Of all the quotes I record in my little booklet of quotations, those by Victor Hugo are often the most thought-provoking. He has such a way of writing that begs a moment of attention. One such quote that I have seen attributed to Victor Hugo is this: “When a person opens a book, he can … Continue reading “When a person opens a book, he can never be in prison.”
Category: Poetry, Quotes, and Essays (but mostly poetry)
My Lagan Love, by Joseph Campbell
Where Lagan stream sings lullaby / There blows a lily fair; / The twilight gleam is in her eye, / The night is on her hair. / And like a lovesick lenanshee, / She hath my heart in thrall; / Nor life I owe, nor liberty, / For love is lord of all...
“The Feminine Principle in Tolkien,” by Melanie Rawls
“The Feminine Principle in Tolkien” is an essay I happened upon about a month ago. I was meandering through various byways---an article to a book to an article on that book which mentioned this essay---and discovered it like one finds a pretty pebble on the road. It appeared at a particularly timely moment, as in … Continue reading “The Feminine Principle in Tolkien,” by Melanie Rawls
“What the Bird Said Early in the Year,” by C.S. Lewis (Advent 2020, Week 4)
I heard in Addison’s Walk a bird sing clear: / This year the summer will come true. This year. This year. / Winds will not strip the blossom from the apple trees / This year, nor want of rain destroy the peas...
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, trans. by John M. Neale & Henry S. Coffin (Advent 2020, Week 3)
O come, O come, Emmanuel, / And ransom captive Israel, / That mourns in lonely exile here / Until the Son of God appear. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel / Shall come to thee, O Israel! ...
“The world is stopp’d,” by Nicole K. (Advent 2020, Week 2)
The world is stopp’d. / Day closes with night, / Night with day. / Morn upon morn, / Eve upon eve. / Each is the same. / We may do naught: / Speak. / Sing. / Dance. / Travel. / Share...
The Coming, by R.S. Thomas (Advent 2020, Week 1)
Greetings, friends! We take a hiatus from Raw Reflections: Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings as I will now be embarking on a brief four-part poetry series celebrating Advent and also because I have yet to finish reading The Return of the King! We will commence Raw Reflections after Christmas. Advent is … Continue reading The Coming, by R.S. Thomas (Advent 2020, Week 1)
“We who have bowed ourselves to Time,” by Geoffrey Bache Smith (Remembrance Day 2020)
We who have bowed ourselves to time / Now arm an uneventful rime / With panoply of flowers / Through the long summer hours… / But now our fierce and warlike Muse / Doth soft companionship refuse, / And we must mount and ride / Upon a steed untried…
