Introduction to Beowulf: The Old English Epic Poem Explained
The Core Concept: Wyrd The entire epic is driven by the Anglo-Saxon concept of Wyrd…
Poetry
Literatureman Introduction to Piers Plowman by William Langland
Introduction Written by William Langland in the late 14th century, Piers Plowman is a monumental…
Excerpt of Evening and Night from James Thomson’s The Seasons: Autumn
James Thomson’s The Seasons (1730) is a landmark of 18th-century “topographical” poetry. The excerpt from…
Introduction to “The Extasie” by John Donne
Introduction “The Extasie” is a quintessential metaphysical poem that explores the paradox of monism—the idea…
Introduction to “The Prologue” by Anne Bradstreet
“The Prologue” is one of the most significant works by Anne Bradstreet, often considered the…
Introduction to Henry Vaughan’s “The Retreat”
1. Introduction and Background Henry Vaughan’s “The Retreat” (1650) explores the poem’s structure, its deep-rooted…
Introduction to John Milton’s “On His Blindness”
1. Introduction & Background John Milton’s “When I consider how my light is spent” (c.…
Introduction to George Herbert’s “Easter Wings”
“Easter Wings” is one of the most famous examples of pattern poetry (or carmen figuratum)…
Introduction to “Robert Bruce’s March to Bannockburn” by Robert Burns
1. Introduction “Robert Bruce’s March to Bannockburn” (commonly titled Scots Wha Hae) is not merely…
Introduction to “Ode on Solitude” by Alexander Pope
1. Introduction and Definition of an Ode “Ode on Solitude” is one of the earliest…