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 • 108 episodes
The Classic English Literature Podcast
Latest Episodes
Isaac Watt: The Father of English Hymnody
For this Easter holiday, I thought we'd look at a hymn lyric from a very influential writer who is often overlooked in discussions of literature: Isaac Watt. You can find the full text of the lyric in the transcript.Additional Musi...
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Season 1
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Episode 109
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14:52
Imitation and Optimism: The Essays of Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope, whom some critics regard as the most important poet of the early 18th century, set out to comprehensively explain the rules that governed art, poetry, and humanity itself. And, it turns out, they're all the same rules.
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Season 1
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Episode 108
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35:18
A Critique of Reason: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
While many may think of Swift's magnificent octopus as a mere children's adventure tale, it is, in fact, one of the darkest and most troubling satires in the English language. Written as the Enlightenment began asserting rationality as th...
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Season 1
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Episode 107
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49:06
Food for Thought: Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" and Other Writings
I hope you've brought your appetite, because today we're looking at some of Dr. Swift's shorter prose satires (along with a couple of poems) and he certainly gives us plenty to chew on."A Description of the Morning":
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Season 1
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Episode 106
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38:49
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