culture. education. literary studies.
This Christmas carol draws on the imagery and symbols that have for centuries been associated with the celebration of Christmas: holly is symbolic of Jesus, whereas ivy represents his mother Mary. The sharp, prickly leaves of holly stand as a reminder of the crown of thorns Jesus was forced to wear; the red berries represent his blood, shed for humanity.
With Christmas approaching, for this post I've selected โA Christmas Carolโ (better known as โIn the Bleak Midwinterโ), first published in 1872. Set to music by Gustav Holst in 1906, this poem / church hymn has since become part of the classic repertoire of Christmas carols.
[This post has been written primarily with English language learners in mind, levels B2 and above. Youโll find comments on the highlighted words at the bottom of the page.] Are there any films that you watch every single year, as if by habit? Films that have become your personal cult classics and that you traditionally …
grammaticus 