Tag Archives: Donald Trump

Milton, Voltaire, and Trump’s Address

By Robin Bates | Published: February 25, 2026

In which I compare Trump’s State of the Union speech to Paradise Lost—well, a little bit—and also to Candide.

By Robin Bates | Published: February 11, 2026

Two items: Bad Bunny’s trees compared to the Tolkien’s Ents and an Olympic skier compared to Icarus.

By Robin Bates | Published: February 9, 2026

Zaphod Beeblebox has an ego the size of the universe in “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” But is it as big as Donald J. Trump’s.

By Robin Bates | Published: February 8, 2026

Trump complaining that the deaths of Good and Petti are “bad publicity” makes him appear as small as Gulliver in the land of the giants.

By Robin Bates | Published: February 1, 2026

Battling Trump feels eerily like the hobbits battling Sauron.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 28, 2026

Trump’s corrupt offer to Minnesota—give up your voting records and we’ll withdraw ICE—brings to mind Angelo’s corrupt offer in “Measure for Measure.”

By Robin Bates | Published: January 26, 2026

A passage from William Cowper’s “The Task”—about self-indulgent princes—captures America’s current president.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Task, William Cowper | Comments closed

By Robin Bates | Published: January 4, 2026

Blake’s “The Grey Monk” captures everything that’s wrong about Trump’s Venezuela invasion.

By Robin Bates | Published: December 17, 2025

Thomas Pynchon’s plots, intricate though they are, can’t compete with DJT’s fictions.