Category Archives: Literature

A SEQUEL TO THE ONE L LLAMA (COMMENT).

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Philip

A SEQUEL TO THE ONE L LLAMA (COMMENT).I am a big fan of light verse and have posted on Anthony Hecht, Clive James, and Wendy Cope. I posted on a brilliant poem by Ogden Nash here. Nash wrote: “The one-l … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

HOW THE ZEBRA GOT ITS STRIPES.

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Philip

HOW THE ZEBRA GOT ITS STRIPES. The caption is meant to remind you of the titles of Kipling’s “Just So Stories”—such as “How the Elephant Got His Trunk”, which begins: “In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Science | Leave a comment

“I’VE BEEN ROOKED”.

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Philip

“I’VE BEEN ROOKED”. Was the use of “to rook” to refer to fraud found in Shakespeare’s time? I checked the Online Etymology Dictionary, which has this entry: “rook (v.) “to defraud by cheating” (originally especially in a game), 1590s….”

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | Leave a comment

FOR MARY JANE.

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Philip

FOR MARY JANE. Today we are obliged to be romantic And think of yet another valentine. We know the rules and we are both pedantic: Today’s the day we have to be romantic. Our love is old and sure, not … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 2 Comments

THE WOOD IN ATHENS (COMMENT).

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Philip

THE WOOD IN ATHENS (COMMENT). Charles Lock pointed out that Shakespeare in a Midsummer Night’s Dream puns on “wode”, meaning “mad”…Shakespeare plays on this in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “when Demetrius feels ‘wood within this wood’”. A couple years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | Leave a comment

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WOOD AND A FOREST (COMMENT).

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Philip

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WOOD AND A FOREST (COMMENT). (In a letter in the TLS (April 26, 2018), Charles Lock pointed out that in Shakespeare’s time, “wood” and “forest” had different senses. He says:”‘Wood’ is a near homophone of ‘wode’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | 2 Comments

UNDERSTANDING THE “ROOKY WOOD” (COMMENT).

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Philip

I posted here some five years ago about William Empson’s emphasis on Shakespeaere’s liking of multiple meanings. I quoted Empson’s comment on one example of what scholars would do to the use of the word “rooky” in MacBeth. Empson quoted … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | Leave a comment

WHAT “COCKABOODY” MEANS.

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Philip

WHAT “COCKABOODY” MEANS. Given that we had all loved the Cockaboody animation for years, we were shocked to find out what it means in French. We found out from BRINGING UP BÉBÉ. Pamela Druckerman, the author, had been shocked as … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

THE WEDDINGS IN MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Philip

THE WEDDINGS IN MEASURE FOR MEASURE. How do I feel about the ending of Measure for Measure? When I first read it fifty years ago, my reaction was that the play was about Shakespeare showing off what he could do. … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | Leave a comment

OTHER CHANGES TO THE ENDING OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Philip

OTHER CHANGES TO THE ENDING OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE. I looked up alternate endings for Measure for Measure and found this article by Laura Higgins on the Blogging Shakespeare website which gives a couple more: *…”after the Duke’s final words … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | Leave a comment