literature

1y

<p>"I know that Beauty must ail and die,<br>And will be born again, — but ah, to see<br>Beauty stiffened, staring up at the sky!<br>Oh, Autumn! Autumn! — What is the Spring to me?"</p><p>Second April (1921)</p><p>~Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950)</p><p>Books by Edna St. Vincent Millay at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/70" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/70"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/70</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Millay, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933.

She is captured in a three-quarter view, looking slightly to the side with an introspective expression.

Dramatic high-contrast lighting, with strong shadows cast across her face, emphasizing depth and mood.

Millay wears a dark jacket over a patterned blouse, with a deep neckline revealing her collarbone.

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77d

<p>But I am half a Scot by birth, and bred<br>A whole one, and my heart flies to my head,—</p><p>—from “Don Juan”, Canto X, by George Gordon, Lord Byron</p><p>The great Romantic poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron – Lord Byron – was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 22 Jan, 1788</p><p>A 🎂 🧵</p><p>1/5</p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/byron/" rel="tag">#Byron</a> <a href="/tags/lordbyron/" rel="tag">#LordByron</a> <a href="/tags/romantic/" rel="tag">#romantic</a> <a href="/tags/romanticism/" rel="tag">#romanticism</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/19thcentury/" rel="tag">#19thcentury</a></p>

from “Don Juan”, Canto X
George Gordon Byron

And all our little feuds, at least all mine,
Dear Jefferson, once my most redoubted foe
(As far as rhyme and criticism combine
To make such puppets of us things below),
Are over: Here's a health to 'Auld Lang Syne!'
I do not know you, and may never know
Your face—but you have acted on the whole
Most nobly, and I own it from my soul.

And when I use the phrase of 'Auld Lang Syne!'
'Tis not address'd to you—the more's the pity
For me, for I would rather take my wine
With you, than aught (save Scott) in your proud city.
But somehow,—it may seem a schoolboy's whine,
And yet I seek not to be grand nor witty,
But I am half a Scot by birth, and bred
A whole one, and my heart flies to my head,—

As 'Auld Lang Syne' brings Scotland, one and all,
Scotch plaids, Scotch snoods, the blue hills, and clear streams,
The Dee, the Don, Balgounie's brig's black wall,
All my boy feelings, all my gentler dreams
Of what I then dreamt, clothed in their own pall,
Like Banquo's offspring;—floating past me seems
My childhood in this childishness of mine:
I care not—'t is a glimpse of 'Auld Lang Syne.'

And though, as you remember, in a fit
Of wrath and rhyme, when juvenile and curly,
I rail'd at Scots to show my wrath and wit,
Which must be own'd was sensitive and surly,
Yet 'tis in vain such sallies to permit,
They cannot quench young feelings fresh and early:
I 'scotch'd not kill'd' the Scotchman in my blood,
And love the land of 'mountain and of flood.'

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1y

<p>What Are the 5 Most Influential English Ghost Stories?</p><p>Ghost stories are an ancient tradition, often carrying moral or religious messages. Over time, writers realized the power of crafting uniquely unsettling tales, and this list examines 5 of the most influential.</p><p>By Lauren Jones</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/most-influential-english-ghost-stories/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/most-influential-english-ghost-stories/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/most-infl</span><span class="invisible">uential-english-ghost-stories/</span></a></p><p>All these ghost stories are available at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14522" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14522</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/209" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/209</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

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77d

<p>Gin I was God, sittin’ up there abeen,<br>Weariet nae doot noo a’ my darg was deen,<br>Deaved wi’ the harps an’ hymns oonendin’ ringin’,<br>Tired o’ the flockin’ angels hairse wi’ singin’,<br>To some clood-edge I’d daunder furth an’, feth, <br>Look ower an’ watch hoo things were gyaun aneth…</p><p>—Charles Murray (1864–1941), “Gin I Was God”<br>published in THE GOLDEN TREASURY OF SCOTTISH VERSE, <span class="h-card"><a href="https://bookish.community/@canongatebooks" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>canongatebooks</span></a></span> 2021</p><p><a href="https://canongate.co.uk/books/3267-the-golden-treasury-of-scottish-verse/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="canongate.co.uk/books/3267-the-golden-treasury-of-scottish-verse/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">canongate.co.uk/books/3267-the</span><span class="invisible">-golden-treasury-of-scottish-verse/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/god/" rel="tag">#god</a></p>

Gin I Was God
Charles Murray

Gin I was God, sittin’ up there abeen,
Weariet nae doot noo a’ my darg was deen,
Deaved wi’ the harps an’ hymns oonendin’ ringin’,
Tired o’ the flockin’ angels hairse wi’ singin’,
To some clood-edge I’d daunder furth an’, feth,
Look ower an’ watch hoo things were gyaun aneth.
Syne, gin I saw hoo men I’d made mysel’
Had startit in to pooshan, sheet an’ fell,
To reive an’ rape, an’ fairly mak’ a hell
O’ my braw birlin’ Earth, – a hale week’s wark –
I’d cast my coat again, rowe up my sark,
An’, or they’d time to lench a second ark,
Tak’ bak my word an’ sen’ anither spate,
Droon oot the hale hypothec, dicht the sklate,
Own my mistak’, an’, aince I’d cleared the brod,
Start a’thing ower again, gin I was God.

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76d

<p>One drops<br>in a bunker,<br>another on his doorstep,<br>Christmas morning, shovelling snow…</p><p>—Andrew Greig, “Norman’s Goodnight”<br>from This Life, This Life: New & Selected Poems 1976–2006 (Bloodaxe Books, 2006</p><p>Norman MacCaig (1910–1996) died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 23 Jan</p><p><a href="https://poetryarchive.org/poem/normans-goodnight/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="poetryarchive.org/poem/normans-goodnight/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">poetryarchive.org/poem/normans</span><span class="invisible">-goodnight/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/normanmaccaig/" rel="tag">#NormanMacCaig</a></p>

Norman’s Goodnight
by Andrew Greig

One drops
in a bunker,
another on his doorstep,
Christmas morning, shovelling snow.

When I go
may it be like that,
a short fall down and out
while busy in open air –

like a pigeon, say,
winging it across clear sky,
sways then plummets,
brought down by stray buckshot.

And may there be time
to murmur as I fold
some word of thanks
and letting go –

like the last time I saw MacCaig
standing at his door;
as I turned the stair
his hand came up, waved:

Ta-ta. Ta-ta.
Masterly concision –
‘Thank you’ and
‘Goodnight’ in one.

I hope to be
even briefer as I fall:

Ta –

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1898.</p><p>Émile Zola is imprisoned in France after writing J'Accuse…!, a letter accusing the French government of antisemitism and wrongfully imprisoning Captain Alfred Dreyfus.</p><p>He was sentenced to jail and was removed from the Legion of Honour. To avoid jail time, Zola fled to England. He stayed there until the cabinet fell; he continued to defend Dreyfus.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accuse" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accuse"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accu</span><span class="invisible">se</span></a>...!</p><p>J'Accuse at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20974" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20974</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Emile Zola photographié par Nadar en 1898.

The image is in black and white and shows Zola with a beard and round glasses, wearing a formal suit with tie.

His expression is serious and his gaze determined. His hands are crossed in a distinctive manner, highlighting a ring and bracelet visible on his fingers.

Front page cover of the newspaper L’Aurore of Thursday 13 January 1898, with J’accuse...!, the open letter written by Émile Zola to president Félix Faure about the Dreyfus affair. The headline reads "I accuse...! Letter to the President of the Republic".

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1826.</p><p>In the Mexican Republic, lithographer Claudio Linati inaugurates El Iris, a "pocket sized" bi-weekly. It is in print until August 2, when its popularization of liberal ideas prompts the intervention of state censors.</p><p>It was founded as an illustrated literary review, with topics of interest to women. It included articles on poetry, theater and fashion, as well as portraits and biographies of heroes of the recent war of independence.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Cover of the Mexican journal El Iris from 3 May 1826.

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75d

<p>How George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening now</p><p>Orwell is feted for the farsightedness of his geopolitical vision as long ago as the 1940s. But a lot of writers were thinking along similar lines.</p><p>by Emrah Atasoy</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-george-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/how-george-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/how-george</span><span class="invisible">-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk</span></a></p><p>Dystopias at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/3316</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The first edition cover of George Orwell's book, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984).

This iconic cover design is simple but striking, with bold handwritten-style typography on a dark green background.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four#/media/File:1984_first_edition_cover.jpg

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75d

<p>Atween November’s end and noo<br>there’s really nithin else tae do<br>but climb inside a brindlet coo<br>and dream o Spring,<br>fur Winter’s decked hur breist and broo<br>wi icy bling…</p><p>—W.N. Herbert, “Rabbie, Rabbie, Burning Bright” <br>published in OMNESIA (Remix) (Bloodaxe Books, 2013)</p><p>Warming up for Burns Night …</p><p><a href="https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/rabbie-rabbie-burning-bright/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/rabbie-rabbie-burning-bright/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.</span><span class="invisible">uk/poem/rabbie-rabbie-burning-bright/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/standardhabbie/" rel="tag">#StandardHabbie</a> <a href="/tags/winter/" rel="tag">#winter</a></p>

Rabbie, Rabbie, Burning Bright
by W. N. Herbert

Atween November’s end and noo
there’s really nithin else tae do
but climb inside a brindlet coo
and dream o Spring,
fur Winter’s decked hur breist and broo
wi icy bling.

It feels like, oan St Andrae’s nicht,
thi sun went oot and gote sae ticht
he endit up in a braw fire fecht
wi some wee comet –
noo he’s layin low wi his punched-oot licht
aa rimmed wi vomit.

We too hae strachilt lik The Bruce
and hacked up turkey, duck and goose;
and let aa resolution loose
oan Hogmanay,
but waddle noo frae wark tae hoose
lyk dogs they spayed.

Each year fails tae begin thi same:
fae dregs o Daft Deys debt comes hame
and we gaither in depression’s wame
aa duty-crossed –
but Burns’s birthday is a flame
set tae Defrost.

Ye dinna need tae be Confucius
tae ken, if Dullness wad confuse us,
ye caa ‘Respite! Let’s aa get stocious –
And dinna nag us.
Grant us that globe of spice, thi luscious
Delight caaed “haggis”!’

That truffle o the North must be
dug frae the depths o January,
but cannae pass oor lips, nor we
cross Limbo’s border –
unless that passport, Poetry,
be quite in order.

Sae thi daurkest deys o thi haill damn year
can dawn in yawns baith dreich an drear –
sae thi Taxman’s axe is at wir ear
fur his Returns?
We Scots sall neither dreid nor fear
but read wir Burns.

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1y

<p>Castles in the sky: the fantastical drawings of author Victor Hugo – in pictures</p><p>Although better known for his sprawling Romantic novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, celebrated French author Victor Hugo spent much of his time drawing. A collection of about 70 of his sketches will soon be on display at the Royal Academy in London, in an exhibition bringing together caricatures, travel drawings and landscapes. </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/mar/01/castles-in-the-sky-the-fantastical-drawings-of-author-victor-hugo-in-pictures" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/mar/01/castles-in-the-sky-the-fantastical-drawings-of-author-victor-hugo-in-pictures"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/artanddesi</span><span class="invisible">gn/gallery/2025/mar/01/castles-in-the-sky-the-fantastical-drawings-of-author-victor-hugo-in-pictures</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/painting/" rel="tag">#painting</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Landscape With a Castle on a Cliff, 1857 by Victor Hugo.

With materials as diverse as coffee dregs, ink and soot, he often elaborated upon chance blots to suggest baroque shapes. He also used stencils, lace and folding to create complex abstract patterns, scraping and manipulating the ink, even with his fingers.

In Landscape with a castle he created a stencil and brushed ink over it, to leave the fortress as a white reserve, then added details in pen. The ‘assisted’ accidents of the ink washes and strong contrast of light and dark combine to produce a tempestuous atmosphere.

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/victor-hugo-landscape-with-a-castle/VwGHuvUUnNhaHA?hl=en

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1y

<p>Finnish priest, lyric and epic poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1804 (Runeberg Day).</p><p>He is the author of the lyrics to Vårt land (Our Land, Maamme in Finnish) which became the Finnish national anthem. Runeberg was also involved in the modernization of the Finnish Lutheran hymnal and produced many texts for the new edition.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Ludvig_Runeberg" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Ludvig_Runeberg"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Lu</span><span class="invisible">dvig_Runeberg</span></a></p><p>Books by Johan Ludvig Runeberg at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2842" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2842"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/2842</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, 1804-1877. Portrait by Albert Edelfelt (1893).

This portrait of Runeberg depicts him as a dignified and intellectual figure, reflecting his literary influence and patriotic spirit. A well-known painting typically present him in formal 19th-century attire, with a contemplative expression, emphasizing his role as a writer and thinker.

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73d

<p>George Douglas Brown (1869–1902) was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 26 January – best known for his 1901 novel THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS:</p><p>“…the TRAINSPOTTING of its day… an angry young man’s response to the misrepresentation of contemporary Scottish life”</p><p>A 🎂 🧵</p><p>1/7</p><p><a href="https://list.co.uk/news/39535/george-douglas-brown-the-house-with-the-green-shutters-1901" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="list.co.uk/news/39535/george-douglas-brown-the-house-with-the-green-shutters-1901"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">list.co.uk/news/39535/george-d</span><span class="invisible">ouglas-brown-the-house-with-the-green-shutters-1901</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/modernism/" rel="tag">#modernism</a> <a href="/tags/postmodernism/" rel="tag">#postmodernism</a></p>

Book cover

THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS

Cover image: A small window in a pale cream-coloured wall, with green shutters. One is half open, but we can only see darkness inside. In the foreground, a red-headed postman in a blue uniform, his eyes and mouth wide open in shock and horror, whirls away from the window, his body twisting as he turns and flees from what he has seen within.

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1y

<p>"The only thing that we know is that we know nothing — and that is the highest flight of human wisdom."<br>Book V, Ch. I</p><p>In February 1865.</p><p>Publication of Leo Tolstoy's "1805", an early version of War and Peace, begins in the magazine Russkiy Vestnik. The version that was published in Russkiy Vestnik had a very different ending from the version eventually published under the title War and Peace in 1869.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_</span><span class="invisible">Peace</span></a></p><p>War and Peace at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Title page of Volume Six (том шестой) of a later (1909) reprinting of War and Peace.

The text is in Russian Cyrillic script, with a mix of bold, serifed fonts that convey a sense of authority and importance. The title "Война и мир" (War and Peace) is likely prominently displayed in a larger font size.

The words "Том шестой" (Volume Six) are clearly printed, usually below the title, indicating its place in a multi-volume set.

"Л. Н. Толстой" (L. N. Tolstoy) is included, typically in a smaller or similarly bolded font.

At the bottom of the page, the publisher's name, city, and year of publication (1909) are printed. Possible location include Moscow, as this was one of the key publishing hubs in Russia.

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74d

<p>Today is Burns' birthday, let's celebrate! </p><p>'There's no other poem like it': Why this Robert Burns classic is a masterpiece</p><p>Tam O'Shanter is a rip-roaring tale of witches and alcohol, but it has hidden depths. On Burns Night this Sunday – and 235 years after the poem was published in 1791 – Scots everywhere may well be treated to a masterwork with a unique, universal appeal.</p><p>By Nicholas Barber</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20260122-why-this-robert-burns-poem-is-a-masterpiece" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20260122-why-this-robert-burns-poem-is-a-masterpiece"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/</span><span class="invisible">20260122-why-this-robert-burns-poem-is-a-masterpiece</span></a></p><p>Tam O'Shanter at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25733" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25733</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Fronstispiece of the book Tam O' Shanter. by Robert Burns.

Decorations by Harry L. Miller.

Published by The Saalfield Publishing Company.

The artwork is done in a highly decorative, ornate, and gothic style, with intricate linework. The entire page is framed by a border made of twisting thorny branches, leaves, and vines. The illustration has a dark fairy-tale and folkloric atmosphere.

The border contains small human and supernatural figures, animals, and symbolic elements: A small seated figure near the top left; Hanging figures or effigies suspended from branches; Witch-like and goblin-like creatures placed around the frame; Small animals such as cats or owls, enhancing the eerie tone; The thorny branches curve around to form an elaborate rectangular frame.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/25733/pg25733-images.html

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1y

<p>"Thus the wise and worthy singer<br>Sings not all his garnered wisdom;<br>Better leave unsung some sayings<br>Than to sing them out of season."<br>Epilogue, line 20</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1835.</p><p>The Finnish language epic poetry Kalevala, compiled by Elias Lönnrot from oral sources, is first published in the Grand Duchy of Finland, becoming influential in the Fennoman movement.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala</a></p><p>Kalevala at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/5186" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/5186</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Inside front title page of The "Old" Kalevala, Finnish national epos, collection of old Finnish poems, by Elias Lönnrot. First edition; volume 1, 1835.

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74d

<p>“On the dirt roads of Arkansas I first met Robert Burns…” </p><p>Currently on the BBC iPlayer: writer, poet, & activist Dr Maya Angelou goes on a pilgrimage to the home of Robert Burns (originally broadcast in 1996 to mark the bicentenary of Burns’s death)</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013vcs" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013vcs"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013</span><span class="invisible">vcs</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/mayaangelou/" rel="tag">#MayaAngelou</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/romanticism/" rel="tag">#romanticism</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a></p>

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74d

<p>Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;<br>Ae fareweel, and then forever!<br>Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,<br>Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee…</p><p>—Robert Burns<br>published in SELECTED POEMS & SONGS (OUP, 2013)</p><p><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/selected-poems-and-songs-9780199682324" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="global.oup.com/academic/product/selected-poems-and-songs-9780199682324"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">global.oup.com/academic/produc</span><span class="invisible">t/selected-poems-and-songs-9780199682324</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/romanticism/" rel="tag">#romanticism</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/song/" rel="tag">#song</a> <a href="/tags/folksong/" rel="tag">#folksong</a> <a href="/tags/lovesong/" rel="tag">#lovesong</a></p>

Robert Burns
“Ae Fond Kiss”

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, and then forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.
Who shall say that fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne’er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love forever.
Had we never lov’d sae kindly,
Had we never lov’d sae blindly,
Never met—or never parted—
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.

Fare thou weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love, and Pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, Alas! for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.

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74d

<p>O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us<br>To see oursels as others see us!<br>It wad frae monie a blunder free us<br>An’ foolish notion:<br>What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,<br>And ev’n Devotion!</p><p>—Robert Burns, “To a Louse”<br>from Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect: The Luath Kilmarnock Edition, illustrated by Bob Dewar</p><p><a href="https://luath.co.uk/products/poems-chiefly-in-the-scottish-dialect?variant=42807652581526" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="luath.co.uk/products/poems-chiefly-in-the-scottish-dialect?variant=42807652581526"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">luath.co.uk/products/poems-chi</span><span class="invisible">efly-in-the-scottish-dialect?variant=42807652581526</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/humour/" rel="tag">#humour</a></p>

To a Louse, On Seeing one on a Lady’s Bonnet at Church
Robert Burns

Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlan ferlie!
Your impudence protects you sairly:
I canna say but ye strunt rarely,
Owre gawze and lace;
Tho’ faith, I fear ye dine but sparely,
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepan, blastet wonner,
Detested, shunn’d, by saunt an’ sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her,
Sae fine a Lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner,
On some poor body.

Swith, in some beggar’s haffet squattle;
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,
Wi’ ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne’er daur unsettle,
Your thick plantations.

Now haud you there, ye’re out o’ sight,
Below the fatt’rels, snug and tight,
Na faith ye yet! ye’ll no be right,
Till ye’ve got on it,
The vera topmost, towrin height
O’ Miss’s bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an’ gray as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I’d gie you sic a hearty dose o’t,
Wad dress your droddum!

I wad na been surpriz’d to spy
You on an auld wife’s flainen toy;
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On ’s wylecoat;
But Miss’s fine Lunardi, fye!
How daur ye do ’t?

O Jenny dinna toss your head,
An’ set your beauties a’ abread!
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie’s makin!
Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin!

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An’ foolish notion:
What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,
And ev’n Devotion!

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74d

<p>Is there for honest Poverty<br>That hings his head, an’ a’ that;<br>The coward slave—we pass him by,<br>We dare be poor for a’ that!<br>For a’ that, an’ a’ that,<br>Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,<br>The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,<br>The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.</p><p>—Robert Burns</p><p><a href="https://poets.org/poem/mans-man" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>poets.org/poem/mans-man</a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/equality/" rel="tag">#equality</a></p>

A Man’s a Man for a’ That
Robert Burns

Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave—we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s aboon his might—
Guid faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a’ that,
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.

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74d

<p>Ellisland, 1791</p><p>Dear Sir:</p><p>Thou eunuch of language; thou Englishman, who never was south the Tweed; thou servile echo of fashionable barbarisms; thou quack, vending the nostrums of empirical elocution; thou marriage-maker between vowels and consonants, on the Gretna-green of caprice…</p><p>—Robert Burns, Letter to a critic<br>via <span class="h-card"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@lettersofnote" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>lettersofnote</span></a></span> </p><p><a href="https://news.lettersofnote.com/p/thou-pickle-herring-in-the-puppet" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="news.lettersofnote.com/p/thou-pickle-herring-in-the-puppet"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">news.lettersofnote.com/p/thou-</span><span class="invisible">pickle-herring-in-the-puppet</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/lettersofnote/" rel="tag">#LettersofNote</a> <a href="/tags/correspondence/" rel="tag">#correspondence</a> <a href="/tags/letters/" rel="tag">#letters</a> <a href="/tags/critics/" rel="tag">#critics</a> <a href="/tags/insults/" rel="tag">#insults</a></p>

Ellisland, 1791

Dear Sir:

Thou eunuch of language; thou Englishman, who never was south the Tweed; thou servile echo of fashionable barbarisms; thou quack, vending the nostrums of empirical elocution; thou marriage-maker between vowels and consonants, on the Gretna-green of caprice; thou cobler, botching the flimsy socks of bombast oratory; thou blacksmith, hammering the rivets of absurdity; thou butcher, embruing thy hands in the bowels of orthography; thou arch-heretic in pronunciation; thou pitch-pipe of affected emphasis; thou carpenter, mortising the awkward joints of jarring sentences; thou squeaking dissonance of cadence; thou pimp of gender; thou Lyon Herald to silly etymology; thou antipode of grammar; thou executioner of construction; thou brood of the speech-distracting builders of the Tower of Babel; thou lingual confusion worse confounded; thou scape-gallows from the land of syntax; thou scavenger of mood and tense; thou murderous accoucheur of infant learning; thou ignis fatuus, misleading the steps of benighted ignorance; thou pickle-herring in the puppet-show of nonsense; thou faithful recorder of barbarous idiom; thou persecutor of syllabication; thou baleful meteor, foretelling and facilitating the rapid approach of Nox and Erebus.

R.B.

Robert Burns | Letter to a critic, 1791 | The Works of Robert Burns, Volume 4

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1924.</p><p>Seán O'Casey's drama Juno and the Paycock opens at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. It is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the Irish Civil War period.</p><p>It is the second of his "Dublin Trilogy" – the other two being The Shadow of a Gunman (1923) and The Plough and the Stars (1926).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_and_the_Paycock" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_and_the_Paycock"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_and</span><span class="invisible">_the_Paycock</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/drama/" rel="tag">#drama</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

Poster for the 1930 film “Juno and the Paycock” (alternate title “The Shame of Mary Boyle”).

Since it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on Seán O’Casey’s acclaimed play, the poster have been designed in the early sound era’s style, featuring bold typography and theatrical imagery.

A strong central image, possibly depicting key characters like Juno Boyle (a struggling mother) and Captain Boyle (her irresponsible husband).

A somber or dramatic color scheme reflecting the film’s serious tone.

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314d

<p>Why G.K. Chesterton?</p><p>What was it that this non-expert, the funny fat man, had to say? Why did his works become for many a sort of bible? How was it that an artist-turned-journalist was accepted as the idea man as well as the entertainer of people?</p><p>By Leo R. Ward</p><p><a href="https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2025/05/gk-chesterton-leo-r-ward.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theimaginativeconservative.org/2025/05/gk-chesterton-leo-r-ward.html"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theimaginativeconservative.org</span><span class="invisible">/2025/05/gk-chesterton-leo-r-ward.html</span></a></p><p>G.K. Chesterton at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=G.K.+Chesterton" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=G.K.+Chesterton"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=G.K.+Chesterton</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Chesterton in his office

Unknown author - Crisis Magazine: http://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/new-study-marred-by-old-cliches-about-preconciliar-catholic-writers

He is seen seated, likely at a desk, with his characteristic imposing figure, round face, and thick spectacles. His hair is tousled and he wears a typical dark suit, with a cravat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton#/media/File:G._K._Chesterton_at_work.jpg

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1875.</p><p>Bizet's Carmen premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, with mezzo-soprano Célestine Galli-Marié in the title role. It is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen</a></p><p>Carmem at IMSLP:<br><a href="https://imslp.org/wiki/Carmen_(Bizet,_Georges)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="imslp.org/wiki/Carmen_(Bizet,_Georges)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">imslp.org/wiki/Carmen_(Bizet,_</span><span class="invisible">Georges)</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/music/" rel="tag">#music</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Lithograph of act 1 in the premiere performance of Bizet's Carmen, by Pierre-Auguste Lamy, 1875.

The scene portrays a bustling street in Seville, outside a tobacco factory (indicated by the sign "Fábrica de Tabaco" on the building to the right). The image features a group of women, likely representing the female cigarette factory workers, dressed in traditional Spanish attire with full skirts and shawls.

In the foreground, a seated soldier appears to be engaged with something in his hands, possibly representing Don José, one of the opera’s main characters. The composition includes a large arched bridge in the middle ground, adding depth and perspective, while the background shows classic European architecture with multiple buildings and towers.

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73d

<p>Ali Smith: The book that changed me as a teenager</p><p>“Liz Lochhead’s Memo for Spring… I found a book so slim it had no spine, just hinges, and was by a woman who was young, Scottish and a poet (at this point in time a rare combination). The poems in it were so good, gripping and clear, written in a kind of Scottish English I knew was close to my own, but I’d never read in any book”</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/23/ali-smith-henry-james-had-me-running-down-the-garden-path-shouting-out-loud" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/23/ali-smith-henry-james-had-me-running-down-the-garden-path-shouting-out-loud"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/books/2026</span><span class="invisible">/jan/23/ali-smith-henry-james-had-me-running-down-the-garden-path-shouting-out-loud</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/womenwriters/" rel="tag">#womenwriters</a> <a href="/tags/lizlochhead/" rel="tag">#LizLochhead</a> <a href="/tags/alismith/" rel="tag">#AliSmith</a></p>

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1912.</p><p>Frieda Weekley meets D. H. Lawrence in Nottingham. She met D. H. Lawrence, a former student of her husband's; they soon fell in love and eloped to Germany. During their stay Lawrence was arrested for spying; after the intervention of Frieda's father, the couple walked south over the Alps to Italy. In 1914, following her divorce, Frieda and D.H. Lawrence married. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieda_Lawrence" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieda_Lawrence"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieda_L</span><span class="invisible">awrence</span></a></p><p>D.H. Lawrence at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/123" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/123"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/123</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

David Herbert Lawrence & Frieda von Richthofen, 1914.

The image typically shows them sitting close together, reflecting their deep and unconventional relationship.

David Herbert Lawrence, known for his intense gaze and bohemian appearance, is often depicted with unkempt hair and a beard, dressed in simple, rugged clothing that suggests his rejection of traditional societal norms.

Frieda, who came from an aristocratic German background, appears confident and free-spirited, sometimes wearing a long dress or a coat suitable for the countryside.

Edited 1y ago

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