Tag Archives: Charles Lamb

“For never has such soothing voice / Been to your shadowy world convey’d…” — Matthew Arnold on William Wordsworth

“I have said that poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity; the emotion is contemplated till by a species of reaction the tranquillity gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to … Continue reading

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“I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals.” — Jonathan Swift

“When a man of true Genius appears in the World, you may know him by this infallible Sign, that all the Dunces are in Conspiracy against him.” — Jonathan Swift I don’t have much time to read for pleasure these … Continue reading

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“My thoughts bustle along like a Surinam toad, with little toads sprouting out of back, side, and belly, vegetating while it crawls.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

He looked at his own Soul with a telescope. What seemed all irregular, he saw and shewed to be beautiful Constellations: and he added to the Consciousness hidden worlds within worlds. –Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Notebooks It’s his birthday today. I’ll … Continue reading

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Interpreting Lady Macbeth: Sarah Siddons vs. Ellen Terry

For Shakespeare’s Birthday Ellen Terry Sarah Siddons Michael Holroyd’s A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Their Remarkable Families tells the story of 19th century theatre-manager Henry Irving, and his lead actress Ellen Terry. … Continue reading

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The Books: On the Pleasure of Hating, ‘The Fight’, by William Hazlitt

On the essays shelf: On the Pleasure of Hating, by William Hazlitt William Hazlitt is not as well known as he should be; much of this is because most of his work is now out of print. But if you … Continue reading

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“he could not bear young girls”

“William Hazlitt owned that he could not bear young girls; they drove him mad. So I took him home to my old nurse, where he recovered perfect tranquility.” — Charles Lamb to William Wordsworth, June 26, 1806

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Charles Lamb Laughing

A wonderful anecdote about Charles Lamb busting up laughing at his friend William Hazlitt’s wedding. So charming!! “I am going to stand godfather; I don’€™t like the business; I cannot muster up decorum for these occasions; I shall certainly disgrace … Continue reading

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Charles Lamb

charles lamb (read that bio, it’s some intense stuff) has come up quite a bit recently. in one of my ulysses posts – and then a conversation i had this weekend with my mother about him. she was reading anne … Continue reading

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