The Highwayman

For those of us who love a touch of romance and tragedy, this poem gives more than enough of it. Unfortunately, the book's preview is nothing like the poem. I wouldn't advise you to read Kiss of The Highwayman unless you want to.

Alfred Noyes' poem is the perfect example of a wonderfully written poem. It rhymes, it builds, it masterfully uses repetition… what can I say? It's a masterpiece. Alfred Noyes, born in 1880, published this poem in Forty Singing Seamen and Other Poems, in 1907. It is arguably his most beloved poem.

The Lady of Shallot

This beautiful poem is told in true Tennyson fashion. It is a tale of King Arthur's court, and is filled with the magic that comes with tales such as these. It is a special treat to read again.

Where you can view the poem with art work. It is a lovely experience. Tennyson taught me the art of using figurative language. He also helped me develop pacing and rhyme.

The Raven

This poem and I go way back. We met in the sixth grade and I've frequently revisited it since. I love Poe. He may have been a drunk in his day but I still think he was an awesome writer. He's amazing, dark yes, but also amazing. I recommend Poe to all aspiring poets. This sadly tragic and painful poem helped me understand the importance of images. Just read it and see what effect the “shadow” in the last stanza has on you!

Annabel Lee

Ah, sweet and melancholy. Poe managed to capture a broad range of human emotions in his poem. Anger, love, passion, and sorrow, all drip from his pen, masterfully arranged by his genius. If you want to learn to move the heart of your reader, or if you'd like to know how the masters did it, this is the poem to read.

In Memoriam

image source

I recommend that you read the whole thing. I remember stumbling upon it in my AP English textbook, my beloved Norton. At once I was captured by the pain and the passion, the sorrow, and the anguish that Tennyson poured out onto those pages. Each poem breathed with life I'd never seen before. I want to share a little bit of his poem here,

“I sometimes hold it half a sin
To put in words the grief I feel:
For words, like Nature, half reveal
And half conceal the Soul within” (Tennyson, 5). Can you feel that? That is pure beauty.

I encourage all aspiring poets to study these writers. Study all of the poets you can get your hands on, but especially these; these are the ones that will be your foundation; these are the ones that will make others wonder at your mastery of the language, at your instinctive pacing and internal rhyme, at your ability to let the poem run wild and yet have it stream from the paper and to the reader like a powerful beam of sunlight into one central direction. Happy reading! Till next time.

Throughout Tony Blair's infamous tenancy at number 10, Boulton reported every row, revolt, reshuffle and resignation. Boulton nowadays tries to set himself up as the Walter Cronkite of Britain, just as infamously trying to make capital out of no news items.

He has written a book that pretends to take the reader behind the scenes of contemporary history by intercepting unflattering but unimportant details of the daily work in cabinet. Tony will be ever so pleased with this eulogy, a flattery so sickening treacle syrup is salty and sour in comparison. He even makes a case that only Blair could have made the Northern Ireland peace process work by his skill and temperament. He doesn't address the real questions though, is it at an end? How much was paid to bank accounts of Northern Irish politicians to make them swallow it? Because the only cause for a freedom fight like the Irish one is always and only the enrichment of its leaders.

To make the fairytale more digestible to the less credulous reader, he sprinkles negative information into the book, well dosed not to distract from the great hero, just enough to make it believable. He reveals some of the lies, the blackmails, the bullying and the cheating of Downing Street and its inhabitant. But we knew that all before, even if some details might not have been common knowledge. He goes in great detail into the Prescott election incident. Yawn. Yes, we know.

He also writes about many other persons than only Blair Superman, for example about Lord Mandelson of Sleaze, and most come off very creditably. Which cabinet were we talking about? It is to hope that a person less hypocritically inclined will someday give us the true story of it all. Obviously, strong inducements have been brought to bear on Boulton and his wife to publish this hand tame accolade.

He analyses Blair's press officer Campbell as a ruthless bully and a compulsive liar. Well, that was exactly why he had become press officer one is tempted to say. He had to give word of a prime minister who was a compulsive liar and a ruthless bully. So no surprise there either.

He goes into the ignorance of Blair, for example his complete ignorance of the Balfour Declaration which laid the foundation of a State Israel in the lands rightfully belonging to the people of Palestine. But we knew he was an ignorant git, anyhow, so what is new about that? To this day I am not even convinced that Blair is literate.

There are many faults in little details, not even worth mentioning, and dates, that are not really that important to warrant making a list of them. The main problem of the book is that it doesn't address any real issues. All the meat is missing on the bone, because the writer carefully avoids going into the troublesome spots of that Prime Minister's tenure at Downing Street.

The obvious lapse concerns world politics. He does not tell us what made the man become a war criminal, ordering and abetting the manslaughter of tens of thousands innocent people in Iraq, locals and British alike. He leaves us in the dark by what means he was convinced of the Bush game, if by flattery, by blackmail, or by pecuniary inducements, and hereby consented to kill British Boys and Girls in the friendly fire of incompetent American marksmen.

Did Blair know that Bush was lying through his teeth when telling the world about Iraqi weapons? Did he know that it had been Bush's company which had sold chemical weapons to Iraq? Did he know that the CEO in charge of that company at that time was some Hilary Rodham Clinton? And how much was he paid for keeping quiet? How much was he paid for sending troops into a war that is and was only in the interest of the Bush family's firms in weapons and oil?

If you are somebody who likes to read what one already knows, then fine, the style is pleasing. The news content is zero, most grievously, considering that a person in the know would have been handy to give the information necessary to tell the real truth.

Robert Frost bares his very soul to the reader in this heartrending poem, but he opens with a simple, matter-of-fact statement. "I have become one acquainted with the night.". The statement says so little and yet so much. He is acquainted with the dark- the gloom, the fear, and most of all the loneliness of the night hours. The narrator, like so many of us, has had his share of the darker side of human experience. He is well acquainted with the night of sorrow, suffering, and human misery. Robert Frost also begins every sentence of which there are only seven with "I" which clearly represents isolation.

In the second verse of the first stanza, the poet mentions the rain. The rain symbolizes both happiness and prosperity which could mean that the narrator has been through the best and the worst of times while in the third verse of the first stanza: "I have outwalked the furthest city light". The word "light" in this verse could symbolize optimism, hope and opportunity and so one can interpret this verse as being that the narrator has lived and enjoyed the best of his life and that he has explored all the limits of human accomplishments. The word "light" in this verse could also depict safety and so to "have out walked the furthest city light" refers to going beyond the safety of the light and the companionship of the city. This first stanza sets the solemn and solitary mood for the poem.

In the second stanza the narrator describes "look(ing) down the saddest lane". However, Frost uses the word "looked" which means that the narrator could have been depressed but not completely miserable. If Frost were to describe the narrator as being extremely sad he would have used the word "walked" instead of "looked".

Part of the second stanza, the narrator describes passing "the watchman on his beat and (dropping his) eyes, unwilling to explain". "The watchman" in this part of the stanza could depict God and so one can assume that the narrator has done something or involved in something undesirable and therefore was unable to meet his eyes.

In the third stanza, the speaker hears "an interrupted cry" in the far off distance. He stands still to listen and the sound of his feet stops, but the cry is too distant to make out clearly. The physical distance seems to be a metaphor for emotional distance. The speaker has been rejected or a rejecter of someone in the past, perhaps a lover.

In the fourth stanza, the sentence of the third stanza continues. This continuation is an unusual break from the mainly short sentences of the fist two stanzas. Here, the narrator emphasizes negativity by the lengthy line seeming to drag out and dwell on the topic, and by telling the "cry" was not to comfort him by making him feel neither needed nor wanted. The narrator then describes the moon as a time keeper. It is "One," "against the sky" as if it was viewed as signally opposing a huge unknown (the night sky). Also, by the moon being a luminous "clock" it is bright and almost a positive image while keeping order. 

Unlike the "watchman" the moon does not seem to be a judgmental figure. The moon is the closest thing to a positive image in the whole poem. In the ending stanza, the moon declares "the time" to be "neither wrong nor right." This appears to make this negative experience for the narrator a passing phase instead of a permanent state. It makes an indecisive, unclear statement which seems to justify and satisfy the narrator. 

The last line is the same as the first line. This adds to the theme of mystery and darkness of the poem.

This poem seems to have the classic quest design in which the narrator's night walk is symbolic of isolation and detachment from his surroundings in both social and natural aspects, but there is no concrete answer to end the quest. The separation from man to man or man to God (the watchman and the cry) and from man to nature (the unreachable moon) has a constant effect on humanity in this poem. The separation and negativity in this poem is oddly deliberate by the narrator and seems to directly parallel the strange short and then long sentences and internal rhymes all crammed into the varied form of a sonnet. The only conclusion given by the poem is that of acceptance. It seems that after the dark journey of searching the streets and the soul, the narrator was forced to realize that there is not an answer that will cure his isolation and detachment from society. The ending rhymes of the last two lines "right" and "night" seem to echo like a sigh of relief as if the narrator is pleased these thoughts are over and are memories. 

1. David Sedaris, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim: His previous book, Me Talk Pretty One Day formed the basis of Sedaris' work. Though he had previous works published prior to Me Talk Pretty… this book signified his introduction into literary fame. His follow-up Dress Your Family… is a continuation of his sarcastic tone about the society and life in which he grew up. It is a heartfelt book that focuses not only on the societal pressures of one being homosexual and trying to hide it, but rather being trapped in a world where walls closed in around him. Sedaris brings about the injustices and cruelty of human nature no matter our race, gender, religion, or background.
2. Sarah Vowell, Take the Cannoli: This humorous book of essays truly identifies one woman's struggle growing up in small town USA to big life USA. Her comparison of life on the farm to life in New York are humorous and goes to show that no matter where we grow up or how we're raised, we end up, ultimately, where we want to be. This is a coming of age story that's not as subtle as some might think.
3. Joan Didion, Political Fictions: This vicious commentary on our political process and politicians is chilling and offers solutions to our problems. But also, the book is a looking glass into our future as a people. Didion's prose in this book is that of a fiction novel, and offers a glimpse into our future, politically. It is controversial and conversational. Political Fictions helps us ask the question, “How far does the rabbit hole go?”
4. Norman Mailer, Countless number of essays: While Mailer was an author of fiction, he made his statements through personal essays. His most famous essay, “The White Negro” Mailer discusses violence and sex in 1960's America. Like so many of his essays, which have been attempted to be anthologized, but to no avail, are, much like Jack Kerouac, counter cultural. Mailer's controversial lifestyle extended itself into his writings about the hatred of government and policy.
5. Tom Wolfe, The Pump House Gang: This book was a critique on society post-WWII. It emphasized the basis of American life in regards to our economy, politics, and society as a whole in regards to economic prosperity. This book caused much controversy due to his offensive language toward policy; however, his approach was heralded as unique and impactful playing off the Beat style of writing.

The focus of the festival is Canadian writers, of course, and they were given the spotlight. While many tents were for major publishing corporations from across North America, the tables were mostly covered in Canadian novels and new writers. The staff members were exceedingly helpful, having read nearly every book they were selling.

Virtually anybody could find something in the park to pique their interest. The remarkable kid's forum handed out balloons while providing parents with cheap, colourful books that could keep their young ones entertained and off the computer. The likewise remarkable array of reading tents boasted aspiring Canadian authors from all lots of life. The Pride tent had a full schedule of short story writers and novelists sampling their recent publications, while well-known writers for the Toronto Star held a panel discussion on sports and international affairs.

A stroll through the for-sale booths proved fruitful for many, as men and women toted shopping bags heavily laden with purchases. Everything from five-dollar novellas to fifty-dollar hard covers practically flew from the tables.

Magazines were a big feature, taking over an entire block of the park. Major publishers like Rogers sold subscriptions for practically nothing. Magazines like Elle, Seventeen, Canadian Living, and Home and Gardening were a big hit.

More intimately, many organizations were making their presence heard, with the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression taking donations and informing patrons of the journalists killed annually. Various religious organizations boasted their wares alongside poetry clubs and female literacy organizations, as well.

Not only were the books and magazines in abundance, there was a fantastic array of food available that bore a striking resemblance to a county fair or theme park. While there were mouth-watering smells wafting from corn-on-the-cob stands and funnel cake machines, the hit happened to be the Malaysian Murtabak stand.

Murtabak is an ethnic food resembling a crepe, but filled with curried meats and veggies. It tasted like a samosa and a crepe stuck together, and went deliciously with a hot chilli or coconut dipping sauce. Eight dollars bought one plateful, which was filling and perfectly spicy.

Entertainment abounded, as well, with a full stage erected in the middle of the park. Musicians and children's entertainment was scheduled throughout the day.
Word on the Street is always a grand success, but with the sun cooperating with the atmosphere, one couldn't help but have a perpetual smile plastered on their face.

Every now and then, an astonishing book of revelatory longing comes along - that simply communicates in such a way as to make you feel both humble and glad to be alive - and Irène Némirovsky's Suite Française is the most recent.

Set in France during the German occupation of World War II, the book is essentially split into two parts; the first (Storm In June), depicts a group of Parisians as they flee the inevitable - amid the ensuing chaos of France, whilst the second (Dolce) focuses on the inhabitants of a small rural community - under the severity of occupation.

''Life was like Shakespeare'' writes Némirovsky, ''both noble and tragic,'' which, when you think about it, it still is.

To say the novel promotes humanity beyond the parameters of expectation, is akin to saying Bob Dylan has a way with words. Like Arundhati Roy's The God Of Small Things, Némirovsky has captured all the shimmering, and at times, violent, trajectory that misplaced love and loyalty will (not) allow: ''The outside world was incoherent and hideous, painted in the colours of hell, a hell Jesus could never enter…because they would tear him to
pieces.''

The authoress initially conceived Suite Française as a four or five part novel ('twas to be her War and Peace), but, like Anne Frank - to whose diary, the intimacy of this book could quite easily be compared - Némirovsky too faced death as a result of the Final Solution. But unlike the ghastly ideology of the Third Reich (and all the hate and hypocrisy and death and defeat that was endemic during the occupation of France), Némirovsky's observation and vision substantiates that hope was, and still is, contagious.

A beautiful, beautiful, book, that absolutely needs to be read.

Animal Farm is a short allegory that displays the conflicts of a communist, totalitarian government. Although considered a classic by the literary circles of America, Animal Farm reads like a children's book. Taking into account the talking, literate animals, this book touches on the borders of fantasy. George Orwell wrote this book about communist Russia, but now it has become a subtle rebellion agaisnt totalitarianism in general.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Siddhartha covers the basics of Buddhism, enligthenment, and Nirvana in about 190 pages of easy reading. This adventure follows a man through life, while he tries different paths in an attempt to reach enlightenment. The writing is not difficult or long winded, but is written to be understood. The concepts of this book are some-what hidden, but they are not difficult to understand. The reader just has to look for the ideas as they appear in the text.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a great book that criticizes and condemns censorship. Although Fahrenheit 451 is considered a classic, the writing of the book is simple, with a descriptive nature that entertains the reader as he reads. Many great books lack the lyrical quality of a book like Fahrenheit 451. The concepts presented in this book are also easy to grasp, as the book does not posess any extended metaphors or allegory. This book contains a plethora of information, making it one of the easiest classics to write about.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men is a concise book that tells the story of two farmers in about 110 pages. Steinbeck is a highly regarded writer, considered one of the greatest American authors. This book is commonplace on high school curriculum and yet another easy read. If you're reading this book for a high school class, be prepared to write a paper about the importance of language in the book.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book is realistically for the "B" and above students. The Stranger is short novel filled with existenialist ideas and morals, which are subtlely showed with no obvious clues. One must be prepared to study and think about this book intently before any hopes of writing a decent paper amount. However, any paper that impresses a teacher about this book will get an "A" for sure. This book is on this list because it is an easy read, but the concepts are deep below the surface, and therefore the reader must be prepared to dive into this book headfirst.