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Harvard Classics - Reading Guide - AprilApr 1: BROWNING'S POEMS"Oh! to Be in England Now That April's There" Everyone knows the pangs of homesickness in the spring. Even bright, sparkling Italy could not wean Browning's affection from the green hedgerows of misty England. Read: BROWNING'S POEMS ................. Vol. 42, pp. 1068-1074 Apr 2: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLEA Spoon Dances in the Moonlight A huge spoon dressed in human finery, placed on a grave, appears to become convulsed when the moon's rays fall on it and dances to the tune of chanting natives. Weird sights, according to Darwin, abound in the South Seas. Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ..... Vol. 29, pp. 462-471 Apr 3: Walton's LIFE OF GEORGE HERBERTRomance with a Happy Ending "As a conqueror enters a surprised city; love made such resolutions as neither party was able to resist. She changed her name into Herbert the third day after this first interview." Read from Walton's LIFE OF GEORGE HERBERT ........ Vol. 15, pp. 392-404 Apr 4: SHE STOOPS TO CONQUERThe Mistakes of a Night Genial and rollicking fun are provided in this highly entertaining story of a man who mistakes a private house for an inn, and who treats his host's daughter like a serving maid. Read from SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER ........ Vol. 18, pp. 205-215 Apr 5: Hobbes' LEVIATHANYou and Your Dreams Dreams and their causes interested Hobbes. Without superstition, the philosopher weighed the evidence of ghosts, goblins, and witches. Read from Hobbes' LEVIATHAN ................ Vol. 34, pp. 313-322 Apr 6: MARCUS AURELIUS' MEDITATIONSWho Is Bad? Badness has many interpretations, a different definition has been the dictate of each new generation. The solution of the eternal riddle was earnesdy sought by Marcus Aurelius. Read: MARCUS AURELIUS' MEDITATIONS ........ Vol. 2, pp. 243-253 Apr 7: WORDSWORTH'S POEMSNature Guided His Pen Wordsworth was so closely in touch with Nature that the simple beauty of flowers, woods, and fields is reflected in his poems as if Nature herself took up the pen and wrote. Read: WORDSWORTH'S POEMS ................ Vol. 41, pp. 639-651 Apr 8: Aeschylus' THE LIBATION BEARERSBeware the Vengeful Hounds! Orestes, holding an avenging sword over his mother, is told: "Beware thy mother's vengeful hounds." How he pays for disregarding his mother's warning is told in this drama where a mother is slain to avenge a father's ghost. Read from Aeschylus' THE LIBATION BEARERS ....... Vol. 8, pp.111-121 Apr 9: Bacon's NEW ATLANTISA Perfect Land in a Wilderness of Waters West of Peru there was reported to be a land where Truth and Science were used to promote the happiness and freedom of man. Here is Bacon's description of this ideal commonwealth. Read from Bacon's NEW ATLANTIS ............... Vol. 3, pp. 145-155 Apr 10: First Charter of VirginiaAmericans—by Will of the King Before English adventurers could attempt settlement in America it was necessary first to get permission from the King . The charter of King James to the oldest American colony is an extremely important historical document. Read: FIRST CHARTER OF VIRGINIA ................. Vol. 43, pp. 49-58 Apr 11: Goethe's FAUSTDanger in Being Young and Fair The virgin beauty of Margaret enchanted Faust, who dazzled her with the brilliance of many gems. Margaret innocently took his gifts, believing that beauty should not "blush unseen"—but unmindful of consequences to follow. Read from Goethe's FAUST ................... Vol. 19, pp. 115-131 Apr 12: Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUESThe Perfect Argument You would doubdess like to know how to hold your own in any argument. Read what Leslie Stephen declares the finest specimen in our language of the conduct of argument. Read from Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES ...... Vol. 37, pp. 230-240 Apr 13: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHYMichelangelo His Boon Companion Kings, emperors, the greatest artists and sculptors of the Renaissance at its most magnificent period, walk through the pages of his autobiography—not as cold, austere, historical character, but as the intimate friends of Cellini. Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ............... Vol. 31, pp. 23-35 Apr 14: Biggs' DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADAA Raid on Spanish Treasure in America Spanish towns in the New World were rich in treasure and tempting booty for English soldiers of fortune, who were venturesome and merciless. "Ho! for the Spanish Main!" was the rallying cry for all freebooters and buccaneers. Read from Biggs' DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADA ....... Vol. 33, pp. 229-242 Apr 15: WHITMAN'S POEMSO Captain! My Captain! The rugged, genuine Lincoln was idealized by Walt Whitman— the founder of the new school of American poetry. Two of Whitman's finest poems were inspired by Lincoln. Read: WHITMAN'S POEMS ............... Vol. 42, pp. 1412-1420 Apr 16: Dante's DIVINE COMEDYInside the Gates of Hell The city of Dis, within the gates of Hell, was guarded by monsters and surrounded by a moat filled with the tormented. Dante, protected by Virgil, entered the forbidden city, and viewed sights never before seen by living man. Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY ............... Vol. 20, pp. 32-39 Apr 17: FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHYBenjamin Franklin—Book Salesman In 1731 there were not many books in America. Franklin saw the need for more books and by house-to-house canvassing persuaded Philadelphians to aid him in founding a public library which to-day stands as a lasting memorial to Franklin. Read from FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY .............. Vol. 1, pp. 66-77 Apr 18: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTEReady for Adventures and Conquests Reading too many romances of knights and valorous deeds caused a poor Spanish gentleman to polish up his great-grandfather's armor, rechristen his old nag, and sally forth. "Don Quixote," besides holding a secure niche in literature as the work that quashed the romantic school of knight-errantry, is at the same time one of the most widely-read stories in the world. Read from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE ........... Vol. 14, pp. 17-28 Apr 19: Emerson's CONCORD HYMNBattle of Concord Dr. Eliot says of the opening stanza of the "Concord Hymn": "In twenty-eight words here are the whole scene and all the essential circumstances . . . what an accurate, moving, immortal description is this!" Read: Emerson's CONCORD HYMN .......... Vol. 42, pp. 1245-1246 Apr 20: BYRON'S POEMSByron Gave His Life for Freedom England's romantic poet died while fighting against the Turkson the side of the Greeks. His poems, "The Isles of Greece" and "The Prisoner of Chillon," proclaim freedom. Read: BYRON'S POEMS ...................... Vol. 41, pp. 801-815 Apr 21: INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LITERATUREBooks as Windows to the Past Through the pages of a book the reader sees the life of past days. Carnivals, processions, battles, coronations, voyages—the whole history of the world and its people is revealed in a stupendous pageant. Taine was a Frenchman who wrote an unsurpassed history of English literature; its introduction reveals the unusual combination of an imaginative and an analytical style. Read from INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE .... Vol. 39, pp. 410-418 Apr 22: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALSHappiness as a Duty Immanuel Kant, the most influential of German philosophers, taught that it was man's duty to be happy, for an unhappy man is tempted to sin. Seekers after happiness find aid and inspiration in Kant's writings. Read from FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALS ........ Vol. 32, pp. 310-317 Apr 23: Shakespeare's KING LEAR"If You Have Poison for Me, I Will Drink It" Shaken and disillusioned by the treachery of his elder daughter, King Lear suspected even the faithful Cordelia of evil designs. Her most tender efforts to comfort him failed to drive away the insistent specter of his madness. Read from Shakespeare's KING LEAR ......... Vol. 46, pp. 293-303 Apr 24: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIESNineteen Million Elephants At the rate at which elephants naturally increase, Darwin estimated that in 750 years there could be nearly 19,000,000 elephants. But did Darwin consider the ravages of civilization and circuses? Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES ............ Vol. 11, pp. 74-86 Apr 25: Tacitus' ON GERMANYMighty Rome Feared These Men Men who danced among sharp swords—who gambled with their lives—who took their women to the battlefields to encourage the brave and shame the cowardly—these were the primitive Germans who made Roman emperors tremble. Read from Tacitus' ON GERMANY ............... Vol. 33, pp. 106-120 Apr 26: Hume ON MIRACLESDo Miracles Still Happen Just what constitutes a miracle? Does Science indorse miracles? One wonders why such marvelous things do not happen often nowadays. Hume tells why. Read from Hume ON MIRACLES .............. Vol. 37, pp. 375-385 Apr 27: Emerson's BEAUTYHe Dared to See Forbidden Beauty The Puritan world feared Beauty. Emerson, great American essayist and philosopher, declared that the world was made for beauty, and openly worshiped at beauty's shrine. Read: Emerson's BEAUTY ....................... Vol. 5, pp. 297-310 Apr 28: THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"Vanity of Vanities," Saith the Preacher Three hundred years before Christ, a preacher in Jerusalem complained that there was no new thing under the sun. Everything considered new had really existed in the time of the fathers. Sophisticated and modern is this writer of 2,300 years ago. Read from THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES .............. Vol. 44, pp. 335-341 Apr 29: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTSHow I Got Rich — by Sindbad the Sailor Sindbad, a poor man, recited woeful verses before the magnificent dwelling of Sindbad of the Sea. The great Sindbad, hearing him, invited the poor Sindbad to a feast and told the wonderful story of his fabulous fortune. Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ..... Vol. 16, pp. 231-242 Apr 30: Washington's FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESSWashington's Dictum on Private Life Washington declared that the strength of the new nation lay in the "pure and immutable principles of private morality." A free government, fortified by the virtues and affection of its citizens, can command the respect of the world. Read: Washington's FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS .... Vol. 43, pp. 225-228 |