Rachel Baack
Henry IV, Part 1
Summary: In this play, King Henry is caught up in a conflict with several rebel groups who have formed an alliance against him. Meanwhile, his son, who is nicknamed Harry, is busy spending time with men of poor reputation. The play focuses on the son’s interactions with these “lowlifes” and criminals as well as with his father.
Summary: In this play, King Henry is caught up in a conflict with several rebel groups who have formed an alliance against him. Meanwhile, his son, who is nicknamed Harry, is busy spending time with men of poor reputation. The play focuses on the son’s interactions with these “lowlifes” and criminals as well as with his father.
Summary: This play tells the story of four romances that are blossoming amidst a time of political turmoil. The story features the usurping of a duke by younger brother, a wrestling match with a surprising, a couple of cases of concealed identities, and, as is common in Shakespearean comedies, a fool who offers some irreverent comic relief.
Summary: This play tells the story of four romances that are blossoming amidst a time of political turmoil. The story features the usurping of a duke by younger brother, a wrestling match with a surprising, a couple of cases of concealed identities, and, as is common in Shakespearean comedies, a fool who offers some irreverent comic relief.
Added to listMiddle Gradewith 28 books.
Added to listRealistic Fictionwith 94 books.
Added to listPhilosophical & Existential Fictionwith 13 books.
Added to listDramas/Playswith 19 books.
Added to listClassicswith 103 books.
The Misanthrope
Summary: In this seventeenth-century play, Alceste gets into trouble when he refuses to engage in dishonest flattery and instead insists upon brutal honesty. Despite this rejection of the flattery that is part of his society’s norms, he harbors romantic feelings for the frivolous Célimène. This play chronicles the comedic interactions between Alceste and the other characters and raises questions about the value and place of societal norms and of honesty.
Summary: In this seventeenth-century play, Alceste gets into trouble when he refuses to engage in dishonest flattery and instead insists upon brutal honesty. Despite this rejection of the flattery that is part of his society’s norms, he harbors romantic feelings for the frivolous Célimène. This play chronicles the comedic interactions between Alceste and the other characters and raises questions about the value and place of societal norms and of honesty.
Summary: In this play by Oscar Wilde, Jack is living two lives: he is known by his real name, Jack, to his friends in his more permanent country home, but his friends (and his love interest) in London know him as Earnest. Jack’s double-identity create some ridiculous and hilarious situations in this comedy of manners.
Summary: In this play by Oscar Wilde, Jack is living two lives: he is known by his real name, Jack, to his friends in his more permanent country home, but his friends (and his love interest) in London know him as Earnest. Jack’s double-identity create some ridiculous and hilarious situations in this comedy of manners.
Added to listDramas/Playswith 2 books.
Summary: This work is a play written in 441 BC by Sophocles, a great playwright of his time. The work has been translated into English, but it is not nearly as hard to understand as one might think. Although it is an old work, it deals with some very relevant themes and raises philosophical questions that people have been asking for ages about the proper use of power, compromise, gender roles, and more. The play is the third work in a trilogy, and it follows the story of a young woman who defies the king (her uncle) to do what she believes is right and honor her deceased brother.
Summary: This work is a play written in 441 BC by Sophocles, a great playwright of his time. The work has been translated into English, but it is not nearly as hard to understand as one might think. Although it is an old work, it deals with some very relevant themes and raises philosophical questions that people have been asking for ages about the proper use of power, compromise, gender roles, and more. The play is the third work in a trilogy, and it follows the story of a young woman who defies the king (her uncle) to do what she believes is right and honor her deceased brother.
The Prelude
Summary: Wordsworth recounts several episodes from his life and intersperses them with his thoughts about life and nature.
Summary: Wordsworth recounts several episodes from his life and intersperses them with his thoughts about life and nature.
Summary: Rich with imagery, this long poem describes several vignettes and also explores the idea of the self as supreme.
Summary: Rich with imagery, this long poem describes several vignettes and also explores the idea of the self as supreme.
Added to listClassicswith 70 books.
Summary: This poem is told through the eyes of a war veteran. He tells of his experiences caring for the wounded.
Summary: This poem is told through the eyes of a war veteran. He tells of his experiences caring for the wounded.
The Prelude
Added to listPoetrywith 22 books.
Summary: This poem imagines a world post-humanity and claims that the rest of nature would not be bothered by humankind’s disappearance from the face of the Earth.
Summary: This poem imagines a world post-humanity and claims that the rest of nature would not be bothered by humankind’s disappearance from the face of the Earth.
I have not read this entire collection, but the works I have read are listed and rated below:
- “Ave Atque Vale”: The speaker mourns the death of the poet Charles Baudelaire. This poem provides a more hopeless view of death than many other poems do. Rating: 3.5/5
- “A Forsaken Garden”: The speaker conveys the hopelessness presented by the ultimate death of all things through his description of a desolate oceanside. Rating: 3/5
- “Hertha”: A goddess, who describes herself to be the one true source of all things, preaches to humanity a kind of humanistic religion which is to bring the death of all other religions. Rating: 4.5/5
- “Hymn to Porserpine”: After the issuance of the edict of Millan, the speaker contemplates the replacement of the pagan religion with Christianity and the change that time brings. He does not submit to Christianity’s rule, but instead submits to the goddess of death. Rating: 2.5/5
- “The Lake of Gaube”: The speaker demonstrates the need for fear for the health of the soul and life using the image of a diver diving deep into a lake and feeling the possibility of death all around him. Rating: 3.5/5
- “Poeta Loquitur”: Swinburne presents a parody of his own writing, saying that his poetry is no good and is nothing but wind. Rating: 2/5
- “Sonnet for a Picture”: The speaker parody’s the human view of passion and romance as the ultimate end/good. Rating: 2/5
I have not read this entire collection, but the works I have read are listed and rated below:
- “Ave Atque Vale”: The speaker mourns the death of the poet Charles Baudelaire. This poem provides a more hopeless view of death than many other poems do. Rating: 3.5/5
- “A Forsaken Garden”: The speaker conveys the hopelessness presented by the ultimate death of all things through his description of a desolate oceanside. Rating: 3/5
- “Hertha”: A goddess, who describes herself to be the one true source of all things, preaches to humanity a kind of humanistic religion which is to bring the death of all other religions. Rating: 4.5/5
- “Hymn to Porserpine”: After the issuance of the edict of Millan, the speaker contemplates the replacement of the pagan religion with Christianity and the change that time brings. He does not submit to Christianity’s rule, but instead submits to the goddess of death. Rating: 2.5/5
- “The Lake of Gaube”: The speaker demonstrates the need for fear for the health of the soul and life using the image of a diver diving deep into a lake and feeling the possibility of death all around him. Rating: 3.5/5
- “Poeta Loquitur”: Swinburne presents a parody of his own writing, saying that his poetry is no good and is nothing but wind. Rating: 2/5
- “Sonnet for a Picture”: The speaker parody’s the human view of passion and romance as the ultimate end/good. Rating: 2/5
This collection of poetry explores the wonder of existence in every form from the intangible, to the cosmic, to the infinitesimal.
This collection of poetry explores the wonder of existence in every form from the intangible, to the cosmic, to the infinitesimal.
Summary: The narrator of this poem, Cap, tells the tale of his journey seeking gold in the frigid Yukon. Sam McGee, before seemingly freezing to death, asks Cap to cremate his body. Cap complies, to surprising results.
Summary: The narrator of this poem, Cap, tells the tale of his journey seeking gold in the frigid Yukon. Sam McGee, before seemingly freezing to death, asks Cap to cremate his body. Cap complies, to surprising results.
I have not read this entire collection, but the poems I have read are listed and rated below:
- “Ardour and Memory”: The speaker explains that beauty resurfaces amidst darkness through memory. Rating: 1/5
- “Autumn Idleness": The speaker describes the frosty end of November in which he wanders, unsure what he should do. Rating: 1/5
- “Barren Spring”: The speaker notes the coming of spring, but his mood does not match the weather’s cheerfulness. Rating: 0.5/5
- “Body’s Beauty” or “Lady Lilith” or “Lilith”: The speaker addresses Lilith, who, according to legend, was Adam’s first wife and who has the power to ensnare men with her golden hair. Rating: 0.5/5
- “The One Hope”: The speaker posits that hope is the one thing left after all else is gone. Rating: 3/5
- “A Superscription”: A speaker that refers to itself as “Might-Have-Been” talks to an audience of one about love that could have been. Rating: 1/5
- “Willowwood”: The speaker describes a dreamlike happening in which he is spoken to by Love personified and gets to kiss his deceased wife again. Rating: 2/5
I have not read this entire collection, but the poems I have read are listed and rated below:
- “Ardour and Memory”: The speaker explains that beauty resurfaces amidst darkness through memory. Rating: 1/5
- “Autumn Idleness": The speaker describes the frosty end of November in which he wanders, unsure what he should do. Rating: 1/5
- “Barren Spring”: The speaker notes the coming of spring, but his mood does not match the weather’s cheerfulness. Rating: 0.5/5
- “Body’s Beauty” or “Lady Lilith” or “Lilith”: The speaker addresses Lilith, who, according to legend, was Adam’s first wife and who has the power to ensnare men with her golden hair. Rating: 0.5/5
- “The One Hope”: The speaker posits that hope is the one thing left after all else is gone. Rating: 3/5
- “A Superscription”: A speaker that refers to itself as “Might-Have-Been” talks to an audience of one about love that could have been. Rating: 1/5
- “Willowwood”: The speaker describes a dreamlike happening in which he is spoken to by Love personified and gets to kiss his deceased wife again. Rating: 2/5
I have not read this entire collection, but the poems I have read are listed and rated below:
- “Ardour and Memory”: The speaker explains that beauty resurfaces amidst darkness through memory. Rating: 1/5
- “Autumn Idleness": The speaker describes the frosty end of November in which he wanders, unsure what he should do. Rating: 1/5
- “Barren Spring”: The speaker notes the coming of spring, but his mood does not match the weather’s cheerfulness. Rating: 0.5/5
- “Body’s Beauty” or “Lady Lilith” or “Lilith”: The speaker addresses Lilith, who, according to legend, was Adam’s first wife and who has the power to ensnare men with her golden hair. Rating: 0.5/5
- “The One Hope”: The speaker posits that hope is the one thing left after all else is gone. Rating: 3/5
- “A Superscription”: A speaker that refers to itself as “Might-Have-Been” talks to an audience of one about love that could have been. Rating: 1/5
- “Willowwood”: The speaker describes a dreamlike happening in which he is spoken to by Love personified and gets to kiss his deceased wife again. Rating: 2/5
I have not read this entire collection, but the poems I have read are listed and rated below:
- “Ardour and Memory”: The speaker explains that beauty resurfaces amidst darkness through memory. Rating: 1/5
- “Autumn Idleness": The speaker describes the frosty end of November in which he wanders, unsure what he should do. Rating: 1/5
- “Barren Spring”: The speaker notes the coming of spring, but his mood does not match the weather’s cheerfulness. Rating: 0.5/5
- “Body’s Beauty” or “Lady Lilith” or “Lilith”: The speaker addresses Lilith, who, according to legend, was Adam’s first wife and who has the power to ensnare men with her golden hair. Rating: 0.5/5
- “The One Hope”: The speaker posits that hope is the one thing left after all else is gone. Rating: 3/5
- “A Superscription”: A speaker that refers to itself as “Might-Have-Been” talks to an audience of one about love that could have been. Rating: 1/5
- “Willowwood”: The speaker describes a dreamlike happening in which he is spoken to by Love personified and gets to kiss his deceased wife again. Rating: 2/5