2 References to The Knight of the Sorrowful Face

I just started Gene Wolfe's novel The Knight, and the first thing I encountered was this epigraph by Lord Dunsany which just happens to mention my favorite knight: The Riders Who treads those level lands of gold, The level fields of mist and air, And rolling mountains manifold And towers of twilight over there? No mortal foot upon them strays, No archer in the towers dwells, But feet too airy for our ways Go up and down their hills and dells. The people out of old romance, And people that have never been, And those that on the border dance Between old history and between Resounding fable, as the king Who held his court at Camelot. There Guinevere is wandering And there the knight Sir Lancelot. And by yon precipice of white, As steep as Roncesvalles, and more, Within an inch of fancy's sight, Roland the peerless rides to war. And just the tip of Quixote's spear, The greatest of them all by far, Is surely visible from here! But no: it is the Evening Star. And then I came across this quote by George Bernard Shaw: "Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman. Believing what he read made him mad." And congratulations to Danielle at A Work in Progress for finishing Don Quixote!

What if Tolkien Wrote Stairway to Heaven?

I was purging some computer files the other day when I ran across these song lyrics I wrote a few years ago after Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring had just been released. It was something I did just for fun to show to my eighth grade students when we were studying The Hobbit. I forgot about until I found it the other day. I thought some of you might find it amusing. The song is about Aragorn and his role in the Fellowship and Middle-earth. It's meant to be sung to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven," so you might want to listen to that song before you read these lyrics. Or, you can listen to this midi file (from Diamond-back.com) and sing along! On second thought, maybe you should just listen to "Stairway to Heaven" and call it good. Anyway, here it is, with my apologies to Led Zeppelin: He's Guiding a Hobbit to Mordor There's a ranger who knows All that glitters ain't gold And he's guiding a hobbit To Mordor When he gets there he knows If the Black Gate is closed With a sword he do what he came for. Ooh, ooh, and he's guiding a hobbit To Mordor. There's a sign on Khazad-dum But he wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes runes have two meanings. In a tree by the falls, there's an elf lass who sings; Sometimes all of her hopes are misgiven. Ooh, it makes him wander. Ooh, it makes him wander. There's a feeling she gets When she looks to the west And her spirit is crying for leaving. In her thoughts she has seen Rings of smoke through the trees And the ranger is fighting the goblins. Ooh, it makes him wander. Ooh, it really makes him wander. And it's whispered that soon Rohan riders will swoon For the worm tongue will lead them to treason. And the new day won't dawn For those who fight long, But the forests will echo with entmoot. If there's a traitor in the comp'ny Don't be alarmed now, It's just a vision by the elf queen. Yes, there are two paths you can go by But after Moria You must determine which road you're on. And it makes you wander. Your head is humming and it won't go In case you don't know. The ring is calling you to take it. Dear ranger can you hear the wind blow And did you know Your stairway lies through the paths of dead? And as you wind on down the road The Shadow taller than your soul There walks a hobbit we all know Who shines white light where cobwebs grow And always bears that band of gold. And if you listen very hard The reign will come to you at last Wherefore Arwen and Elessar Will tie the knot and be made whole.

In Honor of Lord Byron

On this day in 1824 George Gordon, Lord Byron, passed away. Byron is one of my favorite poets and in his honor I offer you this breathtaking poem of his: So, We'll Go No More a Roving So, we'll go no more a roving So late into the night, Though the heart be still as loving, And the moon be still as bright. For the sword outwears the sheath, And the soul outwears the breast, And the heart must pause to breathe, And Love itself have rest. Though the night was made for loving, And the day returns too soon, Yet we'll go no more a roving By the light of the moon.

Emily Dickinson for First Line Friday

I couldn't help but think of this quote by Emily Dickinson as I was writing about Geoff Hunt and Patrick O'Brian, and since April is National Poetry Month I wanted to share it with you: There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away...

The Lazy Person's Guide to Memorizing Poetry

You can memorize a poem in five minutes. Really. You just have to have the right poem. Don't believe me? Try these: On His Seventy-fifth Birthday by Walter Savage Landor I strove with none; for none was worth my strife, Nature I loved, and next to Nature, Art; I warmed both hands before the fire of life, It sinks, and I am ready to depart. Too long? Try this one: In a Station of the Metro by Ezra Pound The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. Today's activity for National Poetry Month is to commit a poem to memory, so make it a point today to etch one into your brain. Give it a try! If you already have a poem memorized, tell us which one, and why you memorized it. On a good day I can recite "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe and "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll. For more poems to memorize see Committed to Memory: The Best 100 Poems to Memorize, edited by John Hollander.

April is National Poetry Month

In 1996, The Academy of American Poets established April as National Poetry Month. They've suggested thirty ways to celebrate, one for each day of the month. Today's suggestion is to read a book of poetry. Here are some great places to start: Anthologies: Committed to Memory: 100 Best Poems to Memorize edited by John Hollander - One of the greatest selections of poetry ever. Divided into Sonnets, Songs, Counsels, Tales, and Meditations. Good Poems edited by Garrison Keillor - A diverse collection of almost 300 poems read by Keillor on "The Writer's Almanac." The Premiere Book of Major Poets edited by Anita Dore - Essential collection of poems "from the Middle Ages to the Modern day." Joyce Kilmer's Anthology of Catholic Poets - An older collection, but worth reading. Specific Authors: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson - Over 1700 poems. Read a poem a day for four and a half years, then start over again. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - Includes "Song of Myself," "I Hear American Singing," "O Captain! My Captain!" Perhaps my favorite poet. Collected Poems, 1909-1962 by T.S. Eliot - Features "The Waste Land," "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "Ash Wednesday," "The Hollow Men," "Journey of the Magi." I could study a line a day, and still there would be more for me to learn from Eliot. Poems and Prose by Gerard Manley Hopkins - Includes "God's Grandeur," "Inversnaid," "The Windhover," "Pied Beauty." The Poetry of Robert Frost, Complete and Unabridged - "Mending Wall," "The Road Not Taken," "Nothing Gold Can Stay," and others.

101 Essential Web Sites for Readers of Literature

(Updated May5, 2007) You've heard the saying, "So many books, so little time." It's also true of book resources on the internet: "So many websites, so little time." To help you navigate through them all I've put together this list of essential web resources for readers. This list reflects my own tastes, so no doubt I've left some of your favorites off the list, or put some on that you find fault with. Leave a comment and tell me where I've done you wrong, or tell me about your favorite book sites. And please let me know if you have any problems with the links. Be sure to bookmark this page so that you can find these websites quickly and easily. Audio Books 1. Librivox - Audiobooks. Unabridged. Free. Need I say more? 2. Recorded Books - My favorite source for audio books. Top quality narrators. 3. Naxos Audio Books - Another great source audio books, especially the classics. 4. Audible.com - I love the fact that you can listen before you buy. 5. Ejunto - Free historical and philosophical audio books; Plato, Lincoln, Pascal and others. 6. The Poetry Archive - Recordings of famous poets reading and discussing their poems. Fabulous! Blogs 7. Arts and Letters Daily - Comprehensive and engaging 8. Bibliophilic - Personal reflections on reading, writing and publishing - one of my favorites 9. Brit Lit Blogs - A collection of British literary blogs 10. Classical Bookworm - Another favorite of mine; beautifully designed, excellent content 11. Claw of the Conciliator - Science fiction and faith 12. Kimbooktu - Where I always go to find out the latest book gadgets 13. A Life in Books - Personal reflections on being a book lover 14. Metacritic.com: Books - A roundup of critical opinion on new books 15. New York Review of Books 16. New York Times Book Review 17. People of the Book - Publishing from Catholic perspective 18. Powell's Books - An overview of new books from Powell's bookstore 19. A Reader's Journal - She's never met a reading challenge she didn't like... 20. Reading Matters - Book reviews by a Australian journalist living in London 21. So Many Books - "The agony and ecstacy of a reading life." 22. Liam's Pictures from Old Books - Some great scanned images Booksellers 23. Amazon.com 24. Abebooks - My favorite used book site 25. Alibris - Another great source for used books 26. Barnes and Noble 27. Powell's Books - A HUGE brick and mortar store with a great online presence 28. Booksense - A large group of independent booksellers 29. Auntie's Bookstore - My favorite local bookstore; be sure to visit it if you are ever in Spokane Children's Literature/Teaching/Homeschooling 30. SCORE Cyberguides - This is a great site for enriching a student's reading experience 31. Glencoe Study Guides - Study guides in .pdf format for many different titles 32. Children's Literature Web Guide - A comprehensive website for teaching children's lit 33. Reading Aloud to Children 34. Linda's Links to Literature - General resources for teaching literature Genre Fiction 35. Recommended Fantasy Author List - Annotated list of fantasy authors; one of my favorite sites 36. Refracted Light: A Christian Perspective on Fantasy - Excellent reviews, helpful rating system 37. Fantastic Fiction - Information on 10,000 authors and 200,000 books 38. Encyclopedia of Arda - The best Middle-earth encyclopedia on the web 39. Ultimate Science Fiction Web Guide - Not very pretty, but extremely thorough 40. Adherents.com: Religion in Science Fiction - Fascinating list of the presence of religion in sci-fi 41. Course Materials for the Study of Science Fiction - College-level study materials 42. John's Nautical Literature Page - For fans of Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forester (like me) How to Read Well 43. Radical Academy's Mortimer Adler Archive - Don't miss this site if you love reading and philosophy 44. The Great Books Foundation - Teaches the Shared Inquiry method of discussing books, based on Adler's work 45. Northwest Great Books Foundation - Be sure to check out the Leader Resources *Bonus: ROMAN Reading: 5 Practical Skills for Transforming Your Life through Literature, my free eBook Libraries 46. The Library of Congress 47. The British Library Miscellaneous 48. Today in Literature - Daily stories of literary events and people; great for teachers or homeschoolers 49. Book Crossing - Share your books with the world and find out whose reading them 50. Fictional Cities - This is a must-see for book lovers who travel to Venice, Rome or London Online Books/ebooks 51. Project Gutenberg - One of the foundational sites of the Internet, in my opinion 52. Prepare a Gutenberg Text for eReading - Easy-to-use directions from Lifehacker 53. Christian Classics Ethereal Library - Premiere source of public domain Christian texts 54. Online Books Page - A searchable catalog of online books to be found on the web 55. Google Books - Scans of complete books and lengthy previews of others 56. Wikibooks - Open-content textbooks in every area; great potential here 57. Bartleby - Another great source of etexts, especially quotations 58. The Wondering Minstrels Online Poetry Anthology - Easiest-to-use poetry archive on the web 59. Rare Book Room - Awesome scans of rare books; check out Euclid and Newton 60. Anthology of Middle English Literature - Texts and background information 61. HTI American Verse Project - Well organized American poetry database * Bonus site: The Baldwin Project - Online children's literature Organizing Books 62. Librarything - If you don't have librarything you don't have anything Palm/PDA Books 63. Manybooks - Free ebooks for handhelds 64. Memoware - Another database of free ebooks 65. Palm Pilot eTexts for Catholics Podcasts 66. NPR: Books - High quality news, reviews and interviews (Subscribe) 67. NPR: A Way with Words - One of my favorites; dont' miss the quizzicist! (Subscribe) 68. SimonSays Podcast - Simon & Schuster's podcast (Subscribe) 69. Amazon Bookclips - Audiobook previews (Subscribe) 70. Barnes and Noble Meet the Writers - Entertaining author interviews (Subscribe) 71. The BookShow: ABC Radio International - Australian book talk (Subscribe) 72. KCRW Bookworm - Author interviews from KCRW in Santa Monica, CA (Subscribe) 73. Maria Lectrix - Public domain audiobooks read to you each day (Subscribe) Reading Groups/Communities 74. Habitual Reader - A comfortable, friendly online fiction book community 75. Book and Reader Forum 76. The Great Conversation Yahoo! Group - Following the Britannica Great Books reading plan 77. More Great Conversation Yahoo! Group - A complement to Britannica's list, featuring mostly Asian and other Eastern literature Reading Group Resources 78. Book Clubs Resource - Comprehensive information on reading groups 79. Penguin Groups Reading Guides 80. ReadingGroupGuides.com 81. Modern Library Reading Group Guides 82. Sparknotes Literature Guides 83. Reading Group Choices 84. Bookbrowse.com 85. The Book Group List Reading Lists 86. Robert Teeter's Great Books Lists - All bow before Robert Teeter for this incredible site; don't miss it! 87. Philip Ward's A Lifetime's Reading - A 50-year reading plan! Start young or live long 88. Great Books Ten Year Reading Plan - Britannica's suggested reading plan 89. Whichbook.net - A fun way to find what to read next 90. Center for the Study of Great Ideas - Mortimer Adler's legacy 91. Alan Nicoll's Great Books of the Western World - Companion site to the ten year reading plan 92. Essential Baseball Library - Why is it that baseball is the only sport with a consistent history of great literature and film? Reference 93. Online Etymology Dictionary - Got a question about the origin of a word? Get your answer here. 94. Encyclopedia Mythica - Mythology, folklore and religion 95. Malaspina Great Books 96. Start of the Hero's Journey - Explore this archetypal literary structure 97. Dictionary.com 98. Oxford English Dictionary 99. Book Rags Fun 100. Bookworm - A highly addictive online word game (don't go here unless you have time to kill) 101. Crossword Links Bonus Links ROMAN Reading: 5 Practical Skills for Transforming Your Life through Literature, my free eBook www.ROMANReading.com, the companion web site Nick's Summary of Great Books Lists: Introduction, Part I, Part II Nick's Catholic Classics Reading List: Introduction, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII Nick's 10 Best Books for New Catholics

Irish Poetry

A beautiful poem from an Irish poet for this St. Patrick's Day: Sailing to Byzantium - William Butler Yeats THAT is no country for old men. The young In one another's arms, birds in the trees - Those dying generations - at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten, born, and dies. Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unageing intellect. An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium. O sages standing in God's holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing-masters of my soul. Consume my heart away; sick with desire And fastened to a dying animal It knows not what it is; and gather me Into the artifice of eternity. Once out of nature I shall never take My bodily form from any natural thing, But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make Of hammered gold and gold enamelling To keep a drowsy Emperor awake; Or set upon a golden bough to sing To lords and ladies of Byzantium Of what is past, or passing, or to come.

In Flanders Fields

I'm experimenting with Windows Movie Maker and have created this video illustrating John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields." The audio comes from Librivox.org and the photos come from the Wikimedia Commons Project. Let me know what you think.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barett Browning was born on this day in 1806. Her most famous poem: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints!---I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!---and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. A piece of trivia: Lord Leighton, one of my favorite painters, designed her tomb. It is made of Carrara marble and can be found in the "English Cemetery" in Florence Italy:

March Poetry

"March Wind" by William Ross Searle I'm a bit under the weather today, so I'll just reproduce two bits of poetry about March: From Earthly Paradise: March by William Morris Slayer of the Winter, art thou here again? O welcome, thou that bring’st the Summer nigh! The bitter wind makes not thy victory vain, Nor will we mock thee for thy faint blue sky. "March is the month of expectation" by Emily Dickinson March is the month of expectation, The things we do not know, The Persons of prognostication Are coming now. We try to sham becoming firmness, But pompous joy Betrays us, as his first betrothal Betrays a boy.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

"La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by Sir Frank Dicksee (1853-1928) Today is the anniversary of the death of John Keats, one of the major poets of the Romantic era. He died of tuburculosis on this day in 1821 at the age of 25. In his brief life he wrote several poems that are considered major works in English literature such as "La Belle Dame Sans Merci," "Ode on a Grecian Urn," "Ode to Psyche," and "Endymion." Here is one of my favorite Keats poems: On First Looking into Chapman's Homer Much have I travel'd in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne; Yet did I never breathe its pure serene Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold: Then I felt I like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken; Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes He star'd at the Pacific -- and all his men Look'd at each other with a wild surmise -- Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Millay, Euclid and Beauty

On this day in 1892 Edna St. Vincent Millay was born. If you are a mathematician you may enjoy this poem of hers: Euclid Alone Has Looked on Beauty Bare Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare. Let all who prate of Beauty hold their peace, And lay them prone upon the earth and cease To ponder on themselves, the while they stare At nothing, intricately drawn nowhere In shapes of shifting lineage; let geese Gabble and hiss, but heroes seek release From dusty bondage into luminous air. O blinding hour, O holy, terrible day, When first the shaft into his vision shone Of light anatomized! Euclid alone Has looked on Beauty bare. Fortunate they Who, though once only and then but far away, Have heard her massive sandal set on stone.