“Some Questions for Saint Valentine’s Day” by Amos Russel Wells

Amos Russel Wells (1862โ€“1933) was an American scholar and Christian activist. He authored numerous works, including poetry, essays, young adult fiction and devotional writings.  In this post weโ€™ll read his poem โ€œSome Questions for Saint Valentineโ€™s Day.โ€ You can tell that Wells was a classicist: addressing Cupid rather than the venerable Christian saint and martyr, …

Contronyms

At one point or another English learners start noticing words that are unusual in that they have two completely opposite meanings. For example, to bolt something can mean to fasten or to secure, but in a different context the same verb can mean to move suddenly and quickly. Words that convey two contradictory notions are …

“A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allan Poe

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 19 January 1809, Edgar Allan Poe is widely recognised as one of the seminal voices of the American literature. Best known as the master of the macabre, his writings are very diverse, including numerous short stories, essays, and poems. Almost two centuries after his death, his Dark Romanticist writings continue …