John Keats, “The Eve of St. Agnes,” (Part Two).  Today we conclude our examination of Keats’ poem, looking at three pairs of stanzas that describe the strange courtship of Porphyro and Madeline and their escape from the castle.  We love hearing from all of you. Please email us at ProfessingLiterature@protonmail.com.  ------   Theme Music: "Nobility" by Wicked Cinema  Opening Segment Music: "Careful Consideration" by John Bjork You can also send comments and questions to Professing Litera...

EP20 - Star and Star Lover | Sidney, Astrophil and Stella

Why do great novels, poems and plays move us and excite us? How can they change the way we look at ourselves and the world? What do these authors have to teach us? Why do they matter? There are no better answers to these questions than those provided by the authors themselves. We want to let them speak. Professing Literature is not a broad summary of major works. Instead, it will zero in on one or two key passages, looking at them closely in order to figure out what is at stake. The goal will be to appreciate an author’s brilliance by seeing him or her in action. We will unpack key phrases, images and metaphors and we will consider the techniques the writer uses to make ideas come alive.