Your statement, "I naturally regret all the ways in which I am ignorant." struck me. If I could revisit segments of my undergraduate studies, I would continue with my more curious inner self and dive deeper into the English I took for fun, in my spare time. I might not have recovered from a course containing Medieval literature. But then, my focus was [in the Muppet voice of Sam the Eagle] "business"! I was unfailingly practical, with my sights set on a "business" job, marriage, and hopeful middle-class upward mobility. Now, as I comfortably approach retirement years, I'm deep into the things I passed over: theology and Medieval English literature, loving the journey and delving deeper into my faith!
Thank you for sharing the "backstory." I plan on sharing it with my college freshman as I encourage them to find their passion and then seek ways to use it in the service of the world.
I love Trollope too - I began with The Warden, and am currently reading Barchester Towers. Also, to answer your question, I've always been drawn to the medieval era. I love the medieval and English folk carols for Christmas. Lately, in doing some research, I came across the middle english poem 'Maiden in the Mor' and was completely enchanted by it. I even wrote a little substack about it. The rhythm and cadence is so interesting and the sounds of the old words. It's something I'd like to study and understand better.
I love this. Isn't it wonderful how God pursues us??
He came for me in the realm of the arts, and turned my life upside down, lol. Never thought I'd become a teacher (visual art and British literature) yet here I be. 🙂 The English class I'm teaching right now is doing Anglo Saxon literature (my favorite) and it is still so wild to me that a culture we often blindly consider as pagan (due, no doubt to the Nordic influences), has some of the most rich and lavish faith in Jesus woven throughout the texts. Since becoming a Christian myself, I have grown to really appreciate these texts and art (which, like you, I discounted the "God bits" for years) because they truly capture something I think our modern culture has lost.
I fell hard for Old English when a professor of my freshman level British Literature class read a portion of Beowulf in the original language. I was absolutely captivated and, still am, 20 years later.
So much of this resonated with me, Grace. I majored in philosophy and theology at university because I'd fallen in love with Jesus at an early age and thought those studies would bring me closer to him ... but story and verse have fed my faith so much more.
I fell in love with Middle English when I took a literature class that focused primarily on Chaucer. Troilus & Criseyde thrilled me, and I loved it so much I wrote my senior thesis on it. I also loved the Pearl poet and Julian of Norwich. I loved reading your “backstory!”
Glad to see this testimony of yours written out, and written well!
After studying some late medieval texts along with Shakespeare in college, I later found trapdoors down into Dante's Divine Comedy through both Modernist writers (Beckett, Joyce, and Eliot) and Romantic musicians (Franz Liszt). For other swathes of medieval thought and literature, I followed the lead of the contemporary medievalist-novelist Eugene Vodolazkin (especially his novel "Laurus," which has me looking for other pilgrimage tales). Part of what I'm learning (and admiring) about these texts and their associated traditions is how many paths they bored into later periods, through poetry, fiction, theology, history, and philosophy.
Your statement, "I naturally regret all the ways in which I am ignorant." struck me. If I could revisit segments of my undergraduate studies, I would continue with my more curious inner self and dive deeper into the English I took for fun, in my spare time. I might not have recovered from a course containing Medieval literature. But then, my focus was [in the Muppet voice of Sam the Eagle] "business"! I was unfailingly practical, with my sights set on a "business" job, marriage, and hopeful middle-class upward mobility. Now, as I comfortably approach retirement years, I'm deep into the things I passed over: theology and Medieval English literature, loving the journey and delving deeper into my faith!
I love that, Howard! I’m so glad you have space in your life to dive deeper into all that beauty.
Thank you for sharing the "backstory." I plan on sharing it with my college freshman as I encourage them to find their passion and then seek ways to use it in the service of the world.
That’s lovely, Tom. I hope they find it helpful!
I love Trollope too - I began with The Warden, and am currently reading Barchester Towers. Also, to answer your question, I've always been drawn to the medieval era. I love the medieval and English folk carols for Christmas. Lately, in doing some research, I came across the middle english poem 'Maiden in the Mor' and was completely enchanted by it. I even wrote a little substack about it. The rhythm and cadence is so interesting and the sounds of the old words. It's something I'd like to study and understand better.
The folk carols are so wonderfully mysterious. Love that. Love Trollope!
I love this. Isn't it wonderful how God pursues us??
He came for me in the realm of the arts, and turned my life upside down, lol. Never thought I'd become a teacher (visual art and British literature) yet here I be. 🙂 The English class I'm teaching right now is doing Anglo Saxon literature (my favorite) and it is still so wild to me that a culture we often blindly consider as pagan (due, no doubt to the Nordic influences), has some of the most rich and lavish faith in Jesus woven throughout the texts. Since becoming a Christian myself, I have grown to really appreciate these texts and art (which, like you, I discounted the "God bits" for years) because they truly capture something I think our modern culture has lost.
Ah, yes! There is such a sense of a lost world in many of these texts--one of the many things that make them so pleasurable and evocative in reading!
I fell hard for Old English when a professor of my freshman level British Literature class read a portion of Beowulf in the original language. I was absolutely captivated and, still am, 20 years later.
I wish my Old English was stronger! It’s such a beautiful language.
So much of this resonated with me, Grace. I majored in philosophy and theology at university because I'd fallen in love with Jesus at an early age and thought those studies would bring me closer to him ... but story and verse have fed my faith so much more.
♥️♥️♥️
I fell in love with Middle English when I took a literature class that focused primarily on Chaucer. Troilus & Criseyde thrilled me, and I loved it so much I wrote my senior thesis on it. I also loved the Pearl poet and Julian of Norwich. I loved reading your “backstory!”
Troilus is my favorite work of Chaucer’s! It’s sooo good (& strange!).
Glad to see this testimony of yours written out, and written well!
After studying some late medieval texts along with Shakespeare in college, I later found trapdoors down into Dante's Divine Comedy through both Modernist writers (Beckett, Joyce, and Eliot) and Romantic musicians (Franz Liszt). For other swathes of medieval thought and literature, I followed the lead of the contemporary medievalist-novelist Eugene Vodolazkin (especially his novel "Laurus," which has me looking for other pilgrimage tales). Part of what I'm learning (and admiring) about these texts and their associated traditions is how many paths they bored into later periods, through poetry, fiction, theology, history, and philosophy.
Laurus is excellent. And I love the long list of entryways into Dante… he’s everywhere!