
The Classic English Literature Podcast
Where rhyme gets its reason!In a historical survey of English literature, I take a personal and philosophical approach to the major texts of the tradition in order to not only situate the poems, prose, and plays in their own contexts, but also to show their relevance to our own. This show is for the general listener: as a teacher of high school literature and philosophy, I am less than a scholar but more than a buff. I hope to edify and entertain!
Podcasting since 2022 • 91 episodes
The Classic English Literature Podcast
Latest Episodes
Forward to the Past: John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress
Put on your comfortable shoes and grab your walking stick because today we're embarking on the most famous allegory in the English language: John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress from 1678. We'll cross plains, endure temptations, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 91
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37:54

Nasty, Brutish, and Naturally Free: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and the Social Contract
The political upheavals of 17th century England demanded new answers for old political questions: what is the purpose of government, how is power legitimated, and who may wield it? Philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke reasoned from t...
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Season 1
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Episode 90
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24:51

Early Science Fiction: Lunar Geese and Blazing Worlds
We often think of science fiction as a particularly modern genre of storytelling, born of the science and technology of the electronic and digital age. But speculative fiction goes back centuries, back to the beginning of what we now call...
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Season 1
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Episode 89
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33:54

A Garden and a Coy Mistress: Andrew Marvell
Which is better: the life of ascetic contemplation or one of passionate sensuality? Let's see what the last great poet of the Stuart era, Andrew Marvell, has to say about that.
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Season 1
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Episode 88
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31:24

The Earliest Tales of Robin Hood (Out of Time Episode 2)
Here's another episode in our foundling series "Out of Time." Today, I correct an oversight from our 15th century literature discussions and survey the very earliest surviving tales of the outlaw and all-around-swell-guy Robin Hood! ...
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Season 1
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Episode 87
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32:51

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