Tag Archives: Aeneid

Post of the Year: Plagues in Literature

A survey of literature through the ages that has dealt with plagues.

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Apocalyptic Fire Ravages the Nation

For literary equivalents of the west coast fires, look to “The Aeneid” and to Vasily Grossman’s “Life and Fate.”

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In a Dark Time, Beowulf Was My Virgil

If Dante had his Virgil, I have Beowulf. Both poets helped up negotiate dark times.

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Better Living through Virgil

When lost in deep depression, Dante turns to his favorite author, Virgil, to help him out.

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In Aeneid, It’s the Wives Who Riot

The riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death recall for me the wives rioting in the Aeneid–another neglected and long-suffering group who are fed up.

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A Literary Survey of What Plagues Mean

A survey of how literary authors have grappled for meaning in times of pestilence bolsters our own search. I look at Sophocles, Virgil, Defoe, Porter, Camus, King, Mandel, Atwood, and Erdrich.

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Homer, Virgil & Dante Visit the Afterlife

In my Representative Masterpieces course, I conclude with Dante’s “Inferno,” where we see sinners creating their own hells.

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Biden vs. Bernie, Aeneas vs. Turnus

To apply a classic allusion to the Democratic primaries, think of Joe Biden as Aeneas and Bernie Sanders as his foe Turnus. Aeneas wins the battle, Turnus the war.

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In the Face of Trump, Be Aeneas Strong

Virgil’s “Aeneid” gives us images of a strong man standing up to enflamed passions. We need people to step up in the current impeachment debates.

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