The Ballad of Reading Gaol
The Ballad of Reading Gaol (gaol is the British spelling of jail) narrates the story of an execution that occurred while Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in the late 1890s. It does not attempt to...
Category: E2-Resources
Resources for Literature and Composition: English 2.
Robert Burns Poetry
Robert Burns (1759 – 1796), a Scottish poet and lyricist is not only the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, but he has long been considered the national...
Sir Walter Scott Poetry
Much of Sir Walter Scott’s poetry reflects the stories and themes of courage, justice, and romance found in his novels. Here are three of his shorter poems, “Lochinvar,” “Breathes There the Man,” and “Old...
Slavery in Massachusetts by Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was a passionate abolitionist, and in this heartfelt speech he encourages his state to “dissolve her union with the slaveholder . . . and each inhabitant of the State dissolve his union...
On the Art of Fiction by Willa Cather
In her 1908 work, A Collection of Stories, Reviews and Essays, author Willa Cather (1873 – 1947) offers young writers some sage advice. On the Art of Fiction One is sometimes asked about the “obstacles”...
Alexandre Dumas biography
Alexandre Dumas, also known as Alexandre Dumas père, was a French author and playwright, best known for his historical adventure fiction. As one of France’s most widely read authors, his works have been translated into dozens...
A Poison Tree by William Blake
“A Poison Tree,” which explores the dangers of anger and revenge, was first published in Blake’s Songs of Experience in 1794. It has been set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams in his Ten Blake...
Daniel Defoe Biography
Learn more about the life, character, and career of the 17th-century British author of Robinson Crusoe and other works in this Daniel Defoe biography.
Shakespeare Resources
Why do William Shakespeare’s plays still touch us today? This Renaissance playwright, poet, and actor had a unique way with words and a timeless grasp of human nature. His works are considered to be...
Joseph Conrad Biography
This Joseph Conrad biography comes from the Yale Modernism Lab, where you’ll find a wealth of resources about modernist writers in the years 1914-1926. You can view their original works and find out how...
