I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, The carpenter singing his...
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Hushed be the Camps Today by Walt Whitman
Hush’d Be the Camps To-Day by Walt Whitman (May 4, 1865) Hush’d be the camps to-day, And soldiers let us drape our war-worn weapons, And each with musing soul retire to celebrate, Our dear...
O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! (For the death of Lincoln.) by Walt Whitman O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done! The ship has weathered every wrack, the prize we sought is won. The...
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed by Walt Whitman
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d by Walt Whitman PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S FUNERAL HYMN. 1. When lilacs last in the door-yard bloomed, And the...
Huckleberry Finn Movie Trailers
Here are a few movie trailers to help you decide which version of Huckleberry Finn to see. I have not viewed all of these in their entirety, so I recommend reading reviews to help...
The Adventures of Mark Twain
You may watch the trailer below for the 1944 film, The Adventures of Mark Twain, which you may want to watch in its entirety. I have not yet watched the entire animated film, The...
Poetry by Mark Twain
Mark Twain Poetry Although Mark Twain was best known for being a satirist and a humorously creative author, he also wrote a few poems. We have referenced these six in our curriculum, including in...
A Curious Pleasure Excursion by Mark Twain
“A Curious Pleasure Excursion” by Mark Twain was published at the time of the “Comet Scare” in the summer of 1847. A New York Times article on the subject reassures readers that there is...
Poetry by Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman Poetry Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works....
Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson
Because I could not stop for Death Emily Dickinson Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, he knew...
Hope by Emily Dickinson
Hope Emily Dickinson Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune–without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And...
Poetry by Emily Dickinson
Poems by Emily Dickinson Here is an index to the pages for the Emily Dickinson poems referenced in American Literature (EIL3), plus a few additional favorites. “The Soul selects her own Society” “There is...
The soul selects her own society by Emily Dickinson
The soul selects her own society Emily Dickinson The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more. Unmoved, she notes the chariot’s pausing At her low...
1940 Movie: The House of the Seven Gables by Hawthorne
The House of the Seven Gables is a 1940 drama, loosely based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel of the same name. Although it differs from Hawthorne’s story, it is nonetheless evocative of the era. Here is the trailer...
“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, Read by Christopher Walken
“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is evocative enough when read aloud, but Christopher Walken’s flawless recitation, accompanied by appropriate sound effects and beautifully engraved illustrations from the art of Paul Gustave Doré, makes it unforgettable....
Biographical Approach Paper Format
What goes into a biographical approach paper? Like other approach papers, this is a tool for initial analysis of a subject. As you think through each element of the paper, you’ll gain a deeper...
Sir Agravaine by P G Wodehouse
Sir Agravaine by P G Wodehouse A Tale of King Arthur’s Round Table Some time ago, when spending a delightful week-end at the ancestral castle of my dear old friend, the Duke of Weatherstonhope...
How to Write a Popular Play by G. Bernard Shaw
How to Write a Popular Play by George Bernard Shaw This essay was originally published by George Bernard Shaw in his Preface to Three Plays by Brieux (New York: Brentano’s, 1911), pp. xxii-xxvii [which...
Victorian and Modern Comparison by Melba Cuddy-Keane
Comparison of Victorian and Modern Novel Characteristics by Dr. Melba Cuddy-Keane An exercise in relational definition: Early comparisons between the Victorian novel and the modernist novel set up the following binaries: (Also compare the later...
Introduction to American Romanticism by Ann Woodlief
American Romanticism (or the American Renaissance) An Introduction by Dr. Ann Woodlief For many years, this period and these writers were known as the American Renaissance, a coin termed by F.O. Matthiessen in his...
Some Preliminary Observations on Classical Greek Literature by Ian Johnston
Some Preliminary Observations on Classical Greek Literature by Ian Johnston [A few changes and additions made for posting on this Excellence in Literature webpage are noted in italics in brackets. References to notes by...
Teach Language Arts the Easy, Natural Way (Video)
Here’s a workshop on teaching K-12 language arts from the 2012 MidSouth Homeschool Convention. The program description read, “Communication skills are essential for every area of life, but it’s easy to get lost in the wilderness...
Pygmalion and Galatea by Thomas Bulfinch
Legend of Pygmalion and Galatea as told by Thomas Bulfinch [This version of the text comes from Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable, by Thomas Bulfinch, revised by Rev. E. E. Hale.] Pygmalion saw...
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning [This poem comes from Browning’s Shorter Poems, edited by Franklin Baker, published in 1917 and now in the public domain. Mr. Baker’s introductory and line notes are included...
Caliban upon Setebos by Robert Browning
CALIBAN UPON SETEBOS OR, NATURAL THEOLOGY IN THE ISLAND by Robert Browning from Browning’s Shorter Poems: Selected and Edited by Franklin Baker, Professor of English in Teachers College, Columbia University. Fourth edition, The Macmillan...
Virgil Biography
The Life of Vergil by Suetonius This public domain text of The Life of Virgil by C. Suetonius Tranquillus was originally published in the Loeb Classical Library in 1914. References to notes in the Loeb...
Lepanto by G K Chesterton
LEPANTO by G. K. Chesterton White founts falling in the Courts of the sun, And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling as they run; There is laughter like the fountains in that face of...
Father Vaillant: A Description
In the classic tradition, appearance was used to signify character. A hero or heroine was not only virtuous, but also handsome or beautiful, but a villain tended to be shifty-eyed, sneering, scowling, or otherwise less attractive. Why do you think Cather described Father Vaillant as she did?
Dr. Randy Laist: Analysis of Welty’s A Worn Path
While we at EIL always encourage readers to perform their own analysis and develop their own ideas regarding our focus texts, we also believe that it can be helpful to learn from both the...
Dramatization of Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path
Eudora Welty’s short story, A Worn Path, is wonderful in text form, but sometimes it’s interesting to experience such stories in other mediums. This dramatization may help you to visualize what happens. Of course,...
