Helen Hunt Jackson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on 15 October, 1830. A prolific writer, poet, and activist dedicated to the rights of Native Americans, she also happened to be a classmate of anotherโnowadays much more famousโAmherst poet: Emily Dickinson. The two women remained in contact throughout their lives, chiefly through correspondence. Helen Hunt Jackson …
“Winter in Durnover Field” by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy was an English poet who lived and worked between two literary eras, connecting the legacy of British Romanticism with the early 20th century poetry. Best known as a novelist, thanks to classics such as Tess of the dโUrbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd, he is also rightly considered one of the finest …
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“A Glimpse” by Walt Whitman
Weโve encountered Walt Whitmanโs poetry on this blog before: in a longish post where I offered some advice on how to interpret poems, I presented his poem To a Stranger. And now I would like to share with you another poem of his, on a similar theme of the need for love and companionship. Walt …
The Holly and the Ivy
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.
