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The Meaning of Style—John Middleton Murry
Ferrick Gray — The Problem of Style was published in 1922 and is a collection of lectures given in 1921 at the school of English Literature at Oxford. As such, they do not completely lend themselves to the style of an essay as Murry states in his prefatory note. His main concern was that there would be some repetition over the sequence of lectures. This in itself would disqualify them from being an essay. Yet if some of them were to be published separately, we may be tempted to view them as essays. The defining qualities of each may not…
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Two Poems by Katherine Mansfield
Ferrick Gray — There are few who have heard of Katherine Mansfield and even fewer knowing of her poetry. She was better known for her short stories, but sadly today these too do not receive the attention they should. Katherine Mansfield was the wife of John Middleton Murry, and it was he who published a collection of her poetry after her sudden death.
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The Shakespearean Sonnet
Kenneth Daniel Wisseman — During Queen Elizabeth’s rule, the Sonnet became the most popular lyrical form for Renaissance poets, creating ‘little songs’ in praise of beauty and of love. One in particular, a playwright for the Globe Theater and contemporary of Christopher Marlowe, became the most famous poet of all time, his name was William Shakespeare.
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When I Buy Pictures—Marianne Moore
Ferrick Gray — I have read that Marianne Moore was one of the modernists. This may well have been true because of the unorthodoxy of her poetry in terms of construction and presentation. It was different, and did not meet with great approval. However, I do not think it was a matter of making the effort to be different. This was how she wrote, with purpose and patience. As to any similarity to others, definitely not Eliot, Pound or HD. My personal opinion is that there is something reminiscent of Williams.
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The Palace of Truth — W. S. Gilbert
Ferrick Gray — This is a very charming and humorous play which can be easily read from the page, but it has also appeared on stage numerous times since its first performance in 1870. The playwright is none other than W. S. Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, and this was one of his most popular plays before teaming with Sullivan.
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Believability and Understandability in Poetry
Ferrick Gray — Success of a poem can rarely be gauged by the poet themselves. Mostly it is the reader who determines the success or failure of a poem. There are two factors to be considered, these being believability and understandability.
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The Rondel
Ferrick Gray — The rondel originated from French lyrical poetry and consists of two rimes in three stanzas. The repetition and its manner of reading gives it a very pleasant and musical quality.