literature

Left to right: Lady Ottoline Morrell, Maria Nys, Lytton Strachey, Duncan Grant, and Vanessa Bell, July 1915 via Wikimedia Commons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnets_to_Orpheus

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1y

#OTD in 1922.

In a "savage creative storm" of less than three weeks beginning today at Château de Muzot in Switzerland, Rainer Maria Rilke writes his Sonnets to Orpheus (Die Sonette an Orpheus) and completes his Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duino_Elegies

Books by Rainer Maria Rilke at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/846

#books #literature #poetry

First edition book cover of Sonette an Orpheus (Sonnets to Orpheus) (1923) by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Cover of Rainer Maria Rilke's Duineser Elegien (1923)

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1y

"There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present."

James Joyce was born #OTD in 1882.

Together with Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Richardson, he is credited with the development of the stream of consciousness technique in which the same weight is given to both the internal world of the mind and the external world of events and circumstances as factors shaping the actions and views of fictional characters.

James Joyce at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1039

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)

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1y

#OTD in 1920.

Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O'Neill's second full-length play, opens with a Morosco Theatre matinée in New York City, partly as a producer's experiment and partly to quiet the actor Richard Bennett, who sought to play the lead. Reviewers hail the play and O'Neill gains fame. It won the 1920 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Beyond the Horizon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569

First edition cover of Beyond The Horizon.

The book has a simple yet classic design, with an orange dust jacket and black text. The title, Beyond The Horizon, is prominently displayed at the top in bold font.

Below the title, there is a quote that reads, "Can You Recall More Enthusiastic Comment Than This?" followed by a passage praising the significance and dramatic power of the play.

The book cover contains additional text describing the play as an "absorbing, significant, and memorable tragedy" and highlights Eugene O'Neill’s dramatic skill.

Towards the bottom, the author’s name, Eugene O'Neill, is displayed along with a mention of his previous work, The Moon of the Caribbees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_the_Camellias

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1y

#OTD in 1852.

Alexandre Dumas, fils's stage adaptation of his 1848 novel La Dame aux caméllias is premièred at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris.

Shortly thereafter, Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi set about putting the story to music in the 1853 opera La traviata, with female protagonist Marguerite Gautier renamed Violetta Valéry.

La dame aux camélias at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2419
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1608

Alphonse Mucha's poster for a performance of the theatrical version, with Sarah Bernhardt (1896).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gillette

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347d

#OTD in 1886.

The first performance of William Gillette's American Civil War drama Held by the Enemy is held at the Criterion Theater, Brooklyn, New York.

The play was a major step toward modern theater, in that it abandoned many of the crude devices of 19th-century melodrama and introduced realism into the sets, costumes, props, and sound effects.

William Gillette at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/38243

Portrait of William Gillette, stage actor

Warner, Hartford - Storms, A. D. , ed. (1901) The Players Blue Book, Worcester, Mass: Sutherland & Storms

He is dressed in formal 19th-century theatrical or gentleman’s attire, possibly including a high-collared coat, waistcoat, and cravat.

Given the style of actor portraits of that era, he have a composed, dignified expression, gazing slightly away from the camera to convey a sense of character and gravitas.

#books #literature #philosophy

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347d

"There are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from others, instead of forming opinions for himself?"

The Art of Controversy, and Other Posthumous Papers (ed. 1896)

~Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860)

Books by Arthur Schopenhauer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648

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347d

"I know that Beauty must ail and die,
And will be born again, — but ah, to see
Beauty stiffened, staring up at the sky!
Oh, Autumn! Autumn! — What is the Spring to me?"

Second April (1921)

~Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950)

Books by Edna St. Vincent Millay at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/70

#books #literature #poetry

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.

https://www.thecollector.com/selene-greek-goddess-moon/

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12d

The Untold Story of Selene, Greek Goddess of the Moon

A daughter of the Titans, Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. She appears throughout Greek mythology in divine wars and torrid love affairs.

by Kieren Johns

Greek Mythology in literature at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/17235

#books #literature #mythology

Selene, engraving by François Chauveau.

The goddess is shown in flowing drapery, seated or reclining on a large crescent moon, which was her traditional attribute
Her pose is dynamic and graceful, with arms raised in a classical manner
A sleeping figure, likely Endymion, the handsome shepherd or astronomer with whom Selene fell in love according to Greek mythology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selene#/media/File:S%C3%A9l%C3%A9n%C3%A9.jpg

https://theconversation.com/grains-of-sand-prove-people-not-glaciers-transported-stonehenge-rocks-271310

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13d

Grains of sand prove people – not glaciers – transported Stonehenge rocks

Ask people how Stonehenge was built and you’ll hear stories of sledges, ropes, boats and sheer human determination to haul stones from across Britain to Salisbury Plain, in south-west England.

by Anthony Clarke and Chris Kirkland

Stonehenge at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/12218

#books #literature #geology

Stonehenge. As painted by John Constable, 1835.

The most striking feature is the turbulent, stormy sky with sweeping dark clouds, rays of light breaking through, and possibly a rainbow.

The ancient sarsen stones and trilithons are shown in their weathered, partially ruined state.

A large fallen lintel stone lies in the foreground, emphasizing the monument's age and decay.

Tiny figures near the stones provide scale and emphasize the monument's monumentality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge#/media/File:Constable_-_Stonehenge,_1629-1888,_2006AK8142.jpg

#FolkloreSunday #BookChatWeekly #31DaysofHaunting #Folklore #MesopotamianFolklore #BabylonianFolklore #Mythology #MesopotamianMythology #BabylonianMythology #Literature #Mesopotamia #Babylon #Gilgamesh

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1y

In Mesopotamian mythology, the demigod King Gilgamesh was a tyrant, so the gods sent the wild man Enkidu to defeat him. Though Gilgamesh won, he was impressed by Enkidu's strength and tenacity. Because of his love for the wild man, Gilgamesh became a good king.
🎨 Ludmila Zeman

Enkidu and Gilgamesh embrace. A picture by Ludmila Zeman.

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Byron #LordByron #romantic #romanticism #18thcentury #19thcentury

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13d

But I am half a Scot by birth, and bred
A whole one, and my heart flies to my head,—

—from “Don Juan”, Canto X, by George Gordon, Lord Byron

The great Romantic poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron – Lord Byron – was born #OTD, 22 Jan, 1788

A 🎂 🧵

1/5

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.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet

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1y

#OTD in 1869.

Booth's Theatre opens on Manhattan with the owner, Edwin Booth, playing the male lead in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Some reports said it was one of the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet ever seen in America; it was certainly the most popular, running for over six weeks and earning over $60,000 (equivalent to $1,000,000 in 2023).

Romeo and Juliet at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1513

An 1870 oil painting of Romeo and Juliet by Ford Madox Brown depicting the play's balcony scene.

In the painting, Juliet leans over a stone balcony, dressed in a flowing, golden-yellow gown, her expression a mix of longing and affection.

Romeo, clad in a deep red tunic, clings to the balcony’s edge, gazing up at her with passionate devotion.

https://www.thecollector.com/most-influential-english-ghost-stories/

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1y

What Are the 5 Most Influential English Ghost Stories?

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.

By Lauren Jones

All these ghost stories are available at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14522
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/209

https://www.thecollector.com/impressionism-sculpture-literature-film-photography/

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13d

Impressionism Beyond Painting: Sculpture, Literature, Film and More

Impressionists like Edgar Degas experimented with photography and inspired a photographic movement that aimed to convey the same effects as their groundbreaking paintings.

by Anastasiia Kirpalov

Impressionism at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3050

#books #art #literature

Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet, 1872.

The painting shows the port of Le Havre in northern France at sunrise. Others elements:

The orange sun: Rising through morning mist, with its reflection shimmering on the water
Boats and industrial elements: Barely defined shapes emerging from the fog
Color palette: Predominantly blues, grays, and greens with the vivid orange sun as the focal point
Atmospheric effect: The hazy, dreamlike quality of early morning light filtering through fog

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monet_-_Impression,_Sunrise.jpg

https://canongate.co.uk/books/3267-the-golden-treasury-of-scottish-verse/

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13d

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…

—Charles Murray (1864–1941), “Gin I Was God”
published in THE GOLDEN TREASURY OF SCOTTISH VERSE, @canongatebooks 2021

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #20thcentury #Scots #Scotslanguage #god

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly%27s_Evil_Spell

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319d

#OTD in 1920.

Federico García Lorca's first play, The Butterfly's Evil Spell (El maleficio de la mariposa) is poorly received at its première in Madrid.

With only four performances, very poorly received by the public, including booing, it was a total failure for its author. The text, written in verse, is a parable about frustration, love and death; recurring themes in Lorca's work.

Garcia Lorca at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/56772

Federico García Lorca. Huerta de San Vicente, Granada

Anónimo - https://www.museoreinasofia.es/coleccion/obra/federico-garcia-lorca-huerta-san-vicente-granada

He is shown smiling warmly, creating an inviting and expressive presence. His hair is neatly combed back, and he is wearing a dark shirt or jacket with an open collar.

https://poetryarchive.org/poem/normans-goodnight/

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12d

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

—Andrew Greig, “Norman’s Goodnight”
from This Life, This Life: New & Selected Poems 1976–2006 (Bloodaxe Books, 2006

Norman MacCaig (1910–1996) died #OTD, 23 Jan

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #NormanMacCaig

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 –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accuse...!

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346d

#OTD in 1898.

Émile Zola is imprisoned in France after writing J'Accuse…!, a letter accusing the French government of antisemitism and wrongfully imprisoning Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

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.

J'Accuse at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20974

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".

#Scottish #literature #RobertBurns #BurnsNight #poem #poetry #18thcentury #liberty #justice #freedom

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10d

Grant me, indulgent Heaven, that I may live,
To see the miscreants feel the pains they give;
Deal Freedom’s sacred treasures free as air,
Till Slave and Despot be but things that were.

—Robert Burns, “Lines Inscribed in a Lady’s Pocket Almanac”

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1y

#OTD in 1826.

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.

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll

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340d

#OTD in 1856.

Lewis Carroll chooses his pseudonym; on May 1 he takes up photography as a hobby. A romantic poem called "Solitude" appeared in The Train under the authorship of "Lewis Carroll". This pseudonym was a play on his real name: Lewis was the anglicised form of Ludovicus, which was the Latin for Lutwidge, and Carroll an Irish surname similar to the Latin name Carolus, from which comes the name Charles.

At PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7

Lewis Carroll self-portrait c. 1856, aged 24 at that time.

In the image, Carroll (whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) appears as a young man with wavy, slightly unkempt hair.

His expression is serious and contemplative, with deep-set eyes and a focused gaze, reading a book.

He is dressed in formal Victorian attire, including a dark jacket, waistcoat, and a high-collared shirt.

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

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11d

How George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening now

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.

by Emrah Atasoy

Dystopias at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316

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

https://www.thecollector.com/is-this-best-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/

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340d

Is This the Best of All Possible Worlds? Leibniz vs. Voltaire

What does it mean for this world to be the “best possible world,” even with the obvious existence of evil? Leibniz and Voltaire weigh in.

By Mirjana Jojić

#books #literature #philosophy

Portrait of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Ludwig Bechstein - from the book Zweihundert deutsche Männer in Bildnissen und Lebensbeschreibungen (Two hundred German men in portraits and biographies), Leipzig 1854, edited by Ludwig Bechstein

Portrait c. 1720s, the Musée Carnavalet

François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), known as Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer and philosopher