#she's celia reimagined<3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[hepbaestus]

Villager Hunting Trip 3 (29/07-31/07)

I have 20k bells, 10 NMT and a little amount of hope.

My island has a theme and to fit that theme, I'm looking for Ankha, Bill, Deirdre, Frobert, Peanut, Raymond and Static. I already have Chevre and Sherb who are also a part of the theme.

Realistically, I'm gonna have to get real lucky to get Ankha and Raymond because there are so many different cats in the game that it's not likely that I'll get either of them very quickly.

Nonetheless, the hunt begins...

Under a read more because it's a fair amount of images and text :)

The first island of today's hunt was a bamboo island with Tiffany inhabiting it. Her look is definitely something. I respect the bold outfit and lippy. There was a recipe in a bottle but I already knew it sadge. I forgot to take a photo.

Orange fruit tree island was my second trip with Shari there.

Third island had Boone on it and was a regular tree island.

This fourth island was definitely the funkiest, It had a moat around a four tier island. Naomi was there was a fossil spot but they're not important when there's this cool mountain moat! This is the coolest island I've ever seen because there are only sharks in the sea. No other fish. This is the money making island.

Fifth island was a regular tree island with Peaches (the villager, not the fruit). There was both a fossil spot and a recipe in a bottle but besides that, nothing much else.

Margie the elephant was on a spiral island next, I quickly left after taking this photo.

Dobie the wolf was on a bamboo island, I've never even heard of this villager so meeting him was fun.

Zucker was on this short river island as was a recipe for a pear hat (one of the 2 fruits that I don't have on my island).

Elsie was on a spiral island. She gives me librarian vibes but that might just be the glasses and long sleeve dress. This is the eighth island of this third villager hunt During this time I've had Blaire move in to replace Celia who moved out earlier today (31/07).

On the ninth island, which was a waterfall island, Louie was there. Isn't he the donkey kong reimagination for animal crossing or is that a different monkey villager? I forgot to take a photo ;-;

On this final island, Eloise the elephant was there. I'll take her because she's cute but she's not going to be permanent. Nevermind, looking at her house, she might replace Ankha because I much prefer Eloise's house + decor over Ankha's.

[bookrecommendations24]

Essential Fiction Reads: A Guide to the Best Novels of the Decade

The past decade has produced a remarkable collection of novels that have captured hearts, stirred emotions, and left a lasting impact on readers around the world. These essential reads range across genres, cultures, and themes, offering powerful stories that resonate deeply with modern audiences. Whether you're looking for intense drama, historical fiction, or surreal fantasy, this list will introduce you to some of the decade’s most unforgettable novels. Here is a guide to the best novels of the last ten years that should be on every reader's bookshelf.

1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Overview: Set in the swamps of North Carolina, Where the Crawdads Sing follows Kya, a mysterious young girl abandoned by her family and shunned by society. As she grows up in solitude, she finds solace in nature, studying the world around her with an almost scientific eye. However, when a local man is found dead, suspicion falls on Kya, sparking a murder investigation that unearths painful truths.

Why It’s Essential: Owens’s beautifully descriptive writing captures the spirit of the natural world and the resilience of the human soul. This novel’s blend of mystery, romance, and a powerful coming-of-age story has struck a chord with readers worldwide.

2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Overview: The Night Circus transports readers to a mysterious, magical circus that only appears at night. Within this enchanted setting, two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, find themselves locked in a competition of skills, unaware that their destinies are bound together in ways neither could have anticipated.

Why It’s Essential: Morgenstern’s evocative prose and vivid imagery create an enchanting world filled with wonder and tension. The Night Circus is a sensory journey that pulls readers into a realm of magic and mystery, making it an unforgettable read.

3. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Overview: This powerful, gut-wrenching novel follows four college friends over the course of several decades, focusing particularly on Jude, a deeply scarred man with a traumatic past. As the story unfolds, it explores themes of friendship, trauma, and resilience, challenging readers to confront the complexities of human suffering and compassion.

Why It’s Essential: A Little Life is both haunting and profound, with Yanagihara’s emotionally charged storytelling resonating deeply with readers. It’s a challenging read, but its exploration of the human spirit makes it a modern classic. Have a peek here 도서 리뷰

4. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Overview: In this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Colson Whitehead reimagines the Underground Railroad as a literal railway system, following Cora, an enslaved woman on her journey toward freedom. With each stop, Cora encounters new horrors and glimpses of hope, capturing the harrowing experiences of enslaved people with unflinching realism.

Why It’s Essential: The Underground Railroad is a powerful exploration of freedom, oppression, and survival. Whitehead’s innovative approach to historical fiction offers both a visceral narrative and a profound commentary on America’s history of slavery.

5. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Overview: This modern love story follows Connell and Marianne, two young people from a small Irish town, as they navigate love, friendship, and personal growth. Rooney’s novel examines the complexities of relationships, identity, and mental health with raw honesty, making it a captivating and relatable read.

Why It’s Essential: Rooney’s nuanced portrayal of modern relationships and her introspective writing style make Normal People a defining novel of contemporary fiction. It’s a story that resonates with readers for its emotional depth and authenticity.

6. Circe by Madeline Miller

Overview: In Circe, Madeline Miller brings the story of the famous Greek enchantress to life, blending myth and history in a compelling retelling. The novel follows Circe’s journey from a misunderstood daughter of the gods to a powerful, self-assured woman who learns to embrace her true self.

Why It’s Essential: Miller’s reimagining of ancient mythology gives Circe’s story new depth, making her a powerful symbol of resilience and independence. Circe is a beautifully written, empowering story that celebrates the strength of women.

7. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Overview: Spanning several generations, Homegoing traces the lineage of two Ghanaian half-sisters, one of whom is sold into slavery while the other remains in Africa. The novel explores how each generation grapples with the legacy of slavery, colonialism, and identity across two continents.

Why It’s Essential: Gyasi’s sweeping historical narrative is a deeply moving exploration of family, identity, and the lingering effects of history. Homegoing is both poignant and enlightening, highlighting the interwoven stories of African and African American experiences.

8. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Overview: After a tragic explosion at an art museum, young Theo Decker is left orphaned and alone, clinging to a famous painting, The Goldfinch, as a source of hope. As he grows up, Theo’s life spirals through crime, art, and romance, all while haunted by the secrets of his past.

Why It’s Essential: The Goldfinch is a beautifully crafted novel that examines the intersection of fate, art, and the human desire for connection. Tartt’s exploration of loss and identity resonates deeply, and her richly descriptive prose makes the story truly unforgettable.

9. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Overview: This heart-wrenching novel tells the story of Celestial and Roy, a young Black couple whose lives are torn apart when Roy is wrongfully imprisoned. As they struggle to maintain their relationship across the years, Jones tackles themes of race, justice, and love with unflinching honesty.

Why It’s Essential: An American Marriage sheds light on systemic injustices within the criminal justice system while exploring the strain that life’s challenges can place on relationships. Jones’s powerful storytelling and complex characters make this a thought-provoking and essential read.

10. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Overview: Blending historical fiction with magical realism, The Water Dancer tells the story of Hiram, an enslaved man with an extraordinary memory and a mysterious power that leads him on a journey toward freedom. Coates’s novel delves into the horrors of slavery while offering a glimmer of hope through the resilience of its characters.

Why It’s Essential: Ta-Nehisi Coates’s debut novel is both lyrical and haunting, offering a fresh perspective on slavery and freedom. His use of magical realism adds depth to an already powerful story, making it a unique addition to the historical fiction genre.

Final Thoughts

These novels are not only beautifully written but also engage with complex themes that reflect the times we live in. From intimate explorations of love and identity to broader commentaries on history, culture, and society, these books offer something for every reader. They are stories that provoke thought, stir emotions, and stay with you long after the final page. Whether you’re a longtime fiction enthusiast or new to contemporary literature, this collection represents the best of the last decade and is sure to inspire, challenge, and entertain.

[rlyprettyarchived]

muse :  bijou ( malin olsen ),   heist thief .

                 “   —   yeah ,  the  last  time  someone  told  me  to  trust  them ,  someone  ended  up  dead .   so  no ,   i  can  take  care  of  myself .  “

[bex-pendragon]

Bex's Book Corner #14

And we're back!

I am once again doing monthly roundups of the books I've read in 2022. I've set a higher goal for myself this year: 58 books. I got off to a good start in January by reading a total of 6 books. I'm also doing the Popsugar Reading Challenge again because hey, why not?

Here's what I read in January:

1. On Top of Glass by Karina Manta

Karina Manta made history back in 2019 when her essay “I Can’t Hate My Body if I Love Hers” was published in the New York Times. Karina was the first female Team USA figure skater to come out as bisexual back in 2018.

Her memoir, On Top of Glass, follows up on her essay with the full story of her coming of age as a figure skater and her struggle to find acceptance in a sport that hasn’t always been welcoming. As a lifelong figure skating fan, I found this to be a fascinating read. I loved learning more about skating culture, training, and everything else. Manta’s writing style is lively and engaging. Even when she was struggling with anxiety and body image, she found her way to make a mark on the sport with her partner, Joe Johnson. Together, they became the first known ice dancers where both members of the team were LGBT and both came out while they were still competing. Fun fact: she also went to the prom with Jason Brown!

You can see their final free dance, choreographed by Christopher Dean, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCugp67NNmU

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A sapphic book (Manta is bisexual) or a book by a Latinx author (Manta’s father is Uruguyan)

Similar Books: Tessa and Scott: Our Journey from Childhood Dream to Gold by Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, One Life by Megan Rapinoe.

Content Warnings: discussion of anxiety, body dysmorphia, and disordered eating.

2. The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

This book is the conclusion of the Camelot Rising trilogy. And what a ride it’s been! I read the first instalment, The Guinevere Deception, way back in 2020. I’m a fan of Arthurian retellings and I’ve been very keen to see how the series would end.

In this retelling, Guinevere is a changeling: an unknown entity sent to Camelot by Merlin to protect Arthur with her forbidden magic. Guinevere faces many challenges over the course of the series - most of all, struggling to find a place in a world that would not accept her if they knew who she truly was. Many key figures from Arthurian legend are reimagined here, including Mordred, Morgana, Isolde, and a genderbent version of Lancelot. Just as Arthur has his knights, Guinevere has spent the series cultivating her own group of loyal and extraordinary women. Seeing them take matters into their own hands was extremely satisfying.

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book about someone leading a double life.

Similar Books: The Queen’s Rising duology by Rebecca Ross and Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke.

Content Warnings: Kidnapping, stabbing, drowning.

3. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My first audiobook of the year and my second TJR book. I finally gave into the hype last year and read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I loved. There’s an interconnectedness between the two books: Mick Riva, the father of the Riva children at the centre of Malibu Rising, was one of the infamous seven husbands. Celia St. James also gets a shoutout.

The story is told in two timelines. It’s 1983, and the grownup Riva children are about to host the party of the year in their beachfront mansion. Between the hours of the day leading up to the party, we get flashbacks of the early years to set the scene. Their parents had a turbulent relationship. One of the kids has a different mother. Their dad was never there. But through it all, the kids had each other. Back in the present, the party starts and drama ensues: the siblings all have secrets. By the end of the party, all their dirty laundry will be aired.

TJR is the master of dual timelines. I was glued to this audio from start to finish.

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book set in the 1980’s.

Similar Books: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas.

Content Warnings: alcoholism, drowning, parental abandonment, fire.

4. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

This was one of those books I meant to read last year and didn’t get to. It’s also my third Emily Henry book. Like Malibu Rising before it, People We Meet on Vacation is told in dual timelines. In the present day, it’s been two years since the friendship breakup of Poppy and Alex: a pair of millennials who have been friends since college. They’ve gone on vacation together every year since they met. But two years ago, something happened. Chronological snippets of their past vacations are interspersed between the chapters and eventually a pattern begins to emerge. I kind of guessed what it was that broke them up, but let me tell you: the eventual reconciliation was excellent. Emily Henry nailed the best friends to lovers trope. And lucky for me, she has another book coming out this year!

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book set during a holiday.

Similar Books: Beach Read by Emily Henry, The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, and Much Ado About You by Suzanne Young.

Content Warnings: sexual content, brief mention of drug usage.

5. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

One of those classics I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. I watched the movie adaptation a couple of years ago and I loved it. I find that when I watch the movie first, I often like it better than the book - if I ever get around to reading the book at all. But this is one of those instances where I liked both equally. The movie is gorgeous and heartfelt. The book has a slightly different vibe, but it’s also enjoyable.

There are some subplots that were cut from the film and because we get to spend more time with the characters, we really get to see them develop. I loved Sophie in both iterations. She’s a young woman turned into an old lady by a witch’s spell and she gives zero forks. She’s finally able to express herself. Howl is more rakish than he was in the movie, but I enjoyed him too. There were several subplots from the book that got cut from the movie, so it was nice to get more backstory about Sophie and Howl’s families as well. This ended up being one of those instances where I enjoyed the book and the movie equally.

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book with an onomatopoeia in the title

Similar Books: Stardust by Neil Gaiman, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

Content Warnings: death of a parent (off page)

6. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

I’m always here for retellings - especially fairytale retellings. Elizabeth Lim’s Six Crimson Cranes is loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s Wild Swans, infused with East Asian folklore. It also takes place in the same fictional universe as her earlier Spin the Dawn duology, but you don’t need to read one to understand the other. The heroine of the story is Princess Shiori, the only sister in a family of royal brothers. She possesses magic in a land where magic has been forbidden. Her stepmother also has magic, and when she finds out about Shiori’s powers, she curses her and her brothers. But not everything is what it seems.

Shiori goes on a journey reminiscent of a Disney princess. I’ve always loved some of Hans Christian Andersen’s lesser known stories - The Snow Queen was a favourite of mine before Frozen came along. The Wild Swans is another story I’ve hoped to see a retelling of and I finally got it with Six Crimson Cranes. It preserves just enough of the original story while also being its own thing. Elizabeth Lim nailed it. Now I’m impatiently awaiting the sequel!

Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book about a secret

Similar Books: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan, The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott.

Content Warnings: death of a parent (off page), animal death, blood, fire.

That's it for January! I'm two books ahead of my goal for this year, so we'll see how it goes.

[emmagreen1220-blog]

New Post has been published on Literary Techniques

New Post has been published on https://literarytechniques.org/allusion/

Allusion

Allusion Definition

Allusion can be defined as a casual reference to a person or a thing which adds extra meaning to the neighboring context. In other words, merely saying “The Good Samaritan is a character in a parable told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke” is not an allusion—it is merely a straightforward reference. However, it is an allusion when, for example, Julia says to Edward in T.S Eliot’s comedy The Cocktail Party (I.2.49-50): “Don’t you realise how lucky you are/ To have two Good Samaritans?”

Allusions are, by definition, indirect. That means that they are never explicitly clarified by the author and that they work pretty much like riddles: it is left to the reader to both identify them and make the connection to a previous text. However, sometimes this process can prove especially tricky.

For example, Alexander Pope’s verses are densely allusive, filled with both classical and topical references that can’t be understood without some proper help from a specialized scholar. Moreover, modernist poets such as T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound consciously strove to enrich their writings with obscure, esoteric and personal allusions, the understanding of which is frequently essential to understanding the meaning of the works as a whole.

In some cases, allusions may even have a structural significance: James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, for example, is modeled after Homer’s epic Odyssey and can’t be sufficiently made sense of without it.

ExamplesQuizFlashcardsWorksheets

Allusion Examples

Allusion in a Sentence

Example #1: Achilles’ Heel

Divorce is the Achilles’ heel of marriage.

– George Bernard Shaw, Letters (July 2, 1965)

According to a story in Greek mythology, in an attempt to make her son immortal, the sea nymph Thetis washed the baby Achilles in the waters of the infernal river Styx. However, as she was doing this, she held him by his heel, which remained the only vulnerable place on her son’s body. This would prove a fatal mistake, since, late in the Trojan War, an arrow fired by the Trojan prince Paris and guided by Apollo, pierced through the heel of Achilles, killing the great Achaean hero on the spot. In the 19th century, the phrase “Achilles’ heel” was first used to mean a weak spot in spite of overall strength—and George Bernard Shaw wittily plays with this meaning in his clever remark above.

Example #2: Janus

A friend is Janus-faced: he looks to the past and the future. He is the child of all my foregoing hours, the prophet of those to come.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Friendship” (1841)

Janus was an ancient Roman deity, worshipped as a guardian of doors and gates, and as a god of transitions, beginnings and endings. He was depicted as having two faces—one looking back and another forward—and this is what Ralph Waldo Emerson alludes to in the sentences above, describing a friend as someone who is both an indelible part of one’s past and an architect of his or her future.

Example #3: Panglossian

Many searchers for life beyond Earth seem to be possessed of an almost Panglossian optimism, and since their speculations include the entire universe, their optimism might seem justified.

– Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, November 2, 2000

Dr. Pangloss is a character in Voltaire’s 1759 satirical masterpiece Candide. A professor of “metaphysico-theologo-cosmoronology” he is a self-proclaimed optimist who firmly believes that we are living in “the best of all possible worlds” and that “all is for the best.” He remains convinced in the veracity of his beliefs even after countless misfortunes, which cost him an eye and an ear due to syphilis, and, at one point, even his freedom. Because of this, when someone is Panglossian, he or she is overly—and naively—optimistic.

(Further Reading: Top 10 Examples of Allusion in a Sentence)

Allusion in Poetry

Example #1: Dead Sea Fruits

May Life’s unblessed cup for him Be drugg’d with treacheries to the brim, With hopes that but allure to fly, With joys that vanish while he sips, Like Dead-Sea fruits, that tempt the eye, But turn to ashes on the lips!

– Thomas Moore, Lalla Rookh (1817)

A Dead Sea fruit—sometimes also called a Sodom apple—is, according to the legend, a tempting fruit which dissolves into smoke and ashes once touched. Thomas Moore must have considered the allusion somewhat obscure when he wrote the above stanza in 1817 because he decided to annotate it himself, quoting a sentence by French explorer Jean de Thévenot as an explanation: “They say that there are apple-trees upon the sides of this sea, which bear very lovely fruit, but within are full of ashes.” A Dead Sea fruit is now used as an allusion to anything which may look promising at first but ultimately brings disappointment and discontent.

Example #2: Gehenna

Down to Gehenna or up to the Throne, He travels the fastest who travels alone.

– Rudyard Kipling, “The Winners” (1890)

Gehenna—or, literally translated, the “Valley of (the Son of) Hinnom”—is a place in Jerusalem, where, according to the Old Testament, worshippers of the pagan gods Baal and Moloch sacrificed their children by fire: “They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal” (Jeremiah 19:5). In time, the term came to symbolize Hell itself, so much so that the name given to Hell in the Quran, Jahannam, is a direct derivation of Gehenna. Additionally, the phrase “go to Gehenna” can be used as a more esoteric alternative to the everyday expression “go to hell.”

Example #3: The Mad Hatter

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn’t just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.

– T. S. Eliot, “The Naming of Cats” 1-4 (1939)

As almost everybody knows, the Mad Hatter is a character in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the eccentric host of one of the craziest tea parties you can ever imagine, also attended by the March Hare and the Dormouse. However, the phrases “mad as a hatter” and “mad as a (March) hare” predate Carroll’s book. According to OED, the first of these two expressions may refer to “the effects of mercury poisoning formerly suffered by hat-makers as a result of the use of mercurous nitrate in the manufacture of felt hats.” Ultimately, however, it’s irrelevant which of these sources is alluded to by T.S. Eliot in the stanza above—the meaning is immediately clear either way.

Example #4: Paris · Menelaus · Troy

I will be Paris and, for love of thee, Instead of Troy shall Wittenberg be sacked; And I will combat with weak Menelaus And wear thy colours on my plumed crest.

– Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus V.1.98-101 (1592)

This is what Doctor Faustus says to a summoned infernal spirit who has assumed the shape of Helen in the fifth act of Christopher Marlowe’s tragedy. The wife of Menelaus, Helen was a Spartan princess who was abducted by the Trojan prince, Paris—an event which triggered the Trojan War. Doctor Faustus reimagines himself as Helen’s lover and, in a trance, rewrites parts of the original story: in Homer’s Iliad, it is Paris who is unskilled and cowardly, and Menelaus an epitome of bravery. A few verses above this passage, Marlowe describes Helen’s face as one “that launch’d a thousand ships,/ And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?,” a phrase which has been alluded to numerous times ever since.

Example #5: The Trojan War · Helen and Clytemnestra

A shudder in the loins engenders there The broken wall, the burning roof and tower And Agamemnon dead.

– William Butler Yeats, “Leda and the Swan” 9-11 (1923)

As you can read in the example above, Yeats finds an even more implicit way to allude to some of the people and events Christopher Marlowe calls into mind in Doctor Faustus. His sonnet “Leda and the Swan” vividly describes how Zeus, disguised as a swan, rapes Leda, the Queen of Sparta. From this union, Helen and Clytemnestra were subsequently born, the former responsible for the Trojan War (“the broken wall, the burning roof and tower”) and the latter the murderer of the Achaean leader (“And Agamemnon dead”). Thus, the three verses above hide allusions within allusions: by referring to the consequences (the Trojan War and the death of Agamemnon), Yeats actually alludes to the causes (Helen and Clytemnestra) without even using their names.

(Further Reading: Top 10 Examples of Allusion in Poetry)

Allusion in Literature

Example #1: Gargantua

You must borrow me Gargantua’s mouth first. ‘Tis a word too great for any mouth of this age’s size.

– William Shakespeare, As You Like It III.2.221 (1599)

This is what Celia replies to Rosalind in Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, As You Like It, after the latter asks to answer her “in one word” a host of Orlando-related questions. (“What did he when thou saw’st him? What said he? How looked he? Wherein went he? What makes him here? Did he ask for me? Where remains he? How parted he with thee? And when shalt thou see him again?”) The meaning of the sentence is clear as it is, but it becomes even more palpable once you learn that Gargantua is a giant, the title protagonist in François Rabelais’ satirical pentalogy of novels, The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel.

Example #2: Methuselah

Now, you are my witness, Miss Summerson, I say I don’t care—but if he was to come to our house with his great, shining, lumpy forehead night after night till he was as old as Methuselah, I wouldn’t have anything to say to him.

– Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1853)

The son of Enoch and the grandfather of Noah, Methuselah is the oldest man mentioned in the Bible; Genesis 5:27 claims that he lived to be 969 years. Consequently, the word Methuselah is now almost synonymous with longevity, and is often used to mean “extremely aged” or “ancient.” The phrase “as old as Methuselah” is also regularly used.

Example #3: Procrustean Bed

‘The measures, then,’ he continued, ‘were good in their kind, and well executed; their defect lay in their being inapplicable to the case, and to the man. A certain set of highly ingenious resources are, with the Prefect, a sort of Procrustean bed, to which he forcibly adapts his designs. But he perpetually errs by being too deep or too shallow, for the matter in hand; and many a schoolboy is a better reasoner than he.

– Edgar Allan Poe, “The Purloined Letter” (1845)

Procrustes—literally, “The Stretcher”—was a street bandit in Greek mythology famous for the eccentricity of his modus operandi. Namely, he first invited travelers to lie on an iron bed he held in his possession, and, then, in an attempt to force them to fit the length of the bed, he either stretched them (if they were short) or cut off their legs (if they were longer than his bed). The adjective “procrustean” refers to this act, and means enforcing conformity through ruthless measures which disregard individual differences.

(Further Reading: Top 10 Allusion Examples in Literature)

Songs with Assonance

Example #1: The Cure, Killing an Arab (1979)

Standing on the beach With a gun in my hand Staring at the sea Staring at the sand Staring down the barrel At the Arab on the ground I can see his open mouth But I hear no sound

I’m alive I’m dead I’m the stranger Killing an Arab

Released a few days before the end of 1978, Killing an Arab was the controversial debut single of The Cure. As Robert Smith explains in a 1991 interview, the song “is a short poetic attempt at condensing [his] impression of the key moments in The Stranger by Albert Camus”—explicitly referenced in the chorus quoted above. However, the allusion was lost to many, leading to many accusations that Killing an Arab is a racist song which promotes violence against Arabs. As a result of the hostile response, The Cure rarely play the song even today; and when they do, they modify the last verse of the chorus to either “Killing another” or “Killing an Ahab.” And yes—the latter is another example of literary allusion!

Example #2: Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah (1984)

Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya She tied you to the kitchen chair She broke your throne and she cut your hair And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The second stanza of Leonard Cohen’s most covered song, Hallelujah, skillfully merges two biblical accounts. In the first three verses, it alludes to the story of David and Bathsheba, and the moment the Jewish king falls in love with the wife of Uriah the Hittite: “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful” (2 Samuel 11:2). Furthermore, the second three verses refer to the story of Samson, an Israelite of enormous strength, who lost all of it after his lover Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair (Judges 13-16). However, Cohen subverts the climax of this story, portraying the emasculated Samson/David not as a bitter man, but one ready to greet his defeat with a “Hallelujah.”

Example #3: Frank Turner, 1933 (2018)

The first time it was a tragedy The second time is a farce Outside it’s 1933 so I’m hitting the bar.

Written—by his own admission—during the U.S. election campaign of 2016, 1933 refers, both in the title and in the last verse of the pre-chorus excerpted above, to the year when the Nazis came to power in Germany. In Turner’s opinion, something similar is happening around us at the moment. (The chorus states this explicitly: “I don’t know what’s going on anymore/ The world outside is burning with a brand-new light/ But it isn’t one that makes me feel warm.”) To point out how farcical this all seems, he alludes to a famous Karl Marx observation in the first two verses above. It can be found in The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon and, originally, it goes something like this: “Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice. He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.”

(Further Reading: Top 5 Songs with Allusion)

Quiz

Flashcards

Worksheets

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Host: ISC Artistic Associate for Social Justice: Carene Mekertichyan Panel Guests: Sophina Brown As a Los Angeles theatrical producer, Sophina Brown's productions have garnered multiple LADCC, NAACP, Stage Raw and Ovation Award nominations and wins. Her theatrical acting credits include the Broadway production of Disney’s The Lion King, the East Coast premiere of Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower, No Strings opposite Scott Bakula, and her Ovation nominated role in David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People. Film credits include Because I Said So with Diane Keaton, as well as many television guest star, recurring and series regular roles. She spent multiple seasons on CBS's Shark and NUMB3RS, and is currently a series regular on Lena Waithe’s newest comedy Twenties.  Aisha Kabia: In eight seasons with ISC Ensemble Member Aisha Kabia has played: Thaisa in 'PERICLES,’ Titania in ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM’ Queen Elizabeth in ‘RICHARD III’, Princess in 'LOVES LABOURS LOST', Mistress Ford in 'MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR', Helena in 'MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM', Lady Macduff in 'MACBETH', Lady Capulet in 'ROMEO AND JULIET', Celia/Phebe in 'AS YOU LIKE IT', Adriana in 'COMEDY OF ERRORS'  Regional Theater: 3 Seasons at OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. Television: THE GOOD PLACE, S.W.A.T, GIRL MEETS WORLD, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, NCIS:LA, TRANSFORMERS 5, etc. & over 35 National Commercials - Education: Second City Conservatory Graduate,  BFA - UC SANTA BARBARA Bruce Lemon Jr. is a storyteller born and raised in Watts, CA. As a child, his father made him write stories and read them aloud in the hallway as punishment for lies and mischief. He’s still in trouble. Host of 89.3 KPCC In-Person’s UnheardLA. Associate Artistic Director/Ensemble with Cornerstone Theater Company. Artistic Director of Watts Village. Company member of Illyrian Players and Collaborative Artists Bloc . Actor, writer, director, producer, creative collaborator. Hobbies include: Holding a mirror up to America, rabble rousing, chasing dreams, working for the reimagining of his community, and listening to the kids. 2016 Princess Grace. 2014 BroadwayWorld LA. 2018 Sherwood Award Finalist. B.A.- Hampton University, P.AP. - The Juilliard School, M.F.A - New School for Drama http://www.brucealemonjr.com/  Dominic Taylor is a writer-director and scholar of African-American theater and whose work has been seen around the world. The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop have all commissioned him. His play, I Wish You Love, premiered at Penumbra Theatre, and was produced at both The Kennedy Center and Hartford Stage. His published plays include Hype Hero, Wedding Dance, Personal History, and Upcity Service(s). His essay “Don’t Call African American Theatre Black Theatre: It’s Like Calling a Dog a Cat” was published by the Massachusetts Review. Taylor is an alumnus member of New Dramatists. He received his bachelor's and master of fine arts degree from Brown University and is a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and the Dramatists Guild. He is the Interim Chair of Theater at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Sabra Williams has received international acclaim for her work as an actor, host and co-founder of The Actors' Gang Prison Project, including being named by President Obama a, “Champion of Change” in 2016, and being honored with a British Empire Medal for services to the Arts & Prison Reform by Queen Elizabeth in 2018. Sabra is co-founder of Creative Acts, a Social Justice initiative that uses the Arts as the tool for transformation. Creative Acts has Civic Engagement programs in juvenile facilities and a new Virtual Reality Arts Reentry program in adult maximum security prisons, for people returning after life sentences. Sabra is a Visiting Lecturer at UCLA and a Bellagio Rockefeller Resident Fellow and an in-demand speaker on justice and Arts issues. She is currently a member of Independent Shakespeare Co., LA ensemble. www.creativeacts.us. https://ift.tt/3b1ZcFb

[londontheatre]

While 2016 provided London with some fabulous new productions, 2017 looks to continue with another exciting year for West End theatre. Many theatregoers will be looking forward to the Broadway exports – An American in Paris and 42nd Street.

Here are a few productions that will be opening in London during 2017. There will, of course, be many more exciting productions, established and new, to get along to see in London’s West End and Off-West End venues.

The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre – opens 26th January 2017 This new musical comedy has brought together the writing talents of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth who grew up in the same village in the North of England and have been friends for 25 years. The Girls originally opened at The Grand Theatre in Leeds and The Lowry Theatre, Salford where it received standing ovations at every performance. Time is the longest distance between two places. Following a multi Tony Award-nominated run on Broadway, Oliver and Tony Award-winning director John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, Let the Right One In, Black Watch) revives his visionary staging of Tennessee Williams’ heart-rending masterpiece about a family struggling to survive on hopes and dreams.

A domineering mother. A daughter lost in a world of her own. A son desperate to leave. Former Southern Belle Amanda Wingfield, played by Tony Award-winning Broadway icon Cherry Jones, enlists the help of son Tom (Michael Esper) to find a husband for her fragile daughter Laura (Kate O’Flynn). But will the long-awaited ‘gentleman caller’ (Brian J. Smith) fulfil or shatter the family’s delicate dreams?

Sex With Strangers at the Hampstead Theatre opens with 27 Jan 2017 ‘Look, I’m giving you another chance to show the world how talented you are. Take it. It’s worth the risk’

Olivia, an attractive and talented but underappreciated mid-career writer, is unexpectedly trapped overnight in a secluded, snowed-in B&B with Ethan, an equally attractive and wildly successful young blogger.

Her latest novel is an unsung masterpiece; his blog is being made into a movie. She prefers books; he prefers eBooks. She is anonymous; he has half a million Twitter followers. But opposites soon attract passionately as each realise they want more of what the other has. But the closer they get, the more they must confront the murky side of ambition, success and Wi-Fi…

Laura Eason’s smart comedy is a multifaceted love story packed with hidden ambitions, soaring desires and secret agendas.

Peter DuBois reunites with Emilia Fox following sell-out hit Rapture, Blister, Burn in 2014. His other directing credits include All New People (West End) and Becky Shaw (Almeida).

The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre – opens 28th January 2017 The Girls is the true story of the Yorkshire Calendar Girls – a group of ordinary ladies who achieved something extraordinary.

This new musical comedy has brought together the writing talents of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth who grew up in the same village in the North of England and have been friends for 25 years. The Girls originally opened at The Grand Theatre in Leeds and The Lowry Theatre, Salford where it received standing ovations at every performance.

The ‘Girls’ will be played by Debbie Chazen as Ruth, Sophie-Louse Dann as Celia, Michele Dotrice as Jessie, Claire Machin as Cora, Claire Moore as Chris and Joanna Riding as Annie.

Travesties at the Apollo Theatre – opens 3rd February 2017 The Menier Chocolate Factory’s current revival of Tom Stoppard’s Travesties will transfer to the West End’s Apollo Theatre, beginning performances on 3 February 2017. The revival stars Tom Hollander as Henry Carr alongside Amy Morgan as Gwendolen, Freddie Fox as Tristan Tzara, Clare Foster and Forbes Masson.

Tom Stoppard’s dazzling comedy of art, love and revolution features James Joyce, Tristan Tzara and Lenin as remembered – and misremembered – by Henry Carr, a minor British diplomat in Zurich 1917. When Gwendolen and Cecily wander in from The Importance of Being Earnest Henry’s mind wanders too. He knows he was Algernon in a production in Zurich. But who was the other one? The original production of Travesties won the Evening Standard award for Best Comedy and the Tony award for Best Play. This first London revival in over 20 years will be directed by Patrick Marber and will star Tom Hollander.

The Miser at the Garrick Theatre – opens 1st March 2017 Actor, writer, presenter, comedian and two-time Olivier award-winner Griff Rhys Jones returns to the West End alongside BAFTA and British Comedy Award-winning comedian Lee Mack, who is making his West End debut in this hilarious new adaptation by Sean Foley and Phil Porter of Moliere’s classic comedy, The Miser opening at the Garrick Theatre from 1 March 2017.

Griff Rhys Jones has most recently been seen on stage as Fagin in Cameron Mackintosh’s Oliver, and previously in Feydeau’s An Absolute Turkey.

Lee Mack is best known for his television and stand-up work. He is team captain on popular BBC panel show Would I Lie To You and a regular host on Have I Got News For You, Nevermind the Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Stepping Out at the Vaudeville Theatre – opens 1st March 2017 Amanda Holden heads a phenomenal cast in this wonderfully funny and heart-warming comedy which charts the lives of seven women and one man attempting to tap their troubles away at a weekly dancing class. Initially all thumbs and left feet, the group is just getting to grip with the basics when they are asked to take part in a charity gala…

Over the course of several months we meet the group, and all of them have a story to tell, There’s haughty Vera, mouthy Maxine and uptight Andy; bubbly Sylvia and shy Dorothy; eager Lynne and cheerful Rose and, of course, Geoffrey. At the piano is the dour Mrs Fraser and spurring them all on, the ever-patient Mavis.

Directed by triple Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman, the stellar cast also includes Angela Griffin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tamzin Outhwaite and Nicola Stephenson.

An American in Paris at the Dominion Theatre – opens 4th March 2017 Acclaimed as “a perfect integration of dance, romance and classic Gershwin” (The New York Times), An American In Paris is the award-winning, thrillingly staged and astonishingly danced Broadway musical featuring some of the greatest music and lyrics ever written.

Jerry Mulligan is an American GI striving to make it as a painter in a city suddenly bursting with hope and possibility. Following a chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer named Lise, the streets of Paris become the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship and love in the aftermath of war.

Performed by a company of over 50 actors, dancers and musicians, and directed and choreographed by Olivier and Tony® Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon, this stunning re-imagining of the Oscar® winning film played a sold out, world premiere engagement at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris before transferring triumphantly to Broadway, where it became the most awarded musical of the year.

This “breathtakingly beautiful staging of the MGM musical” (The Independent), features many of George and Ira Gershwin’s most popular and timeless songs, including I Got Rhythm, ’S Wonderful and They Can’t Take That Away From Me, together with George Gershwin’s sublime compositions Concerto in F and An American in Paris.

42nd Street at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane – opens 20th March 2017 Broadway’s biggest show on the West End’s biggest stage 42nd STREET is the song and dance, American dream fable of Broadway. Young Peggy Sawyer is fresh off the bus from small-town America and just another face in the chorus line on Broadway’s newest show. But when the leading lady gets injured, Peggy might just have the shot at stardom she’s always dreamed of…

Broadway’s Biggest Show featuring the iconic songs 42nd Street, We’re In The Money, Lullaby of Broadway, Shuffle Off To Buffalo, Dames, I Only Have Eyes For You. 42nd STREET arrives on the West End’s biggest stage, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Spring 2017.

Grammy Award winner Sheena Easton joins an all singing, high-kicking cast as Dorothy Brock with Tom Lister as Julian Marsh and Clare Halse as Peggy Sawyer.

BU21 (Trafalgar Studios, 4th January – 18th February 2017) Following its award nominated, sell-out run at Theatre503, Stuart Slade’s BU21 follows six Londoners in the aftermath of a fictitious terrorist attack, based on real testimonies gathered from a variety of terrorist incidents including the 7/7 bombings, 9/11, the Paris attacks and the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack.

Compagnie XY’s It’s Not Yet Midnight… (Roundhouse, 10th – 23rd April 2017) French Compagnie XY, one of the leading contemporary circus companies in the world, will return to London for the UK premiere of their spectacular new show. With 20 acrobats onstage, this poetic and jaw-dropping spectacle embraces the fleeting, exhilarating moment of euphoria, the state of weightlessness and then the inevitable fall that is part of the daily life of an acrobat.

Dirty Great Love Story (Arts Theatre, 18th January – 18th March 2017) Fringe First Award-winning Dirty Great Love Story will make its anticipated West End debut at the Arts Theatre. This brilliant new production, written by Richard March and Katie Bonna, combines drama and poetry, rhythm and rhyme in this laugh-a-minute exploration of modern romance.

La Ronde (The Bunker, 11th February – 11th March 2017) Collaborative Artists will open Season Two at The Bunker with a bold reimagining of Arthur Schnitzler’s infamous classic La Ronde in a new adaption by Max Gill. La Ronde features a stellar cast, including Lauren Samuels, Alex Vlahos, Leemore Marret Jr and Amanda Wilkin, as it embraces life’s game of chance as fate decides the cast’s roles every night and throughout the play. With over three thousand different versions of the show, what will your story be?

What are YOU looking forward to seeing in 2017?

Book tickets for productions in London’s West End

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