Tag Archives: literature
The Vocabulary of Mysteries Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 29, 2021
There is nothing quite so satisfying as a good mystery. Peel back all the layers of the story, from the crime to the suspects, to the motive, to the various clues, and you have the answers that you’ve been seeking since page one. Add to this the fascinating characters who solve the crimes, whether they…
Mars and English Literature Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 25, 2021
Mars is back in the news. Not that it was ever really out of the news, but Mars has lately become the go-to place in our solar system. A probe launched by the United Arab Emirates, Hope, began orbiting the planet in early February to study the Martian atmosphere. China’s Tianwen-1 landed on Mars a…
Understanding Irony Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 31, 2017
“The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.” Robert A. Heinlein Understanding irony can be challenging. Explaining irony may be far more difficult. And yet, many people seem to recognize it when they see it. How ironic. Irony, in its simplest form may be defined as a situation in…
The Man Behind 1984 Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 27, 2017
People are reading George Orwell again. Not that they ever stopped reading him, but now his works are hitting the bestseller lists, thanks largely to the kind of language we are hearing from members of the new Trump administration. And language, particularly English language as used by politicians, was Orwell’s preoccupation. Orwell’s real name was…
What is a Limerick? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 15, 2016
How about a little light verse? We compose certain rhymes just for fun. Some that won’t be too sad, sober, or glum. We just want to demonstrate wit, With meaning that isn’t worth spit. And so now that it’s writ, I’m done! That was a limerick. It is one of the most basic examples…