Good day, readers. Today is April 7th, the 97th day of the year 2024, with 269 days remaining.
“Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”
Albert Camus
Today in Literary History:
On this day in 1770, William Wordsworth, one of the most influential figures of English Romanticism, was born. His poetry, celebrating nature and the human spirit, pioneered a new style of poetry in which nature and the expression of personal emotions were central themes. His works, including the poem Tintern Abbey and the lengthy autobiographical The Prelude, remain seminal in the study of English literature.
Notable Birthdays:
- Gabriela Mistral (April 7, 1889-January 10, 1957), a Chilean poet-diplomat, educator, and feminist, was born on this day. She was the first Latin American author to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945. Her passionate works are largely inspired by love, betrayal, sorrow, and recovery.
Today’s Readings:
From The Prelude by William Wordsworth:
“The mind of man is framed even like the breath
And harmony of music. There is a dark
Inscrutable workmanship that reconciles
Discordant elements, makes them cling together
In one society.”
Literary Fact of the Day:
On April 7, 1928, the first part of Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando: A Biography was published. This novel, which spans over three centuries in the life of an age-changing protagonist, is a satirical, gender-bending exploration of the roles and expectations of gender and sexuality through the ages, heralding a significant contribution to early 20th-century feminist literature.
Reflection:
Today, let us be inspired by the revolutionary spirit of Romanticism, as espoused by Wordsworth, and the introspective, boundary-pushing narratives of Gabriela Mistral and Virginia Woolf. How does literature help us navigate our internal landscapes and the societal frameworks that shape our external realities?
Poem of the Day:
“Sonnet XIV” by Gabriela Mistral:
I have gone marking the atlas of your body
with crosses of fire.
My mouth went across: a spider, trying to hide.
In you, behind you, timid, driven by thirst.
Advice for Writers:
Inspired by Wordsworth, explore the deep connections between the human soul and the natural world in your writing. Reflect on how these relationships can convey broader truths about life and personal growth.
Have a day full of inspiration and poetic reflection, dear readers. Until tomorrow, may your journeys through literature help you explore both the internal and the infinite.