T.S. Eliot - T.S. Eliot - posted 2 months ago

Yesterday was Thomas Stearns Eliot's birthday!

You can read Eliot's poetry through DailyLit and look for "The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock" to mark off the years. Eliot wrote it at the ripe age of 29.

Classics - Letitia Elizabeth Landon - posted 2 months ago

A long time ago I requested that the poetry of L.E.L. be added to the site, and while I hate to ask again, I would still love to see her work here. I would sign up immediately to read her stuff.

There seem to be more employees working on the site now, so maybe I will get lucky?!

Poems Every Child Should Know - A hit with parents and children alike! - posted last year

I am reading and enjoying this right now. Some notable poets and memorable poems are offered in this anthology.

I do wonder if many of these poems are of the lesser known variety because I have read many of the authors for years and have never found these treasures before.

Tao Te Ching - Ignorance masked as englightenment - posted last year

After rereading portions of the Tao-Te-Ching I feel that overall there is a promotion of detachment and simplicity. You used an example from The Pearl, so I will go with that.

In The Pearl, in my opinion, Steinbeck was pointing out the problems that come with progress, namely that material gain brings greed and corruption. In the Tao, I feel that Lao-Tzu is in many ways offering guidance to avoid such problems. The teachings support cutting the tethers that tie us to this world, to not even dwell too much on the material world in our contemplation, to be as flexible and calm as the Taoist vinegar taster who smiles at whatever flavor life brings to his mouth.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Would all of our portraits end like Dorian's? - posted last year

I remember Dorian really enjoying witnessing the picture as it became more grotesque. I think it takes a certain type of person to relish in self decay as well as sadism. Perhaps, Dorian was weak and that allowed him to be lured into evil. I think you are right that not everyone would have the same temptation, but perhaps we would all go “astray” in our own special way… I dare say many of us probably would.

Tao Te Ching - Ignorance masked as englightenment - posted last year

It has been a while since I read the Tao, but I found that it seemed (to me anyway) to encourage detachment more than to promote ignorance.