John Clare: A Poet With Rough Hands
Growing awareness of the climate and ecological crises faced by humanity sometimes allows us to look at writers from a previous age with fresh eyes. One such writer is the 19th-century poet John Clare.
The Road is Made by Walking
Antonio Machado was one of the most profound poets writing in the Spanish language. A member of the Spanish literary movement known as the Generation of '98, his work evolved from an early modernism to a very personal form of symbolism. Tinged with melancholy and pessimism, his writing considered the destiny of man, the history of Spain and the contradictions between our illusions and reality.
Adrienne Rich: Unclenching the Imagination
Joseph Conrad once remarked, “To snatch in a moment of courage from the remorseless rush of time, a passing phase of life, is only the beginning of the task.” Arguably, he failed to complete the task. The racism evident in his famous novella Heart of Darkness, notwithstanding its critique of imperialism, is an illustration of the point.
The Importance of Play: And Why the Naming of Cats Is a Difficult Matter
“A child who does not play is not a child,” said Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, “but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived within him and who he will miss terribly.”
The Common Air That Bathes the Globe
The great American poet Walt Whitman once said: Do I contradict myself?/Very well then I contradict myself;/(I am large, I contain multitudes.) These striking lines come from his poem "Song of Myself". It’s a celebration of the body as well as the soul.
Ivor Cutler: The Search for Simplicity
Ivor Cutler, the cult poet, songwriter and children’s writer was a master of off-beat humour and eccentricity. He was once described as having the on-stage “demeanour and voice of the weariest human being ever to be cursed with existence". But it never felt contrived. And he captivated his audiences for almost 50 years with a range of works that were utterly unique.
How Luton Influenced Poetry
Over two hundred years ago, the Romantic poet William Blake wrote some of the most striking lines in English poetry:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an Hour.