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Harvard Classics - Reading Guide - NovemberNov 1: Shakespeare's THE TEMPESTLast Strokes of Shakespeare's Pen Monsters of the earth, weird creatures of the air, magic romance, and shipwreck are mingled by a master hand in his thrilling drama. The fanciful, enchanting "Tempest" is the last work of the great bard of Stratford. Read from Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST ........... Vol. 46, pp. 397-410 Nov 2: Dante's DIVINE COMEDYJourney Through a Hot Country Dante recorded the awful scenes of a journey through the pits of the underworld, and wrote in such a vivid, realistic way that men tremble at the terrors depicted. Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY ............. Vol. 20, pp. 13-20 Nov 3: Pliny's LETTERSLetters to an Emperor Pliny sought the advice of the Emperor Trajan for dealing with the Christians who were alarmingly on the increase. He casually relates how he had tortured two Christians. Read from Pliny's LETTERS .................... Vol. 9, pp. 404-406 Nov 4: Corneille's POLYEUCTEGold or Glory? Polyeucte, an Armenian noble, wanted to become a Christian. If he were baptized, he would have to give up his high position, his wealth and his pagan wife. Was the heavenly crown worth this sacrifice? Read from Corneille's POLYEUCTE ............. Vol. 26, pp. 87-97 Nov 5: Roper's LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORECostly Opinion on Divorce A divorce always means trouble for some one. So with Sir Thomas More when he refused to agree with King Henry over the king's separation. More was made to pay one of the highest prices ever paid for a difference of opinion. Read from Roper's LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE ........ Vol. 36, pp. 89-99 Nov 6: Faraday's FORCE OF GRAVITATIONA Genius Needs Few Tools Two sticks, a table, and a pail were the commonplace implements used by Michael Faraday to demonstrate great scientific truths. Read: Faraday's FORCE OF GRAVITATION .......... Vol. 30, pp. 13-21 Nov 7: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTSThe Voice from a Stone-Dead City Suddenly all the sinful city's inhabitants were turned to stone. When a beautiful woman from Bagdad came to the dead city, night overtook her there. Sleeping in the palace, she was awakened by a man's voice calling. Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ........ Vol. 16, pp. 100-107 Nov 8: Milton's PARADISE REGAINEDBlind But Unconquered Milton's indomitable courage kept him at his work even after he lost his sight. Blind, he dictated a sequel to his "Paradise Lost," which he called "Paradise Regained." Read from Milton's PARADISE REGAINED ........ Vol. 4, pp. 359-369 Nov 9: THE PSALMSOnce War Songs, Now Pious Prayers The Psalms have been an inspiration to men in many ages. They have become so associated with the peaceful spirit of Christianity that we forget some of them were once war songs and songs of triumph. Read from THE PSALMS .......................... Vol. 44, pp. 318-327 Nov 10: Goldsmith's THE DESERTED VILLAGEA Poet Who Piped for His Supper Goldsmith traveled through Belgium, France, and Italy, winning his daily bread by playing at farmhouses. He wrote the most brilliant comedy, the best novel, and the finest poem of his age. Read: Goldsmith's THE DESERTED VILLACE ......... Vol. 41, pp. 509-520 Nov 11: WHITMAN'S POEMSAmerica's Doughboy Glorified The youth of America—typified in the doughboy of the past war—was gloriously portrayed by Walt Whitman. He also sang of the vast plains and the beauty of America. Read: WHITMAN'S POEMS ................. Vol. 42, pp. 1402-1412 Nov 12: Milton's PARADISE LOSTStory of the First Dresses Milton's version tells how the Serpent induced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve offered it to Adam. Then they became conscious for the first time that they were not clothed. Read from Milton's PARADISE LOST ............ Vol. 4, pp. 278-290 Nov 13: CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINEWhen Carthage Was Monte Carlo Carthage was the playground of the ancient world. In that city of many sins, Augustine was a leader of the revels. His conversion to Christianity amazed those who knew him. Read from the CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE ...... Vol. 7, pp. 31-38 Nov 14: Lyell's UNIFORMITY OF CHANGEHe Worried About It We wonder if the man who worried about the "scientifical" prediction that "The sun's heat will give out in ten million years more," had read Lyell on the gradual changes in the earth's surface. Read: Lyell's UNIFORMITY OF CHANGE ............... Vol. 38, pp. 398-405 Nov 15: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSIFood Profiteers 300 Years Ago Food profiteering was as active in plague-stricken Milan 300 years ago as in modern times. Shops were stormed for food. Read how the Council strove heroically to fix fair rates. Read from Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI ............. Vol. 21, pp. 450-460 Nov 16: TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MASTJust Before the Gold Rush When the glorious Western coast was only partly settled, Dana visited the Presidios. He saw frontier life at a time when Spanish splendor still gilded California. Read from Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST .......... Vol. 23, pp. 164-168 Nov 17: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTTAt Thirty Scott Began to Write Are you curious about famous people, their lives, habits, personalities? Carlyle discusses the intimate life of his illustrious countryman, and reveals Scott, the man, and Scott, the genius who entertained Christendom with his stories. Read: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT ..................... Vol. 25, pp. 410-420 Nov 18: Schiller's WILHELM TELLApple or Son the Arrow's Mark The arrow shot from his bow with a twang and whizzed through the air. Tell covered his eyes, fearing to see where the arrow hit. Then the shout of triumph, a shout of the people and not of the tyrant—but the end was not yet. Read from Schiller's WILHELM TELL ................. Vol. 26, pp. 441-449 Nov 19: Tennyson's MORTE D'ARTHURNo Man Knows His Resting Place A barge with black sails bearing three black robed queens with crowns of gold carried away the dying King Arthur. Will they bring him back and fulfill Merlin's prophecy? Read: Tennyson's MORTE D'ARTHUR ............ Vol. 42, pp. 986-992 Nov 20: GRIMM'S FAIRY TALESOld Stories Ever New When the cold winds howled about the thatched huts of the German peasant, the mother drew her children to her side and told them stories. Collected and retold by the Grimm brothers, these stories have perennial charm. Read from GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES ................. Vol. 17, pp. 90-98 Nov 21: Voltaire's LETTERSBargains in Wives The beautiful daughters of the Circassians were in demand for the seraglios of the Turkish Sultan. Voltaire tells how these beauties were protected from smallpox centuries before modern vaccination. Read from Voltaire's LETTERS .................... Vol. 34, pp. 93-97 Nov 22: Virgil's AENEIDHow a Queen Died for Love Deserted by her lover, Queen Dido applied to her heart the only balm that could ease her pain. Read from Virgil's AENEID .......................... Vol. 13, pp. 167-177 Nov 23: PASCAL'S THOUGHTSLess Than Star Dust According to Pascal, a man is not even as significant as a speck of star dust in the universe. Pascal's thoughts on the subject are startling to the modern reader, and they furnish rich food for the imagination. Read from PASCAL'S THOUGHTS .................... Vol. 48, pp. 26-36 Nov 24: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIESThe Book that Upset Tennessee The signal for the beginning of a great controversy, still raging, was the publication of Darwin's "Origin of Species." This was the first complete statement of the evolution theory, which had been privately advanced but never publicly taught. A new epoch in science dates from this great work. Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES ............. Vol. 11, pp. 23-30 Nov 25: Dekker's THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAYCupid as a Shoemaker We are indebted to Thomas Dekker for one of the most humorous characters in all Elizabethan literature; namely, Simon Eyre, an old shoemaker whose affairs became hilariously involved with those of the gentry. Read from Dekker's THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY ......... Vol. 47, pp. 469-483 Nov 26: Lamb ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEAREShakespeare Should Be Heard Charles Lamb, favorite essayist, thought that no stage could do justice to Shakespeare's tragedies. He advocated reading the plays, and with the imagination costuming the players and building the gorgeous scenery in a way equaled by no scene painter or costumer. Read: Lamb ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE .............. Vol. 27, pp. 299-310 Nov 27: Sir Thomas More's UTOPIAWhat Land is This? In wondrous Utopia pearls and precious stones were used as playthings for little children. Gold rings and bracelets were only worn by outcasts, while great golden chains shackled criminals and felons. When ambassadors from foreign lands came in fine raiment, the Utopians treated the plainest dressed as the greatest; the others seemed to them like children. Read from Sir Thomas More's UTOPIA ............... Vol. 36, pp. 191-204 Nov 28: BLAKE'S POEMSPoems Made from Visions "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower—" Such was the exaltation of the mysticism of William Blake, who reflected in his poetry the ecstasy of his visions. Simplicity is the keynote of his genius. Read: BLAKE'S POEMS .......................... Vol. 41, pp. 583-592 Nov 29: Hume's OF THE ORIGIN OF IDEASHow Ideas Originate Did you ever stop to think just how you thought? What inner emotions, what outer influences make up the fathomless depths of mind and intellect? Hume explains how we draw our thoughts, then clumsily put them into tangible shape called ideas. Read: Hume's OF THE ORIGIN OF IDEAS ............... Vol. 37, pp. 299-303 Nov 30: Swift's ESSAY ON CONVERSATION"Don'ts" for Conversation To harp on one's illnesses, giving all the symptoms and circumstances, has been a blemish on conversation for ages. Two hundred years ago Swift complained of persons who continually talked about themselves. Read: Swift's ESSAY ON CONVERSATION .............. Vol. 27, pp. 91-98 |