Send us a text In today's chinwag, we'll explore a candidate for the first novel in English by the first professional female writer in English: Oroonoko by Aphra Behn (1688). It's the story of an African prince and his beloved, who are betrayed into slavery and do not live happily ever after. The novel seems a modest heroic romance, but I think Ms. Behn has a more complex project up her sleeve . . . . Full text of Oroonoko : https://pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/oroonoko/chapter/the-history-of...
Jun 25, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Send us a text Today we look at the diary, a form of writing that became extraordinarily popular over the course of the 1600s. We'll especially look at famous diarists such as John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys, who not only chronicle details of their personal lives, but also give first hand accounts of the dramatic history of the period: the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Great Plague, and the Great Fire of London. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, You...
Jun 01, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Send us a text I'm back before you even had a chance to miss me! Today, a bit of a genealogy of a now little read mock epic -- Samuel Butler's Hudibras -- which takes Chaucer and Spenser and Jonson and Cervantes, mixes them all up into a gloopy goo, and sprays it all over lemon-sucking Puritans! Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebo...
May 18, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Send us a text Put on your comfortable shoes and grab your walking stick because today we're embarking on the most famous allegory in the English language: John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress from 1678. We'll cross plains, endure temptations, descend valleys, fight monsters, and ford rivers in our quest for the Celestial City! Along the way, we'll talk about how this most Puritanical of texts is, ironically, deeply indebted to the ideas of the preceding religions it rejects. Last one there's a ...
May 04, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Send us a text The political upheavals of 17th century England demanded new answers for old political questions: what is the purpose of government, how is power legitimated, and who may wield it? Philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke reasoned from the same premises, but arrived at rather different conclusions. Balancing those conclusions is the primary task of liberal democracies to this day. Texts: Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes: https://gutenberg.org/files/3207/3207-h/3207-h.htm "Second Treati...
Apr 20, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Send us a text We often think of science fiction as a particularly modern genre of storytelling, born of the science and technology of the electronic and digital age. But speculative fiction goes back centuries, back to the beginning of what we now call the Scientific Revolution of the 1600s. On today's show, we look at two of the foundational books in the genre: Francis Godwin's The Man in the Moon and Margaret Cavendish's The Blazing World . May the Force be with us! Links to Texts: The Man in...
Apr 02, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Send us a text Which is better: the life of ascetic contemplation or one of passionate sensuality? Let's see what the last great poet of the Stuart era, Andrew Marvell, has to say about that. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Cli...
Mar 16, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Send us a text Here's another episode in our foundling series "Out of Time." Today, I correct an oversight from our 15th century literature discussions and survey the very earliest surviving tales of the outlaw and all-around-swell-guy Robin Hood! Let's jump in the Wayback Machine! Here's a link to the Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester, where you can find the texts we're discussing today and a wealth of other resources! https://d.lib.rochester.edu/project/robin-hood/about.html Su...
Mar 02, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Send us a text We return to Milton's magnificent octopus today with an eye toward evaluating the epic's success according to its own mission statement: "to justify the ways of God to men." How does Milton approach the great theological problems of evil and suffering, divine foreknowledge, and free will? Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram...
Feb 17, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Send us a text Sexy Satan, what have you done? You made a fool of every one! On this episode we tackle the rather thorny question of Paradise Lost 's charismatic protagonist (?) or antagonist (?) or antihero (?): the hottest guy in Hell. Why does an epic on the cosmic history of Christianity, written by a radical Puritan, present us with so commanding and appealing a character? Additional music: "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky )" by Bill Conti. https://archive.org/details/rocky_202111/1976+-+Ro...
Feb 02, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Send us a text Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Click the "Support the Show" button. So grateful! Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thom...
Jan 19, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Send us a text In 1638, John Milton -- whom many see as perhaps the (second) greatest poet in English -- produced what many think to be his first major poem: the pastoral elegy "Lycidas," written to memorialize the tragic death of a college classmate. Ah! But it's so much more than that! Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Blue...
Jan 12, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Send us a text The original "War on Christmas"! This year's stocking stuffer looks at England's Christmas ban from 1647 to 1660 and at a rather quirky pamphlet entitled "The Examination and Trial of Old Father Christmas." Season's greetings, Litterbugs! Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the ...
Dec 23, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Send us a text Today we have a slightly different kind of show -- literary analysis takes a bit of a back seat to historical context. We'll look at the turbulent period between 1625 and 1660, when England went to war with itself over the roles of the monarchy and of Parliament. We'll look at primary historical documents as well as a little poetry to get a sense of the state of the nation as it begins its rise to a world power. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Appl...
Dec 19, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Send us a text This Subcast episode marks the American Thanksgiving holiday by looking at two early accounts of the celebration by Pilgrims William Bradford and Edward Winslow and then turns to that great hymn of thanksgiving -- Psalm 107 -- from The Bay Psalm Book, the first book published in what would become the United States. We'll also look at what's called the "Puritan Plain Style" of composition, a marked departure from the ornate literature of its Anglican contemporaries. Support the sho...
Nov 27, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Send us a text Today we look at the love children of John Donne and Ben Jonson, a group of monarchist soldiers during the English Civil War. Collectively known as the Cavalier Poets, they are numerous. We'll look at some representative poems today by Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Richard Lovelace, and the ill-fated and unfortunately named Sir John Suckling. Additional music: "Consort for Brass" by Kevin MacLeod "La Violetta" by Claudio Monteverdi; perf. The Boston Camerata, dir. Joel Cohen "In T...
Nov 17, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Send us a text This year's Halloween Subcast episode looks at James Shirley's meditation on Death. I hope you love it! Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Click the "Support the Show" button. So grateful! Podcast Theme Music: "Rejo...
Oct 30, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Send us a text Let's head into the Fortune Theatre for a performance of one of the most innovative and deceptively complex comedies of the English Renaissance. The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurse explores the fluidity of social identity by the protagonist's use of clothing and language. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesk...
Oct 26, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Send us a text We'll get a bit philosophical today and look at the English language's greatest influence on the scientific revolution: politician, philosopher, and scientist Sir Francis Bacon. His Essays and "The Four Idols" from Novum Organon are our focus. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy...
Oct 06, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Send us a text This is the first of what I'm calling the "Out of Time" episodes, an embedded series of Subcast shows that fill in gaps I may have missed along the way. Today, we fly our Out-of-Time-Machine all the way back to the 8th-century to see how the Danish invasions left an indelible mark upon English language and literature. Pack your battle-axe! Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: class...
Sep 22, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Send us a text Here's a short episode to answer a special request by a loyal listener! Let's dive a little deeper into the various versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet that have come down to us! Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Clic...
Sep 15, 2024•13 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Send us a text I had not thought to do an episode on the English country house poetry of the 17th century, but was recently reminded of their place in the survey of early modern literature, so here's a look at that peculiar subgenre. In this show, we'll look at Aemilia Lanyer's "A Description of Cooke-ham" and Ben Jonson's "To Penshurst." Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: classicenglishliterat...
Sep 02, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Send us a text Let's head back to the theatre for a really blood-soaked tragedy! And while we're at it, let's think about the intersection between art and social criticism. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Click the "Support the...
Aug 20, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Send us a text Poet and priest John Donne's work seems to transcend its early 17th century moment and feels as fresh and alive to us as anything written today. In this episode, we look at the following texts: "The Bait" "Elegy 19: To His Mistress Going To Bed" "Batter my heart" "Death, be not proud" "The Flea" "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" "Meditation 17" from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions Additional music: "You Can Leave Your Hat On" by Randy Newman. Sail Away . Reprise Records. 1972...
Aug 05, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Send us a text Today, we'll wrap up our Jonsonian mini-series by looking at some his lyrics, including poems from the 1616 Works and songs from his plays. If you'd like to read along, just ask Uncle Google to serve up these titles: "On Something, that Walks Somewhere" "On My First Daughter" "On My First Son" "Song: To Celia" "Still to be Neat" Additional music from Internet Archive: "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes" perf. Paul Robeson, 1938. "In Town Tonight" by Eric Coates, perf. Reginald Dixo...
Jul 21, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Send us a text It's Independence Day here in America, so today's show takes the opportunity to look at some of writing of early English colonists in New England and how their ideas contributed to the national ethos that would emerge in the coming centuries. Additional music from Internet Archive: "Stars and Stripes Forever." John Philip Sousa. perf Twentieth Century Fox Orchestra "The Love Boat Theme." perf Jack Jones Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotif...
Jul 03, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Send us a text We'll finish our look at Ben Jonson's comedies today with perhaps his most well-regarded efforts: Volpone, or The Fox and The Alchemist. Additional music: "In Town Tonight" by Eric Coates, perf. Reginald Dixon. From the Internet Archive. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the s...
Jun 17, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Send us a text Today, I look askance at two plays by Ben Jonson, whom many see (not me, though) as the greatest English playwright bar Shakespeare: Every Man In His Humour and Every Man Out of His Humour . These have become the paradigmatic examples of the 17th century "comedy of humours." Thank you to the Internet Archive for providing public domain recordings of The Benny Hill Show and Fawlty Towers theme songs. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Y...
Jun 02, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Send us a text Today, we take a historical survey of the Bible in English, from early partial translations and paraphrases in the 7th century through the magnificence of King James I's Authorized Version of 1611. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with ...
May 19, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Send us a text Today we look at Aemelia Lanyer's pioneering and influential work, "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women" from 1611's Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum. Support the show Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you! Email: [email protected] Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Click the "Support the Show" button. So...
May 05, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 65
