Tuesday, October 16, 2007

1821 to 1824

Literature
"Epipsychidion." Percy Bysshe Shelley. British. 1821. Poetry. Addressed to Emilia viviani, the embodiment of the ideal love and beauty that Shelley constantly sought.

"Adonais." Percy Bysshe Shelley. British. 1821. Poetry. Allusion to the mourning for Adonis. One of the greatest elegies in the English language.

Kenilworth. Sir Walter Scott. British. 1821. Novel. Portrayal of Queen Elizabeth and her court. Kenilworth is a castle. Dudley's wife suffers neglect.

Woe from Wit. Aleksandr Gribotedov. Russian. 1822. Poetic Drama. Russian nobleman returns from trip to Europe and complains about the pettiness of Russian society. He is ostracized. Many lines have become popular proverbial phrases.

Peverel of the Peak. Sir Walter Scott. British. 1822. Novel. Cavalier in love with Roundhead's daughter. Popish plot of 1678. 128 characters.

Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists. Washington Irving. American. 1822. Stories. Collection of tales and sketches. Sequel to Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. Gent.

Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Thomas Dequincey. British. 1822. Autobiography. Growth and effects of his habit of taking opium.

"Dream Children: A Reverie." Charles Lamb. British. 1822. Essay. Imaginary conversations with children he has never had.

Society
1823. The Monroe Doctrine enunciated by President Monroe states a nationalistic determination to oppose any European influence in the Western Hemisphere and to remain aloof from European conflicts.

1823. Britain abolishes the death penalty for more than 100 crimes that had been capital offenses.

Literature
The pioneers, or The Source of the Susquehanna. James F. Cooper. American. 1823. Novel. Natty Bumppo: the laws of nature vs. the laws of civilization.

Quentin Durward. Sir Walter Scott. 1823. Novel. Set in 15th-century France. Saved king's life and wins countess's hand in marriage.

"A Visit from St. Nicholas." Clement Clarke Moore. American. 1823. Poetry. Written by a scholar who taught Oriental and Greek literature.

"A Dissertation on Roast Pig." Charles Lamb. 1823/33. Essay. Humorous account of the "accidental discovery" of the process of cooking pork.

The Leatherstocking Tales. James F. Cooper. American. 1823/41. Novels. Follows the career of Natty Bumppo from youth to death.

Society
1824. South American liberation forces under Simon Bolivar move into the Andean highlands and defeat a Spanish force.

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