| Subject | Date Asked |
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| 17-18th letter salutations | 8/6/2008 |
Q: I'm trying to find a source of 17th-18th century personal or otherwise letter salutations (opening ...
A: This is an extremely interesting question, but I fear the help I can give you will be quite limited. ...
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| Literary couple in history | 4/30/2008 |
Q: Parsons, I remember a story from a literature class about a famous literary couple, that when he ...
A: As my theatre students would say, "Freakshow!" :-D I'm afraid this doesn't ring a bell ...
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| "Killings", By Andre Dubus and "A Rose For Emily" by William Faulkner | 4/3/2008 |
Q: ..I have an to write a essay on comparing/contrasting Matt's ("Killings") motivation for murder with ...
A: There are a number of ways to approach this, but, as with so many things in life, the simplest way ...
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| anglo-saxon | 1/19/2008 |
Q: 1. kindly tell me something about old english literature. 2. what is the development of english ...
A: Well, one could say an awful lot about Old English literature. It is the literature (in general) of ...
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| Deciphering a Quotation | 1/18/2008 |
Q: Reading through one of Robert F. Kennedy's speech one the death of Martin Luther King, I came across ...
A: I think your phrasing of it is absolutely correct. Think of sleeping--surely we are never more ...
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| an Irish peom about the new year | 11/10/2007 |
Q: I've been asked to translate the following short poem by Turlough O'Carolan into Chinese, but I need ...
A: Pardon my delay in responding to this question. As an Irishwoman myself, I must say I am delighted ...
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| Books on Schizofrenia | 9/20/2007 |
Q: I am a screenwriter writing a script about a person with a severe case of schizofrenia. For the ...
A: Pardon my delay in answering this (interesting) question. The two works that leap most quickly to ...
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| Jonson's early Catiline | 8/7/2007 |
Q: I've been looking for a copy of Jonson's 1611 version of 'Catiline his Conspiracy'. I found one ...
A: The following is a link at which one may get this text for about $3.00; I don't know, however, if it ...
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| The Disappointment Artist | 7/13/2007 |
Q: I hope I'm finding you in the best of health. I'm reading The Disappointment Artist, a memoir by ...
A: I'm sorry, but "what makes Cassavetes good" is really far too broad and personal a question for me ...
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| The English Canon | 6/6/2007 |
Q: What I am wondering is what the English Canon is exactly? What dates specify what is included? Are ...
A: I am answering this question only to say that I can't really answer this question! :-D The "canon" ...
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| Thoreau quote question | 5/28/2007 |
Q: I recently went back to my old high school to see my English teacher, and I was talking to him about ...
A: Please pardon my delay in addressing this question; I am out of town on business, and neglected to ...
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| quotes | 2/22/2007 |
Q: Last time I was reading Henry David Thoreau's quotes, there are some I don't quite understand:"Do ...
A: I'd say that Thoreau here is saying pretty much what he says in the first quotation, in terms of ...
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| Renaissance | 2/13/2007 |
Q: How are you? I have to write a research paper, and I was wondering if you can tell me what secondary ...
A: I'm afraid that I can't think of any titles off-hand, as Machiavelli was not someone one whom I did ...
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| Cards and Kisses by John Lyly | 2/12/2007 |
Q: I read this poem over and over, but I can't quite seem to grasp the concept of it...and I don't ...
A: Here is the text of the poem: CUPID and my Campaspe play'd At cards for kisses—Cupid paid: He ...
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| Boyter 19th century Poet | 1/31/2007 |
Q: I wonder if you can help? I am trying to find information about at nineteenth century poet by the ...
A: While I would be delighted to help if I could, I am afraid I have never heard of this person either. ...
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| Maturin-Aubrey novels | 12/13/2006 |
Q: Not written in the 17th century, but set in that era, is Patrick O'Brian's series about the Royal ...
A: I'm afraid this really stumps me, as naval fiction set in the late Renaissance is something with ...
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| Donne writing? | 10/14/2006 |
Q: An author friend of mine is seeking to find a reference he vaguely remembers to be from John Donne ...
A: This certainly does sound like something from one of Donne's sermons, but I'm afraid I can't come up ...
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| the sun also rises/ the end of affair | 10/13/2006 |
Q: I have just finished reading The end of Affair and i got some doubts needed to be clearied. In the ...
A: Please note that my area of expertise is Renaissance studies, which is very far away from the ...
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| shakespeare | 4/22/2006 |
Q: I am trying answer my question about shakespear's genious. I personally believe he was a genious in ...
A: You touch here on a vast matter and very long discussion, and I would not presume to say that I can ...
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| definition of literature | 4/5/2006 |
Q: Dr. Parsons, Hi I was wondering if you could help me explain the following expression in CAPS within ...
A: Within this context, "in the lowest as in the highest" really means "in the lowest mind / person as ...
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| 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | 3/27/2006 |
Q: I have to present an oral presentation about John Ford's "Tis Pity She's a Whore". I was wondering ...
A: Well, as you can imagine, this is a subject that can get pretty vast, so I can only give a few ...
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| Carpe Diem Theme in Marvell and Herrick | 3/7/2006 |
Q: I'm sorry for the confusion. I myself am confused about the assignment, which is why I'm hoping you ...
A: From what you tell me, I assume that you're being asked to focus on criticism around the carpe diem ...
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| Carpe Diem Theme in Marvell and Herrick | 3/6/2006 |
Q: For an upcoming assignment, I have to write a set of critical responses to pieces of criticism on a ...
A: I'm afraid I need a little more information here, as I'm confused--are you supposed to be writing in ...
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| meaning of a word | 2/25/2006 |
Q: Parsons I have a question that I know it is a little far from your field of experise, but I'm sure ...
A: I'm afraid I can only guess here. The speaker is clearly not using the word "bonies", which ...
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| issue on Marlowe's death | 2/18/2006 |
Q: I've heard of a possible 'conspiracy' about the death of Christopher Marlowe. What's your opinion ...
A: I fear I may be too late for this--an email mix-up on my part has meant that I have not been getting ...
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| Poem | 12/30/2005 |
Q: I am looking for the poem that starts " I said to the man that stood at the gate of the year ... ...
A: This is generally known, I believe, simply as "The Man At the Gate"; it's probably best-known for ...
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| Long S | 12/13/2005 |
Q: I don't think is quite your area of expertise, but I'll ask anyway. Why in English writing, or ...
A: I'm off the continent right now and have limited access to email, so rather than lay out the ...
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| I am writing an essay and... | 11/28/2005 |
Q: I am writing an essay and I am having trouble finding info about this question. Compare how egotism ...
A: This is one of those questions on which you can really get a lot of information just by reading ...
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| folklore | 11/22/2005 |
Q: i am currently writting about the role of the hero or hero king as seen in the ulster cycle, ...
A: I am familiar with all of these works, and indeed studied all of them as an undergraduate, but I'm ...
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| Letters in Eighteenth Century literature | 11/19/2005 |
Q: I know your specialty is 16th and 17th century literature but I thought you might be able to answer ...
A: Writers of previous ages have generally been just as susceptible as our contemporaries to going for ...
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| book club | 10/17/2005 |
Q: Didnt exactly know who to ask this question to...id like to join a book club. Maybe one of those ...
A: Well, this is an interesting and different question. Probably the biggest and best-known book club ...
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| Greek Trgedy | 9/14/2005 |
Q: Is Oedipus the King a true classic tragedy? Another question is, what exactly is classic tragedy?
A: Please pardon my delay in getting to this question; it slipped my mind as I got caught up in other ...
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| English Literature | 8/15/2005 |
Q: What century did a standard written form of English come into use?
A: If I had to pick a century into which anything resembling truly "standardised" English came into ...
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| George Herbert | 7/30/2005 |
Q: I have a question about George Herbert, the English poet. An English professor of mine once stated ...
A: Well, this is a new one on me! George Bush Senior, who was president in the late 1980s, is named ...
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| authors | 5/22/2005 |
Q: I have, I suppose, a general question. Why do some authors (ex Cormarc McCarthy) choose to write ...
A: This is certainly an interesting question - but one, admittedly, to which I don't know that I can ...
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| John Donne | 5/10/2005 |
Q: I wanted to ask about the metaphysical poet, John Donne's conversion experience that changed much of ...
A: John Donne was, indeed, a Catholic to begin with - born into a Catholic family, and identifying ...
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| Franny and Zooey | 4/26/2005 |
Q: I know this isn't exactly your area, but maybe you can tell me how to pronounce the "Zooey" of ...
A: Well, this is certainly a different and interesting question! I don't know that I can help you much ...
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| English-The Great Gatsby | 4/4/2005 |
Q: I see that you read the novel "The Great Gatsby" and i was wondering if you can help me. I am a high ...
A: First off, a little note (and something on which I realise you may have been steered wrong by your ...
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| British Literature | 3/24/2005 |
Q: I am doing a research paper on Religion and its Role in British Literature. The thesis of the paper ...
A: Here is an example of how students currently in high school or undergraduate studies have really not ...
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| Quotation | 2/28/2005 |
Q: This is a bit of a shot in the dark as I can not seem to find my answer anywhere else. I am looking ...
A: I'm afraid I can't help you here - but I greatly fear that Mr. Hanks' speech was, indeed, the source ...
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| A Modest Proposal | 2/23/2005 |
Q: Even though this is early 18th century, do you have any information on Swift's "A Modest Proposal"? ...
A: The "pretender" in this case is James Stuart, son of James II of England and his second wife, Mary ...
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| Don Quixote | 1/2/2005 |
Q: Greetings, I am a participant in the Trivial Pursuits chat room where we take our trivia very ...
A: First off, your wording isn't atrocious at all. I receive questions from all kinds of people with ...
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| Merchant of Venice? | 12/2/2004 |
Q: I had a little spat with an actress over the quote: "The Devil can quote Scripture for his own ...
A: Being an actress myself, I can imagine this conversation, and why you wouldn't want to get too ...
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| Oliver Goldsmith | 11/28/2004 |
Q: I know he is Restoration but I am a little desperate and you might know anyway. In "The Deserted ...
A: I have no idea what text you're looking at, or if someone's just having you on, but I guarantee you ...
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| The Great Gatsby | 11/19/2004 |
Q: I am not sure If you will be able to help me, but here goes... I am looking for the Great Gatsby ...
A: Online texts really aren't designed to work with page numbers - you usually just cite the URL. You ...
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| Gregory Koukl | 11/10/2004 |
Q: Gregory Koukl writes: "Even if relativists are right that cultures differ radically in their basic ...
A: First off, this has nothing to do with literature - it's philosophy. Second, it's not a ...
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| Canterbury Tales | 9/28/2004 |
Q: I need useful websites or information on the following topic: Draw parallels between The Canterbury ...
A: This really isn't the sort of question that can be answered by a single book or, heaven knows, a ...
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| Tudor picture! | 9/13/2004 |
Q: Can you give me ANY info on an old Tudor picture I have.Can be seen at:- ...
A: Ah, here we go! Christina of Milan. The remark she made was something like, "I'd be glad to marry ...
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| Milton's Paradise Lost | 9/2/2004 |
Q: Do you know who I could consult about the value of a very beautiful antique edition of this book?
A: You would be best to consult the Yellow Pages in your town or city - look under "Book Dealers / Used ...
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| figures of speech | 6/22/2004 |
Q: I cannot see any figures of speech in this passage from Shakespeare. Am I blind? I don't see ...
A: This is too much text for me to take apart line by line, and that would probably constitute me doing ...
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| paradise regained | 6/9/2004 |
Q: having a lecture on paradise regained, I do need a modernized version of the brief epic. I wonder ...
A: Well, if you simply Google "Paradise Regained online" you should be able to find an online version, ...
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| comparison | 5/25/2004 |
Q: i'm going to write an essay on a play and compare it to the aristotelian principles for drama, it ...
A: Well, this certainly is a wide-open question! There are so many ways you could approach it. Just ...
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| Children in Renaissance literature | 5/12/2004 |
Q: I am an English Literature undergraduate. At the moment I am brainstorming ideas for my final year ...
A: First of all, please pardon my delay in answering this question - winding up term work and preparing ...
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| Can you help me? about Oscar Wilde?? | 4/19/2004 |
Q: My name is Sujie Kim from South Korea. I am a student of Korean literature and Language. Now, Im ...
A: I'm sorry, but neither I nor my husband (who is a Wilde expert) can recognise this story either as ...
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| YAHOO | 4/4/2004 |
Q: What 18th century novel did the word YAHOO first appear?
A: I have a feeling this is just a homework question with the initial "In" left out (read your question ...
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| John Lyly? | 3/30/2004 |
Q: Good evening! My question regards one of Lyly's poems, entitled "cards amd kisses" where he talk of ...
A: Let me say first of all that I am delighted that you and your students are reading Lyly! I hope it ...
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| janie3579@hotmail.com | 3/27/2004 |
Q: do you know where i can find "innocence with her eyes" by william penn? actually i know that he ...
A: I'm afraid I don't know anything about William Penn's writing - are you referring to the man after ...
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| hi | 3/26/2004 |
Q: the jest of God and the diviners. I was wondering if you know what the similarities of these two ...
A: This may be me showing an unfashionable cultural conservatism, but I am _very_ surprised at the idea ...
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| shakespeare | 2/8/2004 |
Q: I am looking for a good relatively modern novel (nothing before the 19th century)that has a ...
A: This is a very interesting question indeed - and I'm certain there must be an answer to it! ...
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| omission of names in early print works | 1/14/2004 |
Q: I teach high school and my students are interested in an answer to thiswhy are some names, ...
A: Thomas, There are two possible contexts for thisI'm unsure whether you're referring to the omission ...
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