Category Archives: Mack, Maynard
Two Williams
In separate discussions, scholars speak of William Shakespeare and William Blake. First, Maynard Mack reflects on the influence of Shakespeare on the English language, saying that the wide vocabulary he used drew upon many idioms, and that he wrote about everyday people. … Continue reading
Posted in Episodes, Mack, Maynard, Ward, Aileen
Tagged Humanities, Shakespeare, William Blake, William Shakespeare
Comments Off on Two Williams
Proper Study: The Life of Alexander Pope
Literary biographer Maynard Mack characterizes Alexander Pope’s writings as “inspired sanity”–clear, compassionate, and witty. Yet the name of Alexander Pope (1688-1744), English poet and essayist, is not a household word for most Americans today. Who was Alexander Pope? Why is his writing … Continue reading
Posted in Episodes, Mack, Maynard
Tagged Alexander Pope, Literary biography, Poetry
Comments Off on Proper Study: The Life of Alexander Pope
The Play’s the Thing: Shakespeare Then and Now
April, 1985, marks the anniversaries–dating back to the years 1564 and 1616–of the birth and death of William Shakespeare, the Western world’s most popular poet and playwright. What account’s for Shakespeare’s popularity? Why is Shakespeare a cultural reference point? Lynda … Continue reading
Posted in Boose, Lynda E., de Grazia, Margreta, Episodes, Mack, Maynard
Tagged Shakespeare, William Shakespeare
Comments Off on The Play’s the Thing: Shakespeare Then and Now