Harlem, New York, became an African American cultural mecca in the 1920s and the birth city of the most defining literary, art, and musical movement in African American history: the Harlem Renaissance. After World War I ended in 1918, racial tensions were at an all-time high. Soldiers returned to their homes weary of segregation, prejudice,…
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More than 21 million dead, most of them civilians. The map of Europe redrawn. World War I—a conflict associated with the introduction of tanks, bombers, advanced artillery, chemical weapons, and trench warfare—left an indelible mark on civilization and the collective human psyche. History might’ve played out very differently, however, had a driver not made a…
If you’re considering a degree program as an entry point to a rewarding new career or greater earning potential, you have many choices. One path to higher earning potential may surprise you, however. You may have heard from well-intentioned family members or advisors that English is a degree to avoid if future employability and earning…
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry painting that speaks.” This phrase, first attributed to Simonides from Plutarch’s “Moralia” and later reiterated by the Roman poet Horace in “ut pictura poesis,” holds true even today. Writers have shaped—and simultaneously been influenced by—great works of art throughout history, and sociopolitical and cultural movements started by impactful literary…
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question is perhaps never more relevant than when college hopefuls are filling out applications and considering their intended major. Some students make the mistake of choosing a major and locking themselves into a career path they’re not sure about. Others may decide to switch…
Many master’s degree programs have a thesis requirement, though some make this element optional. Writing a thesis can be an important step for students who have specific ambitions beyond earning a master’s degree. Below we’ll examine those as we discuss: What a thesis is. How to decide whether writing a thesis aligns with your goals….
How do you envision an English degree program? A series of vocabulary and grammar lessons with an emphasis on pronunciation? In reality, an undergraduate English degree is not designed to teach you the English language but rather to complement your understanding of the language with an exploration of the rich culture of English-speaking people. In…
When the 1920s began, a devastating world war was still raging. As the decade concluded, a stock market crash in the United States catalyzed a decade-long depression that reverberated worldwide. In the years between, many other significant changes and events took place that would lay the groundwork for the state of the world as we…
The Age of Johnson was an eighteenth-century period of English literature named for Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), an acclaimed poet, essayist, literary critic, lexicographer, and biographer. Also referred to as the Age of Sensibility, the Age of Johnson was nestled between the Augustan Age—distinguished by writers such as Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope—and the Romantic period,…
Literature wouldn’t be the same without the influential writers who used their voices to make permanent changes in culture and society. Feminist literature, fictional or otherwise, seeks to help define, establish, and support equal rights for women in traditionally patriarchal societies. Historic female poets of the sixth century, outspoken feminist philosophers of the 18th century, and modern women…
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