The Writer's Thesaurus
By Dr Oliver Tearle
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is one of the most influential writers of the nineteenth century. He had a hand in the development of the detective story and science fiction, both genres which were in their infancy during his lifetime. And he also, of course, made an indelible mark on Gothic horror literature, as well as pioneering the new form of the short story. Continue reading “19 of the Most Curious and Interesting Facts about Edgar Allan Poe”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
‘They flash upon that inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude’: this quotation is from one of the most famous poems of the Romantic movement. The lines appear in the final stanza of ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’, an 1807 poem by Wordsworth. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of Wordsworth’s ‘They Flash Upon That Inward Eye’”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
What connects the word ‘female’ with ‘male’, etymologically speaking? How did these corresponding terms come about? The origins of the word ‘female’ are worthy of further inspection, because, as ever on this blog, there are some surprising facts to uncover in the etymology and history of ‘female’. Continue reading “The Curious Origin of the Word ‘Female’”