lunes, 12 de marzo de 2012

Ode to a Grecian Urn

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.



He looks at the trees surrounding the lovers and feels happy that they will never shed their leaves. He is happy for the piper because his songs will be “for ever new,” and happy that the love of the boy and the girl will last forever, unlike mortal love, which lapses into “breathing human passion” and eventually vanishes, leaving behind only a “burning forehead, and a parching tongue.


John Keats


This writer was born in Finsbury Pavements, England, in 1795; in the Romantic period; when he was 8 years old his father was killed and after that his mother died of assumption. So hi was risen by his grandmother. He was part of the Court of Guardians which existed in benefit of the orphans. He was allowed to be apprentice of a surgeon; but while then surgeons had to sacrifice his career to enter into the literary life.

His first poem was published in a magazine, which were mainly sonnets. In February 1820 his plans were broken and joined the Postomus life; and finally he dies the 23rd February 1821. He is buried in the Protestants cemetery.

Poems:

*When I have Fears
*Ode to a Grecian Urn

John Dryden

Jon Dryden was born in 1631 and dead in 1700, he was one of the most influential writers for English literature. He was better know for his poems. There even existed a period called The Age of Dryden because of his plays which took part of the English Restoration.

He lived while Charles II was the king. John Dryden was ordered of Garter (his life was very eccentric) Due to his participation in the kingdom he was one of the causes of the war of 3 kingdoms; in this war participated Ireland, Scotland and England- of course-. The so called war ended with Charles I execution.

Puritans

Forbided his plays and representations, because they though it was sacrilege, for instance, giving gifts and greetings in Christmas. Even though it was very common to see plays during that epoch. Also, it is important to mention that plays where performed in King's palace with the king's company. After all, Dryden became a shareholder of the company.

Characteristics

Dryden used to write Poetic Novel (dramatick poesy), he criticized literacy and made very political writings. He was a French drama translator-for example- Horatio.

The Hind and The Panther

This work was written in 1687 and was a very long poem. It was divided in 3 parts. Also very controversial.

1st Part:
It made descriptions of religious denominations by comparing them with animals.

Hind: Catholic church, when trouble it run and stay always the same.
Panther: English church, defend its ideas.
Bear: Independent church.
Rabbit: quakers.
Fox: Socinians.
Apes: free thinkers; without religion.
Wild pig: Anabaptist.

2nd Part:
Talks about Eucharist; when the substances are transformed in the body and blood of Jesus. Showed the posture and thinking of Catholic churches.

3rd part:
The political part. The wigs represented the political parties and are the main topic. Also talks about the Stuart Dynasty versus the Roman Catholic church.



miércoles, 29 de febrero de 2012

Por dos décadas y casi un lustro he habitado en esta tierra, que muchas veces está llena de visicitudes y abirragadas paredes. Plagada de engendros y anormalidades. Pero, que al mismo tiempo está atestada de toda clase de portentos. De las anécdotas más deseables en mi vida: que nuestros caminos se hayan cruzado, me ha producido tal dicha que podría fencer sin sufrir, sabiendo que no escasearon las vivencias a mi existencia.

lunes, 27 de febrero de 2012

Daniel DeFoe

His real name was Daniel Foe, but he used different nicknames to avoid mocks about his name. He was and English writer and journalist. He's considered as the English Novel Founder and accused to be the first in write a novel. 

Among his works, there is an essay about economic problems, several works criticizing church; for instance, Religious Courtship where he accuses church leaders of being hypocrites and where he satirizes church. He were in New Gale Prison due to his written works.

Between 1719 and 1724 he published the works of which he became famous. For example: Everybody's business is nobody's business, Robinson Cursoe (1719), among others.

Robinson Cursoe is the narration of the adventures of a man in an island, it is an allegory of the civilization, is narrated in first person, is individualized and could be better defined as an essay than a novel for being a collection of papers.




Jonathan Swift



Jonathan Swift was born 30 November 1667 in Dublin Ireland, he was an satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, poet and cleric. He belonged to an Anglo-Irish family. But he suffered from many diseases, one of them: Menier's; what made him suffer from inner ear & dizziness, vertigo, nausea and hearing lose. He died in 19 October 1745 and is buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Estela: "Stela" was a very important character in his life. He was in love with her thus, he wrote the "Journals for Stela".  Of his works: Gulliver's Travels, Drapier's  Letters and A Tale of Tub. 

A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick is a book where Swift mocks of poor people & Irish policy. In the 18th Century economics were terrible and government treated people as commodities. In this book the writer uses language which would be used for animals.


Another very remarkable book is the "Gulliver's Travels". Where he narrates the story of a man who travels through unknown places and lives lots of adventures. The book is divided in Chapters which are the places he visit. 



lunes, 20 de febrero de 2012

Tragedy



*is a form of drama based on human suffering

*The word "tragedy" appears to have been used to describe different phenomena at different times. It derives from Classical Greek: trag(o)-aoidia


Renaissance tragedy



*mystery plays, morality plays, farces and miracle plays

*The most important sources for French tragic theatre in the Renaissance were the example of Seneca and the precepts of Horace and Aristotle.

Neo-classical tragedy


*Pierre Corneille, who made his mark on the world of tragedy with plays like Medée (1635) and Le Cid (1636), was the most successful writer of French tragedies

*noble characters

*deals with affairs of the state

Bourgeois tragedy


*18th-century Europe
*Enlightenment
*they made fun of bourgeois class
*George Lillo's The London Merchant