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Bookworm

00:26

Q: Why are "doves" used in this simile from "Aias"?

This is from James Scully's translation of Aias (also known as Ajax), in The Complete Plays of Sophocles, translated by Robert Bagg & James Scully. Son of Telamon, rock of Salamis towering up from the crashing sea, when you do well our hearts surge with joy— but when Zeus comes down on y...

9 hours later…

Feeds

09:37

One Minute Reviews: Macbeth (Norton Critical Editions)

posted on February 15, 2022

The Norton Critical Editions is a series of editions of literary texts published by W. W. Norton. The series offers both English texts, such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and translations, for example, The Epic of Gilgamesh. Each volume contains at least a lightly annotated text, a selection of texts that provide context to the literary work, a selection of criticism and a bibliography…

Gareth Rees

10:26

@Tsundoku I don't think that your requirement (that the OP clarify that they want a literary analysis) was reasonable. We don't apply this requirement to other questions, so it seemed odd to bring it up in this one instance

Gareth Rees

10:41

I think it was reasonable to advise the OP that this is the Literature Stack Exchange, and so answers are likely to take a literary point of view (not a religious point of view). That's the same kind of expectation-setting that I advocate for "earliest fictional example" questions. But closing the question for failing to acknowledge the advice is a step too far

Tsundoku

I have deleted the comments I posted on that question. However, I can't retract the close vote I cast at the time.

Gareth Rees

11:06

@Tsundoku Thanks! Don't worry about the close vote, let's see if the consensus has shifted enough to reopen it this time.

2 hours later…

b_jonas

12:54

@bobble I'm not quite satisfied with literature.stackexchange.com/revisions/21845/2 , because of how it removes the info that the OP read the book themselves to, not just had it read to them by a parent. I wonder if I should edit that back.

I understand that that's not very likely to be relevant for finding the book, but with such a bad post every little bit helps.

Also I'm wondering if I should delete literature.stackexchange.com/a/21686/139 . That question should not be closed, but if it stays closed it might be better not to leave a bad answer up when nobody has the chance to post a good answer.

2 hours later…

bobble

14:46

@b_jonas if you feel it's important add it back in!

bobble

14:58

@Bookworm Why are "doves" in the HNQs?

I have another Aias question that I plan to finish researching and write up some time later today. I wonder if @GarethRees will answer this one too :)

Gareth Rees

15:37

@bobble Others should definitely have a go: classical Greek tragedy is fun! The resources I've found most useful for Ajax are the Greek text via the Perseus Digital Library, and the notes of Richard C. Jebb.

bobble

@GarethRees my lit prof would love you

1 hour later…

Rand al'Thor

17:04

@b_jonas You can't delete it when it's accepted, but you can vote to delete the question.

b_jonas

18:00

@Randal'Thor Hmm.

bobble

18:45

@bobble aforementioned research has brought up another question

Bookworm

19:27

Q: What does "pilpul" refer to in "Satan in Goray"?

In Satan in Goray, Rabbi Benish is frustrated that the young men are learning pilpul, and has tries to ban it. They delved too deeply into things that were meant to be hidden, they drank too little from the clear waters of the holy teachings. The study of the Bible and Hebrew was looked down upo...

yiddish-literature isaac-bashevis-singer satan-in-goray

1 hour later…

bobble

20:43

I read the next play required by my literature class (Philoktetes) and now I have MORE QUESTIONS

when will it end? :)

Gareth Rees

21:23

@bobble One of several ancient Greek stories about foot injuries!

"Disorders of the foot were the commonest form of injury [in ancient Greece], as we know from the fact that these inspired the largest number of votive offerings in healing sanctuaries" — Robert Garland, Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

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