In the grand tapestry of American literature, the threads of the famous are often woven with the brightest gold, their names—Whitman, Dickinson, Poe—echoing through the ages. But the strength and beauty of the cloth also depend on the countless subtle, sturdy threads that provide its foundation, its texture, and its often overlooked complexity. Phoebe Cary was one such thread. A poet of sharp wit, profound empathy, a…
“It seems to me that a cord stretches from Alice’s heart to mine; nothing can hurt her that does not hurt me.”
Neighbourhood:
American Poets, Hymn Writers, Victorian Poets, Women Poets
Emotional landscape: Sorrow, Longing, Tenderness
Ivan Andreyevich Krylov, born on 13 February 1769 and dead on 21 November 1844, occupies a singular place in Russian literature: he is at once a classic author taught to children, a master satirist quoted by politicians and journalists, and a poet whose compact animal tales preserve an unusually sharp view of human weakness. To call him merely “the Russian Aesop,” as generations of readers have done, is useful but in…
“I am like a sailor who has escaped disaster only because he has never ventured far out to sea.”
Neighbourhood:
Children's Verse, Folk & Ballad Poets, Light Verse Poets, Social Justice Poets
Emotional landscape: Sorrow, Irony, Longing
