Author Archives: Regina Gagnon

The word “pregnant,” of Latin and French origins, conventionally means to have a “bun in the oven,” to be “expecting.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this seemingly mono-defined and biologically-centered word can entail something completely different; “Destined to produce … Continue reading →

Liquidity: The Inferno, the Odyssey, and the poetry of Wang Wei all incorporate liquidity as a strong symbol. Whether it’s a river of boiling blood, a vicious sea, or a soft mist, each author’s inclusion of fluids enhances or furthers … Continue reading →

When Virgil and Dante reach the Third Circle of Hell, after Dante has regained consciousness, they encounter a three-headed beast/dog named Cerberus, the “guard” of the realm. This dog-beast is used as a symbol for which sin the Third Circle … Continue reading →

“He spent the rest of the time with his family, and when the year came to an end, save for the time needed for the journey, he performed his ablutions, performed his prayers, and, carrying his burial shroud, began to … Continue reading →

Re: Stacks – Bon Iver “This my excavation and today is Qumran Everything that happens is from now on This is pouring rain This is paralyzed I keep throwing it down, two hundred at a time It’s hard to find … Continue reading →

When the chorus comes in at line 365, they’re exemplifying the greatness of man in relation to the earth, and subsequently contrasting those achievements with the inevitability of death. They start out by listing the physical obstacles man has overcome; … Continue reading →

  The Odyssey is filled with a plethora of men, some admirable and some not, who have to fulfill goals; for their countries, for their families, and/or for themselves. Odysseus’s journey from the island of Ogygia back to his home … Continue reading →

Topic: Women   Thesis: All women that Odysseus’ confronts on his journey home pose an inevitable threat, either through seduction, wit, beauty, or sheer strength, to men on missions. Although these women aren’t always the focus of the plot, and … Continue reading →

439: Book X, Lines 53-60   “The winds rushed out and bore them far out to sea, weeping As their native land faded on the horizon. When I woke up and saw what had happened I thought long and hard … Continue reading →

Page 396: Book V, Lines 480 to 502 Homer uses diction to create imagery that casts a sense of serenity to the reader. This passage stands in contrast to the rest of the book in the sense that it depicts a … Continue reading →