Thomas Hardy: bridging the gap between Victorian and modern literature
Jane Rance discusses Thomas Hardy's novels and poetry, showing how they have features typical of both nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature.
poetry
The power of rhyme
Rhyme is a powerful device within poetry. It impacts the way you read a poem and adds meaning behind the words a poet writes. The rhymes within a poem can…
Reflective Melancholia in Anglo-Saxon Elegy
Jack Farrant explores the melancholy Anglo-Saxon 'The Ruin', and what it can teach us about the finite nature of grandeur.
Shakespeare’s sonnets and the complexities of being in love
Originating in 13th century Italy, the sonnet is a 14-line poem typically consisting of 10 beats per line – known as being written in Iambic pentameter. The rhythm of iambic…
‘Otherwise, you live’: what Louise Glück tells us about death
In light of the great poet's passing, Audrey Wong examines how Glück's own words provide consolation about mortality.
Far from nursery rhymes: William Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’
How William Blake's poems about nature and children also comment upon representations of God and criticise the government.
Drops of Hope
A short poem highlighting the fluidity of emotions, specifically during times of struggle.
Hide and Seek
A poem about the struggles of coming out
‘I don’t believe in Forever’
A dabble into a shorter, more modernist poetic form.
Success
A short poem about feeling stuck in a rut with oneself and being unsure of ones capabilities.