culture. education. literary studies.
Not long ago, on one of my nature walks I visited a small lake near the town of Barajevo, Serbia. Once I got back home, I searched my library for a poem that would go well with my mental images of the place. And here it is - the subject of this blog post - Rudyard Kiplingโs โThe Way through the Woodsโ.ย
Reading this poem, you immediately find yourself in a wintery nature setting. What T. W. Higginson describes is just a fleeting moment: a wonderful snapshot captured in words.
Over the years Iโve given my students different pieces of advice on how they can improve their vocabulary and listening skills. Some of the more conventional ones Iโve already posted here on the blog, but in this post Iโll share another - somewhat unusual - idea on that subject: listen to opera! Before you roll your …
Continue reading "Learning English through opera: Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’"
The poem presented in this post is unlikely to chase your winter blues, to be honest, but it's an excellent one! Penned by Edgar Allan Poe, โAloneโ is a deeply personal and intimate reflection on what is now commonly described as chronic depression. This mental health condition was the troubled poetโs lifelong companion, as attested …
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