‘A pamphlet containing a lost poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley has been purchased by the University of Oxford.
Shelley’s Poetical Essay On The Existing State Of Things, will become the 12 millionth book to be added to the Bodleian Library’s vast archive.
The 20-page pamphlet, which is the only copy known to survive, will also be available online.’
We tend to think of the evolution of swear words as linear, from bad to “meh.” A word that was extremely offensive — unspeakable, even — in your grandparents’ generation is now a staple of basic cable TV. But is it possible for words to actually become more offensive and taboo over time?
‘How can an antihero teach us about the heroic–and sometimes, the unheroic–characteristics that shape a story’s protagonist? From jealousy to self-doubt, Tim Adams challenges us to consider how antiheroes reflect the very mortal weaknesses that can be found within all of us.’
‘What trials unite not only Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins but many of literature’s most interesting heroes? And what do ordinary people have in common with these literary heroes? Matthew Winkler takes us step-by-step through the crucial events that make or break a hero.’
Amid talk of the House of Lords’ new-found power following the tax credits vote, perhaps it is a good time to look at the origins of those time-honoured words, lord and lady.
The terms are thoroughly British – though they come from Old English, they have no equivalents in other Germanic languages.
An early use of both comes, like many other examples of the earliest written English, in a translation written between the lines of a Biblical manuscript in Latin.
‘Short stories last for just a few pages. If masterfully written, these brief tales are as powerful as novels. They have the same key elements as full-length stories. But developing these common elements is a challenge for short story writers, who don’t have many pages to develop them. In a few lines, they must introduce the characters, describe the setting, set up the central conflict, advance the plot, and communicate the theme.
Is it possible to incorporate all these elements into a short story? O. Henry, Munro Leaf, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edgar Allan Poe, and dozens of other authors prove that it is. Can you meet the challenge? If you follow these tips, you may significantly improve your writing abilities.‘
‘What can make, or break, a literary work? The perfect first sentence.
The best works of literature begin with an epic hook. Usually, this is a sentence of sublime beauty. However, sometimes the entire opening paragraph gleams like cut crystal. Either way, if it grabs the reader and pulls them in with ease, it has done its job.
As grammarians, we appreciate the beauty of a well-written line. Flawless syntax is a sure way to win our hearts. Let’s explore some of the best examples.’
‘In Greek mythology, the three Gorgon sisters are deadly monsters. Though eldest sister Stheno is the most prolific killer of the trio, serpent-haired Medusa is the most famous today. By some accounts, the Gorgons could kill any man who dared to look into their eyes. These scary sisters are not the only beasts of Greek mythology: Charybdis and Scylla are sea monsters. The little-known Empusa is a lovely shape-shifting demigoddess who transforms into a monstrous creature and devours sleeping young men. Typhon, the so-called patriarch of all monsters, is part human, part dragon, and part serpent. Monsters have always fascinated humans. Aren’t you glad they’re confined to books and stories? Here are six monster books that will scare you from cover to cover!‘
‘Almost anyone who cares about language and knows about or uses the Internet has been guilty at one time or another of demonizing the world wide web for its effects on the English language. “The Internet makes it easy for people, including professional writers, to publish writing publicly without editing.” “The Internet encourages casual writing and doesn’t reinforce proper writing skills.” “Students would write better if they weren’t on Facebook all the time.” It’s easy to blame the Internet and say that if it didn’t exist, written English would be on solid ground.’
‘When we talk about ‘English’, we often think of it as a single language. But what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world have in common with each other, or with the writings of Chaucer? Claire Bowern traces the language from the present day back to its ancient roots, showing how English has evolved through generations of speakers.’
English at Ken Stimpson 