Tag Archives: Intimations of Immortality

Dissolving into the Glories of the Sun

Andrew Marvell’s “On a Drop of Dew” compares the soul’s visit to the earth realm to a dew drop. In the process, he references the manna in the wilderness, today’s Old Testament reading.

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Reconnecting with My Dead Son

Thursday I had a shock of recognition while teaching Stephen King’s IT in my American Fantasy class yesterday. The approach to life that saves the day for the protagonist is the approach that got my eldest son killed 16 years ago. Yet I don’t think King is wrong. In fact, I was comforted once I saw the […]

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Using Lit to Discover Purpose in Science

My Intro to Literature students, few of whom are English majors, are often startled to discover that literature understands them better than they understand themselves. Today’s post describes the encounters between two science majors and, respectively, Wordsworth’s “Intimations of Immortality” and Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior.”

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Dear Feast of Palms, of Flowers and Dew

Henry Vaughan’s “Palm Sunday” looks to palms, flowers, and palm-strewing children for Easter hope.

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King Looks to Children for Hope

Despite the horrors he describes, Stephen King’s vision is ultimately a hopeful one. The key, as he sees it, is plugging into childhood hopes and imagination.

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Angel Infancy

Henry Vaughan’s “The Retreat” believes that children have a special connection with eternity.

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Reconnecting with the Forest Spirits

Here’s a story of how Wordsworth allows a Myanmar student reconnect with the forest spirits of her childhood.

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My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold Grandchildren

My heart leapt up Wordsworth style when playing with my grandchildren these past two weekends.

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A Light Exists in Spring

Emily Dickinson captures magical light of spring–and its transience.

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