Dramatic, Epic, Medieval fiction, Medieval poetry, Mythic, Pathos, Religious, Sublime

The middle years of John Milton's career were devoted to prose. Caught up in the Puritan movement and the English Civil War, he penned political pamphlets and idealistic treatises on religious freedom and the glory of the new Commonwealth. True, a peculiarly personal sensibility revealed itself in th

17th century poetry, Epic, Lyrical, Mythic, Overflowing, Religious, Sublime