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Aug 2025
40m 12s

The Ambiguity of Wit: William Wycherly's...

M. G. McDonough
About this episode
Send us Fan Mail Charles II reopened the theatres in 1660 and inaugurated the second golden age of the English stage. Today's show looks at one of the bawdiest plays to come from the period, a "comedy of manners" whose clever use of language points to the reality of style over substance. The Country Wife text: https://theater.lafayette.edu/wp-content/upload ... Show More
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Apr 22
Mighty Contests, Trivial Things: Alexander Pope's Satires
Send us Fan MailToday, you get to treat yourselves to a discussion of Pope's major satirical poems: The Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad. And, as a special bonus, you get to endure a desultory introduction concerning the Beatles at a cocktail party as well as series of pop cultur ... Show More
36m 22s
Apr 5
Isaac Watt: The Father of English Hymnody
Send us Fan MailFor this Easter holiday, I thought we'd look at a hymn lyric from a very influential writer who is often overlooked in discussions of literature: Isaac Watt. You can find the full text of the lyric in the transcript.Additional Music: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cr ... Show More
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Mar 14
Imitation and Optimism: The Essays of Alexander Pope
Send us Fan MailAlexander Pope, whom some critics regard as the most important poet of the early 18th century, set out to comprehensively explain the rules that governed art, poetry, and humanity itself. And, it turns out, they're all the same rules.Support the showIf you enjoy t ... Show More
35m 18s
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