Beowulf: An Ancient English Heroic Poem
Beowulf
Unveiling Evil: Terror, Abuse, and Violence in the City
The Plot
The plot of the novel: Several interconnected storylines weave together a complex narrative. It begins as a detective story, but the complexity grows with the involvement of terrorism, persecution, and the alienation of the inspector’s wife. Two types of violence are reflected in the novel: sexual and political. The rekindling of a past love affair, temporarily lost, adds another layer. The intrigue behind an attack remains open, and the ending reinforces an action-driven narrative, designed
Read MorePoetic Language of Miguel Hernández: Symbols and Rhetorical Figures
The Poetic Language of Miguel Hernández: Symbols and Rhetorical Figures
His poetic world is created by an evolving conception of the poem and its theme. There are two key sources in the symbolism of Miguel Hernández. Both come from nature.
The images and symbols vary in intensity and meaning, although sometimes using the same lexical items.
First Stage: The Moon
In the first stage, the moon is a central motif in his poems. The moon has a process of meaning: from real nature (“the moon is beginning
Read MoreAgost Translation Strategies: Cultural Adaptation
Agost Strategies in Translation
According to Rosa Agost, cultural references are implied within a certain society or culture.
Agost proposes the following classification of translation strategies:
Cultural Adaptation
This strategy consists of substituting the cultural reference from the original culture for another well-known equivalent in the target culture. With this translation strategy, Agost refers to a complete substitution of the cultural reference. It happens when the translator decides that
Read MoreUnderstanding Romanticism: A Deep Dive
Irrationalism
Romanticism denies that reason can fully explain reality. Hence, the romantic inclination towards the supernatural, magic, and mystery. For romantics, the world is a hidden mystery where reason is incapable of reaching.
Subjectivism
Since reason has its limits, we need other forms of knowledge, like intuition, imagination, and flair. This focus emphasizes emotions, dreams, and fantasies, discovering hidden corners of the human spirit. Feelings are enhanced because the passion of Romanticism
Read MoreRomeo and Juliet: Love Story and Historical Context
Social and Historical Context
The play was written in the mid-1590s, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. At that time, the sonnet craze was at its peak. Both poets and amateurs were swept off their feet by the sheer power of Petrarch’s love sonnets and tried to follow in his footsteps. Shakespeare masterfully parodies this craze, not only in this play but in many of his works. At the beginning of the play, we see Romeo entranced by the bad love poetry that he reads—in love with the concept of
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