Allegory has been variously defined as a literary genre, a mode of interpretation, and a symbolic dimension to all language. Although 'allegory' historically escapes easy definition, it can be broadly defined as a mode of communicating that says one thing and means another. Allegory arguably functions by means of a distinction between the surface level of communication and a further level or levels of significance beyond the surface. The term 'allegory' has historically been used both of a...

This rhetorical study of the persuasive practice of English Puritan preachers and writers demonstrates how they appeal to both reason and imagination in order to persuade their hearers and readers towards conversion, assurance of salvation and godly living. Examining works from a diverse range of preacher-writers such as William Perkins, Richard Sibbes, Richard Baxter and John Bunyan, this book maps out continuities and contrasts in the theory and practice of persuasion.Tracing the ...

In this collection of occult poems Parry's alter-ego Caliban muses on sexuality, seclusion and Shakespeare.Moreover, by trying to capture the dark dwarf's metaphysical lyrics moment by moment, the author slowly confronts himself as a willing prisoner on the magical island of violence and desire. After all, Caliban would claim that neither Browning nor Nietzsche had fully grasped the ethics of redemption which can only be found in unadulterated selfhood.

The bestselling Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms provides clear and concise definitions of the most troublesome literary terms, from abjection to zeugma. It is an essential reference tool for students of literature in any language. Now expanded and in its fourth edition, it includes increased coverage of new terms from modern critical and theoretical movements, such as feminism, schools of American poetry, Spanish verse forms, life writing, and...

Killing Physicians: Shakespeare's Blind Heroes and Reformation Saints is intended give its reader a street-level perspective of Shakespeare’s great tragedies and late plays.Diving into the social and theological tensions alive in sixteenth-century London neighborhoods, this book uncovers what may have been Shakespeare’s answer to a world fraught with political and religious controversy.

Discover Myth"There's no one quite like Joseph Campbell. He knows the vast sweep of man's panoramic past as few men have ever known it." --The Village VoiceJoseph Campbell famously compared mythology to a kangaroo pouch for the human mind and spirit: "a womb with a view." In Myths to Live By, he examines all of the ways in which myth supports and guides us, giving our lives meaning. Love and war, science and religion, East and West, inner space and...

The work of René Girard is hugely influential in literature and cultural studies. But it is in understanding the relationship between religion and violence that his theory has created the greatest impact. Girard’s understanding of mimetic rivalry and conflict and of scapegoating are seen by many to be the key to a completely new understanding of Christianity.Girard’s name evokes curiosity and – often – strong feelings amongst devotees and sceptics. Discovering Girard is the first b...

Paperback edition available, ISBN: 9789387669550Most men are totally unaware of the creative power of imagination and invariably bow before the dictates of 'facts' and accepts life on the basis of the world without. But when you discover this creative power within yourself, you will boldly assert the supremacy of imagination and put all things in subjection to it.It is believed that all men can change the course of their lives. By our imagination, by our aff...

Through three editions over more than four decades, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics has built an unrivaled reputation as the most comprehensive and authoritative reference for students, scholars, and poets on all aspects of its subject: history, movements, genres, prosody, rhetorical devices, critical terms, and more. Now this landmark work has been thoroughly revised and updated for the twenty-first century. Compiled by an entirely new team of editors, the fourth...

An accessible, helpful guide for any student of Milton, whether undergraduate or graduate, introducing readers to the scope of Milton's work, the richness of its historical relations, and the range of current approaches to it. This second edition contains several new and revised essays, reflecting increasing emphasis on Milton's politics, the social conditions of his authorship and the climate in which his works were published and received, a fresh sense of the importance of his early poem...

"A soaring, eloquent meditation on the art of living . . . a treasury for readers of all faiths . . . his book itself is a profound, healing prayer." — Publishers WeeklyThere is a divine restlessness in the human heart, our eternal echo of longing that lives deep within us and never lets us settle for what we have or where we are. In this exquisitely crafted and inspirational book, John O'Donohue, author of the bestseller Anam Cara, explores the mo...