Tag Archives: Poetry

“But then begins a journey in my head”: Shakespeare’s Haunting Poetry of Sleeplessness

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Following a day of rest after weeks of weary toil, I did not hasten to my bed last evening. I had succeeded in finding repose over the weekend–a discovery that had been dear these last few weeks. Nighttime sleeplessness of … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Reflections | Tagged Henry IV, insomnia, Macbeth, Patrick Stewart, Poetry, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Sonnet 27, Shakespeare Sonnet 28 | 2 Comments

My Foolish Wisdom about Don Quixote, Urban Tuxedo Cat, and Edith Grossman’s Excellent Translation, with a Note from Harold Bloom Beyond the Grave

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

I have finally completed Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’ The Ingenious Gentleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha. It is my first time completing this classic of Western literature, except for all of those other times I’ve read it. As I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Reflections, Reviews | Tagged cat poetry, Cervantes, Don Quixote, Edith Grossman, Harold Bloom, Poetry, The Western Canon | 11 Comments

A Note on “Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables” by Julie A. Sellers

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables by Julie A. Sellers My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is more than just a chapbook of verse–as happy as I am that Blue Cedar Press is committed to publishing … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, Reviews, The MaudCast | Tagged Anne of Green Gables, Julie A. Sellers, L.M. Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Poetry, Prince Edward Island, The MaudCast | 3 Comments

Splendour in the Dark: C. S. Lewis’s Dymer in His Life and Work by Jerry Root (Hansen Lecture)

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

Splendour in the Dark: C. S. Lewis’s Dymer in His Life and Work by Jerry Root My rating: 4 of 5 stars I keep finding myself drawn to C.S. Lewis’ strange and challenging long narrative poem, Dymer. Written in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged A.N. Wilson, All My Road Before Me, C.S. Lewis, david downing, Dymer, Jerry Root, Monika Hilder, Poetry, Splendour in the Dark | 13 Comments

“The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery” and the Critical Virtue and Vice of Editors

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

One of the earlier biographers of C.S. Lewis, Chad Walsh once said that although Lewis was not a poet of greatness, he was (and remains) an interesting poet. This observation is relevant for many of the early-to-mid-20th century authors I … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery | Tagged Benjamin Lefebvre, C.S. Lewis, Canadian literature, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, literature, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Poetry, T.S. Eliot, The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Waste Land, The Watchman and Other Poems | 24 Comments

A Very Merry MaudCast, and Fireside Poetry for Winter Solstice

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I must admit that this calendar year, 2020, is one upon which I will be pleased to turn the calendar. Among many of the terrible, terrible events of 2020–events that sound more like the Apocalypse or a Creedance Clearwater Revival … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, News & Links, Reflections, The MaudCast | Tagged Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Windy Poplars, L.M. Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery, O. Henry, Poetry, Signum University, The Gift of the Magi, The MaudCast | 7 Comments

Bethlehem as the Hingepoint of History: C.S. Lewis’ Christmas Revolution Poem

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

It is difficult to see this poem in the Christmases that most of us are subjected to. I think that’s why C.S. Lewis became a bit of a Christmas curmudgeon in his latter days. But in the midst of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Christmas, cruciformity, Jerry Root, Poetry, spiritual theology, the cross, The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis, The Turn of the Tide | 4 Comments

L.M. Montgomery’s The Watchman and Other Poems, a Review

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

The Watchman and Other Poems by L.M. Montgomery My rating: 3 of 5 stars I once heard a speech by Chad Walsh where he described C.S. Lewis as not a “great poet” but an “interesting poet.” I think this description … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, Reviews | Tagged Anne's House of Dreams, C.S. Lewis, Chad Walsh, L.M. Montgomery, Poetry, The Watchman and Other Poems | 9 Comments

Can Cod-liver Oil Cure Us of Poetry? A Thought on the Uselessness of Poets in Today’s Economy from L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valley

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

It was probably unfair that I had this much fun in a government meeting, but it is even more unfair that the fun came at another’s expense. It is no secret that North American state, provincial, and federal governments view … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged academics, economics, fantasy literature, L.M. Montgomery, Milton, Poetry, Prince Edward Island, Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside, Ronald Reagan, Shakespeare, speculative fiction, University, utilitarianism | 13 Comments

“The Rood of Time,” a Poem by Sørina Higgins

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

For the last couple of years, I have been reading women Christian poets. As my devotional poetry has been so soaked in the work of John Donne and George Herbert, some of this is my curiosity about how women approach … Continue reading →