Joseph Addison (1672–1719) was an influential English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician best known for his contributions to The Spectator, a daily publication he co-founded with his friend Richard Steele. Addison played a key role in shaping early 18th-century English prose and journalism. His writing style was elegant, clear, andContinue Reading
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) was one of the most important and enduring voices in English poetry. As Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1850 until his death, he helped define the spirit of the Victorian age through his deeply reflective, emotionally resonant, and stylistically rich verse. Tennyson’s work combinedContinue Reading
Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem Ulysses (published in 1842, though likely written in 1833) is a dramatic monologue that explores the restlessness of the legendary Greek hero Ulysses (Odysseus in Greek), after his return to Ithaca following the Trojan War. The poem reflects deep Victorian concerns with identity, purpose, and theContinue Reading
Anand Neelakantan is an Indian author known for his retellings of mythological and historical stories. Born in Thripunithura, Kerala, Neelakantan has carved a niche for himself by offering fresh perspectives on well-known tales, challenging established narratives and questioning the traditional portrayal of characters. Neelakantan’s literary journey began with his debutContinue Reading
Featured Image: Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Arundhati Roy is an Indian author, activist, and essayist who gained international fame with her debut novel, The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. She has been aContinue Reading
Aravind Adiga is an accomplished Indian-Australian author best known for his debut novel, The White Tiger, which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2008. Born on October 23, 1974, in Chennai, India, Adiga’s literary works explore the complexities of contemporary Indian society, addressing issues such as class struggle, corruption,Continue Reading
Featured Image Attribution: Clinton Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Poems “Still I Rise”Continue Reading
Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature and one of the most important voices in what is now known as postcolonial literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart, occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remainsContinue Reading
Anna Akhmatova, born Anna Andreyevna Gorenko on June 23, 1889, in Bolshoy Fontan near Odessa, Ukraine, was one of the most prominent and influential Russian poets of the 20th century. Her life and work were marked by profound personal and political turmoil, making her a symbol of resilience and artisticContinue Reading
“Still I Rise” is the title poem in Maya Angelou’s third collection of poetry, And Still I Rise (1978). One of Angelou’s most acclaimed works, the poem can be broadly regarded as an exemplary assertion of the dignity and resilience of marginalized people in the face of oppression, more specifically, a critique of anti-blackContinue Reading
