Tolkien may have been the greatest of the writers about journeys: In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins and 13 Dwarves venture forward “on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Lord of the Rings – “The Quest of the Ring, also known as the Quest for Mount Doom, was the quest taken by…
If Fences Make Good Neighbors, What Is the Purpose of a Gate?
Jacki Kellum Photo – Garden Gate in the Ozark Mountains “When the hornet hangs in the holly hock, And the brown bee drones i’ the rose, And the west is a red-streaked four-o’clock, And summer is near its close It’s Oh, for the gate, and the locust lane; And dusk, and dew, and home again!”…
A Fence by Carl Sandburg
A Fence Carl Sandburg Now the stone house on the lake front is finished and the workmen are beginning the fence. The palings are made of iron bars with steel points that can stab the life out of any man who falls on them. As a fence, it is a masterpiece, and will shut off…
The Mending Wall by Robert Frost
Mending Wall BY ROBERT FROST 1874 – 1963 Something there is that doesn’t love a wall That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where they…
The Circle Game by Joni Mitchel – Songs as Literature
The Circle Game Joni Mitchell Yesterday a child came out to wander Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star And the seasons, they go round and round And the painted ponies go up and down We’re captive on the carousel…
Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Richard Cory BY EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. And he was always quietly arrayed, And he was always human when he talked; But still he fluttered pulses when he said, “Good-morning,”…
Circles as Symbols and Themes in Literature
“…the routine of life goes on, whatever happens, we do the same things, go through the little performance of eating, sleeping, washing. No crisis can break through the crust of habit.” ― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca “Circles are not just geometrical symbols but are also what makes life possible. The sun is a circle, and…
Symbols in Literature – Symbolism
What Is A Symbol in Literature? In literature, a symbol occurs when one word in writing suggests an understanding of something different. Although it is not a powerful symbol, a heart might symbolize love–in terms of visual symbolism. Symbols are important in literature. The night or darkness can be a symbol in literature. Daytime or…
Looking at Lit Book Club – A Jacki Kellum Free Online Book Club
I’m working on my lesson plans for my Comp 2 Class at Northark College: Writing about Literature, and I cannot exaggerate how very much re-reading some of the fine stories and books, poetry, and stories for that class has enriched me. I have decided to share some of the best literature from that class, as…
Let’s Allow Ourselves to be Imperfect. Perfectionism is the Enemy of Creativity
Twenty years ago, I was paralyzed with depression and its sidekick: fear. A bad marriage and a worse divorce had reduced me to almost nothing. After years of having been told that I was not an artist, I had quit painting, and I had been silenced from the years of having been shamed about my…