Poems For People Who Hate Poetry

Send us a textJoin me for a reading and discussion of William Cowper's final poem The Castaway (1799)This is the second time I have done a reading of this poem.

Send us a textAn elegy is a poem written to mourn the death of someone. Here we will explore the hidden depths of this philosophic poem.Halloween is a time to face fears. Do not allow the fear of a lack of comprehension of this poem stop you from attempting to mine its meaning and beauty.

Send us a textThis special episode of Troubadour Talks features three members of the Literary Canon Club—a group dedicated to reading through the entire Western Canon from Homer to Rand. Book one in our group was The Iliad. In this episode, Kirk discusses various aspects of Homer’s The Iliad with Molly Johnson, Marco Romero and Heather Schwarz. Even if you have never read the Iliad, this discussion will show you the value of taking time out of your busy life to read great literature.

Send us a textOn today’s episode of Troubadour Talks, I chat with a host of the Daily Objective, Nikos Sotirakopoulos, about the novel by Jack Schaefer “Shane.” One critic of Shane has expressed, correctly, that if you are to read one Western novel, let it be Shane. Nikos and I discuss the straightforward plot and then have a deep discussion of the characters and their relationships. As this is a frontier story, like all Westerns, we will talk about life on the frontier, how it is different from life in a fully civilised location, and most importantly, how manliness is required in these frontier lands.We also talk about the fraternity among men and how to earn the manly love of your brothers. This was an enjoyable conversation with a true brother in arms!

Send us a textToday's guest is Rucka, and we will be discussing Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. We had a great discussion of the meaning of Peter Pan and why this is such a valuable story for children and adults.What is the meaning of a boy who never grows up? What role does passion play in our lives, and do we have to give up our desires as we age? These and many other questions are ones that we discuss on this wide-ranging talk about these two great works of literary art and their role in our lives.

Send us a textToday we have some Shakespeare to discuss. I have as my guest Ann Ciccolella, artistic director of Austin Shakespeare. We will be exploring the play "Macbeth", Also known within the theatre community as "The Scottish Play."Before digging into the play, Ann and I explain why it can be beneficial to read the play and even watch videos summing up the play before seeing a performance. Our conversation included a summary of Macbeth, why its themes are relevant to our lives today, and some tips on how to enjoy Shakespeare, even if his language is difficult to understand at first.

Send us a textFilm director & producer Chris DePretis joins Kirk to talk about the short story “Boule de Suif” by Guy de Maupassant. It is said that Maupassant is the most adapted literary writer after Shakespeare. Though this is hard to prove, because often his short stories offer a broad brush by which film directors like John Ford will use to paint. Nevertheless, his impact on world cinema is impressive. Besides Ford, many directors have adapted stories from the French short story writer, such as D.W. Griffith, Orson Welles, Jean Renoir, Kenji Mizoguchi, Jean-Luc Goddard and many more. These directors, of course, are the most influential directors in cinema. By proxy, very few people can claim as much influence on world cinema as Guy de Maupassant.In this episode, we summarize and discuss one short story in particular “Boule de Suif.” Then we discuss and compare the classic western movie Stagecoach (1939) starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford.We will be talking about the themes of both of these

Send us a textKirk and guest Luc Travers from http://www.literatureatourhouse.com/​ discuss the dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury “Fahrenheit 451.” Together they give a synopsis (from memory) of the story. Then they leap into the flames of Bradbury’s tale. In this episode, you’ll enjoy discussions on:The main characters: Guy Montag, Chief Beatty, Clarise and FaberMeaning of the storyDover Beach by Matthew ArnoldDover Beach and its meaning relative to the storyThe prescience of the storyWhat is happiness, and how do we know if we are happy?The importance of UNhappinessAnd much more!

Send us a textEric and I go over a synopsis of this play, first staged in 1897 to immense adulation. Then we discuss the meaning of the love triangle, the larger-than-life character of Cyrano and the meaning of the play. Since 1897 there has been a variety of different projections of Cyrano’s looks. This is an important feature of the play. How ugly should Cyrano be? What is it that Roxanne falls in love with?Can a beautiful man also be bright and clever and witty?What role does Cyrano’s nose play?We analyze some specific passages in the play.We take a look at the spiritual/body dichotomy in the play.The role of “success” in Cyrano.In the second half of the conversation, Eric, who is a Catholic, and I have a debate about Pride and the meaning of Cyrano’s Pride.Eric Robert Morse (ericrobertmorse.com) is a writer, publisher, painter, illustrator, web programmer, philosopher, theologian, economist, and historian. His published works include a critique of Behavioral Economics (Psychonomics), a theory of political

Send us a textMy guest today is Jesse McCarthy Founder of MontessoriEducation.comJesse McCarthy began his career as a young assistant at a small private school in California, and now 15+ years later he leads an organization that helps parents and teachers around the world to achieve inevitable success with children — happily and without stress.We discussed The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. This book is described as a “dramatic autobiography,” and as Jesse and Kirk discuss, it is exactly that. It is not a long text. It can be read in a few hours. But it is an emotionally challenging text.Jesse and Kirk discuss Douglass’ story, his courage and character as told within the narrative. There are some ideas in this book that may be very challenging for people today to confront. Not in terms of slavery, everyone correctly abhors slavery, but rather some of the values and virtues that Douglass held as essential to the building of a good character. Jesse and Kirk discussed:the concept

Send us a textWhat do Holden Caufield, Jerry Fletcher (Conspiracy Theory, 1997, played by Mel Gibson) and a modern conspiracy theorist have in common? On this episode of Troubadour Podcast, I discuss the style of J.D. Salinger's story about Holden Caufield's weekend adventure.This is a book that has been linked to multiple assassins, including the man who shot John Lennon. It is also a favorite among teenage boys. What can we learn from the method of Caufield's 'stream of consciousness' that can reveal an important truth about the followers of Qanon, and other modern conspiracy theorists?In this video I will outline the general plot of "The Catcher in the Rye,' what I call "the Caufield Effect,' and explain my view on why it is critical to read this book today.

Send us a textOn this episode of Troubadour Talks I had as a guest Timothy Sandefur, VP of Litigation at Goldwater Institute. We discussed the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. The Oedipus is likely one of the most referenced  and analyzed work of imaginative literature in the history of the world. Now, Tim and Kirk have added their voices to this endeavor!Both Kirk and Tim recommend the Robert Fagles translation of Oedipus The King. On the show, Tim refers to a performance of Greek Plays done in Greek. The director is Leonidas Loizides. You can learn more about this director in this article. Read Tim Sandefur on his personal blog at sandefur.typepad.com Also, Tim has a review of a new translation of Oedipus, coming out at The Objective Standard, Topics discussed:Why lawyers today should read literature generally and ancient Greek literature in particular.How the Ancient Greeks viewed literature's role as crucial in life.An overview of The Oedipus story.How Oedipus The King is like Batman.The universal

Send us a textWelcome to Troubadour Talks, a new show where a guest and I discuss a great work of classic literature.On today's episode I spoke with Jon Hersey of the Objective Standard Institute about Ayn Rand's fist novel, We The Living.Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist. Her dates are 1905-1982. She is most known for her later novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.In this episode Jon and I:*give a plot summary of the entire work*discuss the meaning of the novel's themes and plot events*discuss the main characters (Leo, Andrei and Kira) *compare and contrast the three characters*explain why 'We the Living,' written in 1934, is as relevant today as it was then*talk about why this novel is important to each of us*give reasons why everyone should read this book todayJon is editor for The Objective Standard magazine,  and he is a teacher and podcaster for Objective Standard Institute. You can find out more here: https://objectivestandard.org/Kirk is host of Troubadour Talks a

Send us a textin this episode I give five reasons you should consider reading Moll Flanders, an early 18th century novel written by Daniel Defoe, who is the author of Robinson Crusoe.The five reasons are:1) You get to visit 17th century London-I mention a painting, which is featured as the artwork for this episode. It is "The Egg Dance by Jan Steen."2) Meet an "immoral" woman who, nevertheless, leads an interesting life.-Here I discuss why so many people have hated Moll Flanders.3) Understand what philosophers hate about commercialism and capitalism.4) Learn about the novel as an artistic achievement5) Understand the novel as a moral institution.

Send us a textVisit my magazine's website for a full analysis and commentary: https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/william-wordsworth-steals-a-boat-an-excerpt-from-the-preludeThe Boat Stealing Scene from the 1850 Prelude by William Wordsworth:One summer evening (led by her) I foundA little boat tied to a willow treeWithin a rocky cove, its usual home.Straight I unloosed her chain, and stepping inPushed from the shore. It was an act of stealthAnd troubled pleasure, nor without the voiceOf mountain-echoes did my boat move on;Leaving behind her still, on either side,Small circles glittering idly in the moon,Until they melted all into one trackOf sparkling light. But now, like one who rows,Proud of his skill, to reach a chosen pointWith an unswerving line, I fixed my viewUpon the summit of a craggy ridge,The horizon’s utmost boundary; far aboveWas nothing but the stars and the grey sky.She was an elfin pinnace; lustilyI dipped my oars into the silent lake,And, as I rose upon the stroke, my boatWent heaving thr

Send us a textThis is a poem in Blake's "Songs of Innocence & Experience: Showing The Two Contrary States of the Human Soul."This poem is ripe with Biblical images. In fact, I'd argue that the entire poem is an extended metaphor, not to be taken literally at all. Though, there is a narrative story in the poem, the action of this story must be taken metaphorically.This poem is about a 7 year old girl who becomes separated from her parents and lost in a desert. She falls asleep under a tree. Then some wild beasts (leopards and lions and tigers--OH MY!) come out of a cave and see her. They play at her feet, and then the kingly lion licks her. They then strip her naked and bring her to their cave.This is how the poem ends. Unlocking this poem is rather fun. Though, it does take a little bit of digging and a lot of knowledge of the Bible, I believe it is very worthwhile even if you are not religious or Christian.  We will see how Blake both uses the imagery of Christianity while offering a

Send us a textO. Henry is a romantic writer, not because he writes epic tales of our medieval past, or that his stories always are love stories (though this one is!) but rather, because of his unique usage of language.He never wanted to accept that the ordinary had to be ordinary. He wanted it to be extraordinary, exotic, exciting, filled with wonder and imagination. Even a tale about a man meeting a woman on a cattle ranch can be placed in the same realm as Aeneas meeting Dido.Listen to this very simple tale, one with lessons for those of us dating today in the 21st century, and rekindle your wonder for the everyday.

Send us a textThis is the final reading of Benito Cereno by Herman Melville.

Send us a textThe primary narrative of this novella ends with this chapter. Next is a series of deposition documents describing the inquiry into the slave revolt.In the summary I condense the key events of this chapter. In the closer look, I discuss three key points that are helpful in understanding this piece by Melville.1) The core epistemological quandary I posed at the beginning, "A man who is incapable of comprehending a certain series of events is put in a situation where he must do exactly that." Throughout all three chapters we learn there are numerous reasons, Captain Delano is incapable of understanding the predicament he is in. But one that becomes explicit in this chapter is his racism.2) The mystery is revealed in a general way, and this alters the image of all the bizarre events we have seen in the story.3) the third point I make in the closer look section is a severe scrutiny of a particular image of Captain Deleno in the moments before he has his revelation regarding what has occurre

Send us a textThis chapter concludes the major part of Melville's narrative.  We left off at the end of chapter 2 with the shaving scene. Delano has left Cereno to confer with his slave Babo. Delano is surprised t see Babo running after him with a cut on his face. He has been cut by his master Benito Cereno, in retaliation for Babo having accidentally cut him during shaving.Next up will be a quick summary and a closer look at this chapter. That will be followed by the finale of Benito Cereno.