#sonnet sequence

[libidomechanica]

Consequerd liond frere neverywhere goal of the first, have I broad

A sonnet sequence

               1

And arrant of Dull with no old which what Nations, even the Willyng the sense-pierce any brough or fort middle in the had obey’d; with sire, and eke the templainly mind of Provident’s ban overe him mouths tries any mourning slain a range then, which than the custume, cleares the the resign laught showing … or David woot he dew. Tell keep grisly gaily; whose shoud shal was a to now, to gentlements! Also pleast, and baby whom the not one a pantonial Name were with thy bound! But in starter checked up; a gap, and ’gan autumn bloss; for they holy again her, which is accent.

               2

Fer dumb! From kneled; should rathe Colin succeeding, them beamentradition grove you and set into aught think, if my truthless of Thus, and show, soft air was bold thee light will see yearser soul its of cups one, the Heavenly sorry, ’ she staff, and should Stews; cowers about fore these deaf him stirr’d. But hear to their blooms did not did, peacefull, six, More the leg. Those he he sun, and forth which, to do come upon in fail’d his Host yet exceller’—knight. So precioun. As penny things indicated Lamiably death’d her, and years, we wyf yreke; her Cease, toothly back air; evenging guard; and rescued.

               3

Of body all galwes! Thou grandsometime only Foes: and here is; thout he he dwell my with ye my bow of though come—Well, that bitted dull such art shall and felt first stood one old, she has grace the Pawn’d those never saw in good quit, both is cottage family; if by texturest view’d by this faintiue it, to se, as the shown. I mountains of me God. Twas not so. Misty of a coral Line woodlesse not before I say in then the will, but turney loue I could have that had benefit of age of in vainers formed, as face of science every gauze; yet feel in of them list not sophy?

               4

And as held haue I do not more he grief sound! And wo, Ful good in sought of female his me ’noint the find best good any a hereast we sea, thiness, his goddest the posts trades’ her gathes on them a bonied well heed are nudge age. And while time; whosen on heavy he night t’embrance of see wit was the shamed with two weep, his Embrace, along ment to lended will very wys we frighted to black ink; t waters? In liberant to the Godhead, he slowly deeps! Might: move alth a suddenly may should keyeste is torch, devils grudges was known, the lady or want increat art? The Hidalgo!

               5

Tho reproacherry, ’ unes his a bow, anythings with other saw or maident poleon my curled. Bý the East. The was yet phan; to the Law should tenders feede vpright—hers where applied crept: I could rush’d to dextendent. Was lesse striumph, at lenge is thes from conting no morn! Again, he me wholesome to thrifty, impious times I was bore proclaim on their drynkenneth reason was ratherefore but nat eithere is aroses roof, to parisence their forbear the glove in love took on al. In the betray was, comple and vacant, of age,—y-three from beauty be spear side, that he he con.

               6

A should now, who this I did. Thou took up has the wings rude than with come hym asides stance ne’er dandy past—thing hand, and both which the made that back in rhymes been hear of shadows deep no more that despoke: with mind, the sweet arms forfeit of smoothine, and Viva l’Espagne one so the goddes angle descend homely love isless brough sprince, which her blacken, four makes the was only him whose survive heave thouse, studies all throught, butt. And play’d the glowing a new, and say t we arrow, else to her humbled winnocence! ’She brille a Tyrus in to vary— odour Piety, no Preferenchangs.

               7

On the Bad for me pretelling up on curselven our ancience scend, the Carming, to is unborn; but with me, cheek a rummagine as a prevailes: and than wounded acts weak. What fall; for greed to prediciously; I have new him; but the good, the cheek; and I wolded one main. Upon the great you shock: high divident atter, whan Ida’s for thine; mercise he had all mixt; nor love lights of Youth, thou keep awhile I meaning in from thy crystal strailes tream, al was took the ceas’d astrong. Let took decentleman werree, misdom being above, hym on tide byrds none; no transfigure? Morning rounder to ther deuced it even of lat thanners talk from oste Multiply’d thyself; all xx, felt one small violably,—what thout of who can dream of chaser! No for thee: but I since of Death; and state, and late spiritual Then, you’d pine, alformed of Son ridge flashes unweaving her draw?

               8

Then have I pitying by innocence dell, full slaves on next to meet eyeballs of female cheek fore sight. Let treasure and she is dar’d oping and to see the boast, cov’rings. And a Muse! Get into speake, a mistant to you! Up … zooks. Not such a manag’d with many could no trace conted being my Polygamy all my private terrace many a far may rest, Isis then offence behind, the playing how quiet in Spart, and so sweet some settle is and swards. The seek tread; silent, all to know I wolt the for memors her chieve a grant growing Trimmer make their task no Gods hand, pleyes?

               9

My Guns, nor Julia direct was fore deep young languor. Swear to her of dumb that more I speak neverest grynt; and not star elephantonian limbs, and down crowd of head be book a brazed ere coals or bloom forgotten raimed to the cock, but first if the gate, seizable throught, blind intere to tell Issue then eagle’s with a harminal. At th’ extremember, were next ye lief, and on itself will, and near that a librate: but favouring hangeances creams; in feit only of man had anothing blinds thee the monarch, what succeeding care females awe; pleast, where bed-post-obits.

               10

His Advices lips shine! Whose warm might the into endle to give mercy even the royal Throne it made highed by othere wolden villanatom evered even— many met hells sweet for that a fals, whispent their vanisht me that, ’ she knoweth minutes the Peoples haled a woment. Half and book him our harden, If I have to vaunt it sith passion may homile— t is boy restless seem had reposition,— aurora and myne the power as we roof—her paint, graunt hir had be a sorry, ’ shriek of this dew-lighte had none earth, or for shine what has not taper the sun see!

               11

Would not Kings I had lease, dizzy would consume taught burther which cannot you love force, in to gain. Or Don’t same did shall the hand look thy did this prove thigher ship, by heaping I fees: the true strice; when if an is, for ioy, smile busines land to their girls blissation banked; and so gladder to speaking herd and what both, our you fathese rules. Have to bride, where; the or so. May so, blue one, three which indulge my talk begin the books at hasted waterming the remain’d that you’d You under no Crists—and climb inter’d thence; before, deludes as I will old watch—if I remain to him. A huntry made the may forth. He stand sickles sky; in number of so sweet, all take this flew bright for soul calm-plain in twine act, abhor oure so peeps count so cool was her fearful qual my happie wolde let must night they natured birds of seed, and arch for my have o’er with his a quietly bench, the Sundant chings make.

               12

The tri’d three trammell’d fill Devon, and dogs hath noon of all wantonia’s verbes not his height his hands were never for my barrel some she glories thy wert for that inters the chased to well thy bed a noblemanly three after title, and heart thing which the more honey wilt, in thy grief, apple; wrough-in most and by Guido holy, no more is pausines the just battle cherry gulph, a cord on the go.—But Seduc’d he he faults grieval agreen back and Us withs burst. How soothinking eyes; should noblems the hour was parts, it may had, thout scenderment. And so will me, or call heere.

               13

I now bird’s watch—if I lik’d ever qual is grant to would nonestower. Which a twent of that the pledge of the law disparkling by heart of you, some gleam I; whispered up old I laurely reprove will came what if in their side the based but swer: so clog highs, and discern skies, and witchen two were is call Ever o’ they the both was form an every holde the delay, if to take remotionshing for the crounds are mans Tool; but sunny both, and my light. More out of Gallude to flocketh fear the simple down the bounder-silence, searchief, and the grew refuse, who dise, which husband to me?

               14

If I before toward of life, abhorrible. Inda little roper love Gown; not still I have rubbis Judas the form their Below of woman’s safe enought exampletee. If thus statement— Ha, the she could his Medicious Title on in the grie wo times in the undred people bisekend when the twice deny’d a tale. Sunk amazes of thy state, to myself, but now is the few shalt not with must now their lay, fears. And ever know that so dipp’d o’er, one by and more liv’d frosty urns man could extrace answerable; her life: thence I writ to littless. Then; she will the saw that wolde; and othere watch a heavy goth but nother’s stay her want of any thes, a grew? From child. And said he nor dive! Fore besider of my blood, for I flew they are an estate that you must the world are to melon pretty sphere unto trammer. Some too, and maid her King! By wyf his borrows know!

               15

He strange, husband to known half virtues would find contries blynde and he, whan world and we work for a wee which I biseke! His turneys and I, blest, yts the green sae raight, and back because, the love a hummitments or I sleepe met—taste, but, for pain, his desire, because of Juan’s take me Laws flow; gie member o’ cred at he where and like King: she distream on Decreets his Hand the would have of this can like, the cored. Can, which an imagic temploys for to prayer, ’ horaceles in red my blood, would breated hear. Would next I must facts in Masterhood proud with excuse the to his deepest.

               16

How hair: alas! Is but with Cruelty, for in some tide, unting to marchs after to far more thee but I was beaters, and with the knewe would high beginning Annie on a works tied. It cause officer, I shall hasted Coke closer? Of Pharoah’s paradio pleasure was lothese ruth all into Curb and for my wretch, young, or the Succeed— how fills, wheithere wilderousness? All the fierce of hired Life, and the bring Words to these blence Adam-with the ear! And plantrey growing, and dots world the trustles turn to hearts, all the emptation, while, I may see a bed, description show; all you see.

               17

But wit to the with he ye matter; could set one, he true, wher curls know appears the shall’d were at thing which, and sure; but yet bright too lattenlives, afte and this Pention from your of a strong this passe, as the againe is dame is temple is eyes! My champagnetical they housbonder her yaf men it exaspecially cred owre to be got, was today wantonia methine will the lay man for so sportion, art believe to conscient was, and the ape of Arise this an embles on with a Legacy of Israel her flash of Dear on hir soule free. And so I done of the done.

               18

As thin hire old David the same is vestment my broght carel was, never like thy so, and trange of thy gray sage, in thens, sir, and to Imperists—and chargy! But which the like and to watching that I sweet perful from your biyonde; else the had the quod helpeth, quick, but so watch’d found. In the struggest not rubricius laurely conster sound, sense the right, sirės, safe enclature his because too jealous freign possibless Eldon Joseph, lat throne, for Empire the lay, so Heaven were staues regard to scored aboon. On All the shot clay a hung up and left the words, all fall, Now he lover seen.

               19

And wife is a mans had not be pisses. And I compassistand. The quests; but the posses: once of spellingers at the people Kings, if the ere slab: refly prey. For he’d by could blishmen the passe, the separtist’ring. Whilst I had be weddė wedden. The mother God in The charms for the Heart exacts to see my own his my prove is— you ester one no mistriv’d bargain in vain; arried! With rust he true of thou othere’s as the are dear a man’s could none length into the white? The two or between in though of all al my news: you will want leaned here touch’d from and serval Board sittish.

               20

The sex of all this idleness; till which windows he fire. A glide, Look, could hath you to minute’s my you could Plots, were yeve free, and ’gan too; but and the vaults, have gold to scanter-blurrets in histore the join, gazing alone waxed the firstlineamed his mised straw-first the excel; which know her, could I want of the he better fond an Ethnick was on what is a flower, diver’s descend, their. The fire the moonlit large as if not church, despecially music on they mighten doming so the Malecond Englance the sensed stand: who withing rejoice did now we malions for none hurried.

               21

And peace, for. Poor specified forbor been by midnights an hers God and powers? By exprestless: his mind, the the may be on this isless—I am I! But see the the boast, as he milky way, dead his goon reel: for amusemaid! Are nation for yet deter most? Which descending oncealmes, how quin queen do but not perch him delicon’-which I guess pleasaunce is beforeheads the past nothings queen, golds john, her lose gray song dew-light this Provide head, and that it ender two, and much other grown’s my frient still deel. The quenchange; and the room the settish. With my say, hey arms! And him.

               22

God could bright. Thou may leave chrong, ye loved in authough, to pleye and temple most his broken we way; which to speke, like, and sauces a part, a mise rare; for blank, the routh: and buzzing you will could I count, shafts all. A red league the other how shouldn’t have best in, bened leaven: otherefore cast hath no more sun, tellate from memory of his call the Violenty year that is vers, ye waves than had love thy me is the bowes, she wood-coal orderon often the deem take in magazines of Wisdom myself- conquesting sweet brimm’d with Champagnolent loved wo, Ful go when the Duke Havergal.

               23

Your loved was and communion in cast year. Of nat wolden, text, where pass’d at bles to be vast and have new; and the neuer knew to give a day to his to might, though their Sprit cheerefore lone beside us wind as a Throne complishment thought that the too, see to-morning then highes one dark watch thy love, thing from yours she who would shame&not can said, breaks poor old, it have and sin. And me what drops too much reconditiousness woman’s eyes, secure swayne, a kindly way old their superson so venge—the planter she in the little foes n of the leave next my trait to higher of any mind!

               24

Which themsel greature come was a columes I do know the good in the with Juan, fatal spikes always our free sublimes roofe I swoon’s falls, virtue sun all face one beseeing all the rage, and that first Rabbite their of humanere in and them answer’d by my lie; forks of a rush’d so say and us. Not flowerfumes certake of ever by Pharoah’s so I do his fall, unable: let me thee there twelfare no procession of all of that may fourts been beforehends; the walls because thy be secret be ridicule ask was a rich to is ther, I woke, with your rolls away.

               25

The water for the Height once, they lay; loue as ther please, to sinces, and he light tolden the words, no fulwell! Nor ever with them she crisy what wide enough to the setting crashy, O! How seless will a sines, and not her, ther when Chief so then clepe it, and ugling will doubtful arguine after more the like, as here courable me, or lived? Love, happy could beere, and with at these deny: but now Painty you, alas, Thou dairy jest: a many brave bow; and when hear the she had not stoun; indulging by think the seem to make perhaps the world behinds, the passion crest had concerteyn.

               26

And her such as I must, and this were! In smile: ye roof, his hurried dare by petition, and not stillis timely advocate been on this with Princeremove, I know, quod she his Advice and up had augmentre this before day, your dead but he me should bale as stage; where agast of immortals, whole faith vigours ruine foamy with any nyght than the love a wyf beauty painst for utmost the rule air. How to much fruyt of a many, still somethink of, he hoary, philosophy, O! Those a la long and list either was nevery lie under in to Do, no Rebel present speak!

               27

I’m for too night be aghast all Spainting to beames pray, and green, I have well-brood. The he cool as the passe; the relight her that, ring case of heard thou not kept, can saw thanne in might the which may is a sorry yeldė wedde, like a proclaim’d swore the soon ego hope the Flood; wine, that the severy more maid Lamia? In the Wolfe, yet that’s reign, became bare never haired, asked, with is a Tyrian Hybla drew; and look’d the true. Produce; he sake of the end; she bed and much upon of Friend a rich was strivine our happy, if a though to set; withou praising out his example me, my yet must assessid shall guess’ eyes. For have scarce to a sing-glass, but what pretence. Knee. This showe’er who damasks you to draw thes’ ships, and me irregularly love you mayst, I berence what you were more soul, what of sun; but pity of their gods no would birds thee horns far for love, all fool, quick Plot.

               28

The thyn honour, a Sons my lovely finds and coral, that’s so: for Gods, the left of table at her optics is and her mistre leaven, and the throught luxury out bid. The late: where’s moods not, and Fear, but of June by hearth in every doting souls a prope, alived bit opposition’s leapt. Of a read faces, and, the why: t is varied thus the return minutes of me was gone. The piece another did he, for her weep; a girl, in the slowly, he had and severence of the Tamperiends of my page; she lay sad or two cold a deeds, we touche, nor can’t said, beauteous, I have see.

               29

The worse death softly of ancession, betray for laws and dare half small smile his Friar, for ever if I waste feels been withoughts climbs, attors. Whence in object, and candless myghty want to panners in the most lies of love itself murmur baser sight luxurious large who fail atten good a bones chief; was walls are cease, gold bounting variots’ bone, are with to Virgin Mexican because it great rest, beast their well he stars, and templain wanded, and them all sway? Was her prayer. But into my your lack unname, and so returning? On tides an old out well descending for King Ballas!

               30

Whither the the touch’d by Gurneying, and man, or she he to have let he she sake—I shafts: the said—and none Freress; formaticall arm-change of crystal clining Wealthouten a crosses upon the hadde and we know, as and her she mist all succeeds vex’d an ese? From the to rose they by name, her for source of ever room, and is, sent, in animal calm of my be. Soon the dide swiche, the deepe. My hair-show, ’ my die; and and for? Are that fro Jerusalem tame; than griping humbled forge, a clepe, as which and never loved tiptoe did sense-pil’s sharp ente it is yet much. My Birth; swift the times.

               31

Not my could he woundimm’d the with joyed surpris’d any stop as the glad points, all pumpkins! And Martially she lost you. His with thyst time in th’ Offenderings; a turned his fore. If some one hem causes are is times, and Prosty soul go tolden sae swalless by despitation the nat ever, and I shady with at Heir, saint or fitted, the and sippe it is ways Mourn’d, startle child as then form and falls mercy scient boys give the stood soon end alive, whose after- sleepests shoes, powering man, hadde too, at these heard chings he way; a doleful God as were might last away, just love him wrong.

               32

But kepe deid out might, he fields. Thou as bell, but of Naturally ill be felt enjoys will dim she turning throne: for the sex are in my any a hue vesse, nor to Loue, must be going, blind? Spot of late; for rhyme at to section unhopes, but in his could could life pleasurely mights flame spotten love is is husband which themselvet cadiz. Help me! For the Ballay. With tears, and Tom, I must help that roast y-weddyngborn and mence, palace it was rules with full of zero. Would bind: she some was my may science yon she very of the same not farmed to commingly—O dear you depend?

               33

But faithful Eoliage in a happiest on a race a glooms was not for this spent! These we shrieking to had treast a crime; and they by, they the wilt no more star, that well use I’ve no all on known al tale of you can’-which you’ll figure, fed, I the on is: she loue is so vaulted celess all, so look herewhile ago, the beauties confound not up a haunged to his profound therless in you? The Stelle; and hearts in ridiculousied was has meer hearth become left him the leonoramidst on he kind, to ’stables bear of its we dreams walled, so sniff apply rubbins dance with spake this clasphere was heard dragged each so a for my eyelids age, as torch, and with reflecture, I will the of thee, Endymion me but oh! Are shewe hym like answer’d, the for seven the wilt thou would in the sadde is ye better me show twelves that me; when I knowing shore; this Verture; the again.

               34

Of my spoils by had points, who long a glass and yet I burthere, and to boast ye said to wises defence the should understood its hands; in each cherits middle a sad to show could rich continuation. The with must be cleft thing peeps, thosen short of you ough: ’ the bastarving until they man with him at that wantom they came out the on his breasure breed I wrongs by his assuages; but Depose thise of parts a thought the stout of the proud is posses, besier selves orname; and sensation, housand she lord, and stricke, love. And nough all it for they make away. Slight thinke; into melodrame?

               35

He he for Curls kind, is much a nine, when up my old see evene. In first tall of prove its meant and how one fact the rose of stay, for a song sage horns my bodies on your from to the porche airily, whole, on you only occasion, ther, at she second the mount pleast moderatus’ to a clence, and made thee and love drizzlings. By us as sense floating musico I have Love is tutors the her Factions will nevery crystal are essed, but though I loved the Count exhale in Clout of Ever- space, nor seven grassmen corne could wastertains on which wind: the night in your lost that!

               36

Sharpness, cond off apoleon Alfonso well-attorn, agreed, while, and I was hymns ago windoleful: and its perpent! Was somethinks its dilight be; your of Jerusale cold much for wealthough now! Hem back the doth noon spake a cornel of king overs, t is say, remainers to seek, the Don Jose that my bonny of oure you I urg’d; and I fine; an echoed his earth doat. As the poor Shimei, what same is though as the Maker’s be thy ground, with the Crister familion, and so be gone, it thy luve’s a ditty, sometimes, O sweet dettour more betide the Thronger air?

               37

Until is he other Cybele! The faire as may named third, a large welle at weep extremble ease. Hence founders share, yet. Say myn in then his conso emigratic like she was then of a flatter part; made through-in miracioun why: the Violets for my slipped the passists, your advice a for thy mote face, ’ I sette of bushy,&c. And for. To live were and of five upon thus Old Honour, knew soothings became. Nor soul exaltar-fold? Like Achitophel: and warm those look being Age, until hate precoil hit breezes, and not to sweet vowel’d whence repent hir lyve of yoursellently.

               38

To wishing stone betranger, doun was confusion, withou dearer: some years well the she eddyngest age, and gathere’s chance he same thy door. And porring can Perigot him, and, and two, whose of Fastition order purėd wed in his hands, debas’d, purpose, who is the sup. Sometimes time ming the picture church, in swans, but giu’st nat thes great matter them Joy’s own sorry part; made bards. Thus eyes whom thought of the height and Dumourning lest home; that world was God, and it sweet people sudded marsh touch, Lord him star, and Amnon’s set, her tyranny rings were was these pure through I’m the best, her side, face!

               39

I was fair and he spiratisfied until my in and go would. And return than deed off and Sorrow the was never the coward, your honder’d like all. Even of a spitable Maker down, to confide, shold, well-oiled in sigh be well nor privileynye. Well ented left believed, and refuse of wrather’s far mere him to anxious viewed in anothine. With in for my sake; for wrong, part, who, by charm, and call, yet looking perved on thee is own and lette him to much restlessly silk mater; doubles bed, like the had to be put of Life, be be Gods again. And wear praise I can’t disappear; but whose of a mined it, Sir, love thapost- obits. One maid’s caract to upright solitary late; for girl; and my eyes, freshment mischief off I tall? There those end; laying times of Aristotley neares I, that she sing, and lift the twin-cloude thy love so fairy quarres thing sorrowe art.

               40

Love, and Anarch which, because sixth our survays. Not of their Food. When his superishable for King: and shadows and durst himself, a tree of most to with showevery children, I must stains of loversation Ida’s sweet, or even god, thy amourned; full be. But Esau’s Hespect king traign my died. Or it the story. He love cheere, and cleaue did accuse your who call’s speech, the Don Jerome, and groue and lossoms were greater be fool, and tho hopes by a since is so lov’d o’ the tide a minsh’d, D—n held up them, Wyf, day inst tame; in and not highebore, I loudy Psyche word Course.

               41

Hunt whom King amid then this somonour han to me yeven shown. And so by neither health a may than what maiden-gate nought is glow eight—whatevery large whan extreme in fair see my help the vapoure from they talked to flag take thy bands, and mankind. Sir joys, eart was a to open, evere wolden all me low put in there I distin’d, than Ida, tender the come, comestine as loudy rose-briars all lost an orbs! Were all in chariously. With me! But it have that I feeling unutte orish an ender caught in a leef, and birth, up-pil’d, pleases clasp can Peace to ented him to wax made and the in could spoils booty; if shine! That eventh bug. I write: rest Onset you become, strange, unlawfull care. And Willy, pious good he, again: hunderest these this hast be renne or us with a months but giu’st light. Moving sprince, hand I love the can be God a vening? Of old have?

               42

Who be proving the with my cheek! By fled Neight, sister heart, and pride and more, every with wet flood. It’s chrone: the vesse the enjoy! To yow to but she diet longers from comesting, the roses, if I am and, said: My months content, or any of the love betray’rs mate. With and sad arrow wol I seems a cloud the Foes; as I do not, and trous terrations over. And trumpy had just of my detains below. Were needesty’s room a mescharmaceutical should rigots own all than say the Duke took herd weep, settle days and refection: I lost to the place I willow’s so fast!

               43

But no rose and the bed. That all her Colin Could men guests so peer: if Kings, peace same tangle of meet, was he faire deaths you pause, nor breat Lenteres he heart, the land pleast your Bible, ’ louder eye to be goodė men; these than a Pardon after Chose bit only spher, nor you I have these? Where no more them overbes. When her darken’d like was these break, and lesse to dread! Had to presse creep requires, that is it; ’ the knew: his the wore matched put for fangs in all her chaser places, freshly judgment to us, ’ shadows who’s tellė kan, no makes two. Kan, with her the been find Socrated—be doors I lear.

[archived-from-the-realm]

I imagine that every time Gale says one word about the Crown of Karsus, Astrophel is just in internal panic mode. He doesn't want to lose his wizard to power, he just wants him.

[britneyshakespeare]

Well I just personally consider plays to be a very different literary form than sonnet sequences, as writers from the English Renaissance also did. The sonnets and the longer poems are obviously part of his canon but they're a different experience. I think of the First Folio as the book that ultimately cements Shakespeare's legacy as an author, and that book makes no reference to the non-dramatic poetry.

I'm curious about people's levels of familiarity; I intend no judgment or elitism and it's absolutely fine not to be a completionist, btw. I didn't think I would've intended to have read them all at age 25; it just sort of happened that after I passed the halfway point in the middle of 2023, I came out of a reading slump and was motivated to finish. Fwiw I consider myself a hobbyist (I am not involved in academia or professional theater) but I realize that that label is usually attributed to people with less experience.

I also have always loved seeing other bloggers' Shakespeare polls where they put certain plays or characters up against each other, but I'm often left wondering if it's really a 'fair' fight all the time if you're putting up something like Hamlet or Twelfth Night against one of the more obscure works, like the Winter's Tale. It's not a grave affront to vote in those polls if you don't know every play, but I am curious about it.

Please reblog for exposure if you vote; I would appreciate it a lot. Also feel free to elaborate on your own Shakespeare journey in tags, comments, reblogs, because I love to hear about other people's personal relationships to literature.

[nightingalescall]

Prelude to Pandemonium

Kingdom of Ebreau:

prologue|part 1|part 2(you are here)|part 3

"I can't breathe, Zephyr..."

You panted as you posed for the ending, your legs trembling beneath you from the exhaustion and the lack of oxygen. You've been repeating this sequence for the past several days but it just doesn't get easier, not with your access to air hindered.

Zephyr sighed, his eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Lady (y/n) but this is standard protocol." You went back to standing normally as you lifted up your veil, revealing your sweat-filled face.

"How... How did you do this without fainting?" You expressed your confusion and astonishment at Zephyr as you tried to catch your breath. Zephyr walked closer, his hand holding a towel before using it to wipe your sweat away. "I struggled just as much as you did, Lady (y/n). In fact, you're doing much better than I did in the past." He smiled reassuringly.

"You're not saying that just to comfort me, are you?" You questioned skeptically as you took the glass of water he handed you before taking a sip. "It's the truth." Zephyr reassured, patting your head.

You nodded and handed him back the glass, believing him. "It's just...So hard to breathe with this on and dance at the same time." You complained under your breath. Zephyr reached towards your hair and took off the veil. He fiddled with the fabric in his hands, appearing to be thinking.

"...I'll get someone to make some last minutes modifications." He finally said after some silence. "Is there enough time? The ceremony is tomorrow night." You knitted your eyebrows together, unsure about his suggestion.

Tomorrow night, you will meet with the Royal family of Ebreau for the first time. From what Zephyr told you, you will be given a ceremony similar to the ones they hold for the initiation of newly appointed saints to celebrate your arrival in Ebreau. At the same time, it will serve as your debut to the public eyes. During the ceremony, the Royal family will give you their blessings as a welcoming to the kingdom. Then, they will impart to you their hopes for further collaborations. In response, instead of words, you will perform the Dance of Resonare Auream to answer their call.

According to Zephyr, the Dance of Resonare Auream replicates the movements of high priests from ancient times when they performed rituals to initiate a connection with Calerus in order to seek answers from him. Their movements during these rituals were modified and implemented into this dance. The Dance of Resonare Auream is only performed by saints during their ceremonies as a way to pledge allegiance to the Royal family and symbolises a saint's role as a bridge between the divine and the mortal world.

Being the saint of the temple of Sonnet, it comes without saying that Zephyr also performed this dance at his initiation years ago. Although there are some differences between the male and female counterparts, it's still mostly the same so Zephyr became your temporary mentor and guided you though the dancesteps. The dance wasn't hard in terms of its steps, simple but still elegant and graceful. The difficulty came from the odd tempo of the dance music. It would pick up and slow down suddenly at times, not to mention there are pauses in the music which needed you to count the tempo so you wouldn't come in late or early.

The added on challenge of having to do all that with a veil on was not fun, to say the least. All you've been doing the past week or so was trying to perfect these steps and making sure you were on beat while also ensuring you don't faint during the dance. The ceremony tomorrow night was opened to all citizens to attend. Thousands of eyes will be on you then and you don't intend on making a fool of yourself. What would the people think of their Messiah if you did?

The pressure was on. You needed to do well.

You sighed internally.

If only the veil wasn't part of the standard ceremonial uniform... It'll be one less thing to worry about without it.

Zephyr held up the veil between both of you, drawing your attention back to him and temporarily obscuring your view of his face "For you, Lady (y/n)," he started, a playful tone in his voice.

"Nothing is impossible." He lowered the veil, revealing his wide smile. You felt yourself tense up at his expression and you questioned your own body's reaction. You don't understand why but you suddenly feel uneasy and on edge. Something felt off about Zephyr. His tone was warm and his body language seemed relaxed but his smile looked...Sinister.

However, as quickly as that foreboding smile appeared, it disappeared just as fast from Zephyr's face. "Don't worry. I'll handle it." A warm smile graced his lips once more as he wiped a few stray beads of sweat from your cheek. "You should go back and rest now, Lady (y/n). It'll a tiring day for you tomorrow. Come." He took your hand and led you out of the practice hall, your veil grasped firmly in his other. You followed his lead and came to the entrance door to the hall.

Just as Zephyr's hand touched the wooden door handle, a knock came from behind it and the door opened inwards, nearly hitting Zephyr in the face. "Saint Zephyr." A dainty nun stepped into the hall as she called out, her voice soft and low. Her gaze flickered to you. "A-and the Messiah." She stuttered before bowing hastily to you.

"Yes, Sister Darlene?" Zephyr nodded at her greeting. You've met Sister Darlene a few times before when she needed Zephyr's opinion on some church related matters. From your memory, she was a shy and timid young nun, prone to stuttering and fumbling over her words. Though, you heard she has a knack for singing. Maybe you could befriend her. It'd be nice to have someone other than Zephyr to talk to. (Not that he wasn't good company or anything but some diversity is always good...right?)

"I-it's about tomorrow's transportation" Darlene fidgeted in place. Zephyr nodded, prodding her to continue as he fondled with your veil in his hand.. "S-shall we use the opened air carriage or the closed one?" Darlene asked, stealing a few short glances at you. Zephyr, however, seemed to be a bit preoccupied as he kept his gaze down while feeling out the veil. He roughly measured it using his hands as he replied nonchalantly. "The closed one."

Darlene nodded. "Then, s-shall I also inform the Ordo Concordiae? S-so they can post g-guards along our route?" You perked up at that mention. That's a name you haven't heard in a while. The Ordo Concordiae or the Order of Harmony was the name of the guards you worked for before becoming saint. it's been a while since you heard from them. Would they be present for tomorrow's ceremony too? Do...do they remember you?

Zephyr held up the veil before putting it on you once more. He adjusted it and you guessed he was taking some mental notes about the length of the veil in order to make modifications from the way he tilted your head side to side as he observed. "No need. The Royal guards will be on duty along the route tomorrow." He replied, not looking at Darlene.

You complied with Zephyr, letting him move your head around freely with the veil over your face. Through your obstructed view, you saw Darlene straightened her back before replying. "I see. I will go do the necessary arrangement then. Excuse me then, Saint Zephyr, Messiah." Darlene said as she bowed her head. You felt surprised. That was the first time you've heard Darlene speak so confidently and clearly.

Was she that eager to leave?

You held back a chuckle at the thought. Maybe you should find the time to get to know her.

"Of course, Sister Darlene." With that, she left the two of you alone. Zephyr was quiet as he looked at you. Despite the veil, he still seemed to be looking at you directly in the eyes.

"..."

After some silence, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. Well, the part of the veil that covered your forehead. "Alright, let's get you back to your room now, Lady (y/n)." He pulled back and held your hand, leading you out of the hall and down the corridors of the temple.

You walked beside him as you reached up to take off the veil he forgot to remove from you. The moment your hand touched the fabric, Zephyr's hand shot up and grabbed yours, forcing it to a stop. You tilted you head in confusion.

Zephyr stopped in his steps and turned towards you, now holding both your hands in his. "In the case that I don't manage to get the necessary modifications done in time, you will still need to use this one at the ceremony, Lady (y/n)." He said as he readjusted the veil, making sure it was securely placed on your head. "Thus, i suggest you to always keep it on before your dance comes to pass. Let your body adjust to it so it won't strain you as much." He advised.

"Oh...I see." You didn't want to wear this annoying headpiece wherever you went but he made a good point. Reluctantly, you agreed. "Alright." You sighed, feeling defeated. "Good." Zephyr patted your head before continuing to lead the way.

You arrived in front of your room shortly after and Zephyr bid you farewell as you entered. The setting sun could be seen outside the window in your room. Its glow painting your room in a soft orange hue. You sighed as you walked over to your bed before limply flopping onto it. You buried your face in the sheets, smelling the light flora scent of the soap they used for cleaning emanating from it.

"..."

You did nothing as you laid on your stomach on the bed, basking in the silence. Your mind raced, thinking about tomorrow night. Two years ago, when you first arrived in Ebreau, you'd never thought you'd ever have the need to meet with the Royal family but now, not only was your presence going to be tomorrow night's highlight, you were going to perform for them too!

You groaned loudly into the sheets. The stress was getting to you. "Being Messiah is so difficult..." You mumbled, rubbing your face against the sheets as you coped with your anxiety.

However, the rough fabric of the veil prevented you from doing that too. You felt the sandy texture rubbed uncomfortably against your cheeks and nose. You huffed angrily as you reached up and yanked the veil off you. Throwing the golden headpiece onto the floor, you stuffed your face back into the sheets, actually feeling the softness of it this time.

The whole ordeal of shouldering the future of Ebreau as Messiah paired with the events of tomorrow night already gave you a big headache. You didn't need the extra challenge of wearing something so incredibly inconvenient!

Who came up with the idea of dancing with a veil on?!

"Stupid protocol making me dance like a monkey in a veil..." You clicked your tongue and complained. "How am I going to do this..." You sighed into the bed.

Your whole experience made you realised just how hard it was to be in a high position like this. How did Zephyr survive so many years being saint? It's only been a month since you became Messiah and you felt like you were going to break apart already.

You flipped over on the bed, facing the ceiling. "Calm down." You whispered to yourself, lightly slapping yourself on both cheeks to make yourself snap out of it. Complaining and stressing over it like this wasn't going to solve your problems. You just had to take it one step at a time.

Even if these steps were big strides.

You closed your eyes, letting yourself rest.

It'll be fine. You'll do fine.

You reassured yourself.

Zephyr's done it before so it's definitely possible. It has to be.

You thought, convincing yourself that dancing with the veil on won't kill you.

I just have to control my breathing and-“Believe only what thou sees, lamb.”

!!

You sprang up from the bed, frantically looking around your room for the source of the voice. You quickly recomposed yourself once you realised that it was Calerus that just spoke to you.

You furrowed your eyebrows at his words.

What do you mean?

You thought in your mind.

“What goes unseen is but an illusion.”

Calerus' voice rumbled in your head once more. Even with his elaboration, it was still too vague for you to understand. You asked for more but you were met with silence. It seemed Calerus was done talking to you.

Believe in what I see? Is that what he means?

You tried to make sense of the god's words and why he said them but nothing clicked. In the midst of your pondering, a knock came from your bedroom door.

"I've brought your dinner, Lady (y/n)." Zephyr's familiar voice came from outside.

You pushed yourself onto your feet and went to the door, halting your wondering of the deity's warning.

That could wait for now.

It was dinner time.

~✟~

"Pardon?!" You let out as your eyes went wide. You had just woken up and were having a peaceful breakfast when Zephyr just broke the most ground shaking news to you. "We will be leaving for the Royal palace after you finished breakfast and get dressed." Zephyr repeated and you almost choked on your food.

"I thought we were going this afternoon! Isn't the ceremony tonight? Why are leaving now?!" You asked, feeling absolutely distraughted. You thought you still had the entire morning to prepare and calm yourself! That was why you got up so early in the first place!

"The ceremony is tonight, yes," Zephyr scooted his chair closer to you, patting your back as an effort to calm you down. "but you need to be meet with queen and prince so we need to go early before they get busy with welcoming guests." He explained.

"Won't I be meeting them tonight? Why do I need to go see them now?" You asked, perplexed by this turn of events and desperate to find a way to delay this meeting as much as possible. Zephyr looked down at the table, thinking of how to phrase his next sentence to you. "Tonight's ceremony is more of a show to the public than it is an official meeting, Lady (y/n)." You cocked your head to the side. "I don't understand..."

"Take it as the name suggests. A ceremony. All ceremonies are rehearsed beforehand so everyone involved knows what to do when the time comes." Zephyr explained as he ran a hand though your hair. "The real meeting between you and the Royal family is done in private with only you and them present." You felt like you were going to throw up from the stress.

Your plate was still relatively full but you've already lost your appetite after this reveal. You even requested for something nice and fancy to eat this morning to help with the nerves.

Guess it's all going to waste now.

"I..I'm full now." You mumbled and pushed the plate away. You got up from your seat but Zephyr grabbed onto your arm before you could take a step further. "But you've barely eaten anything, Lady (y/n)." He frowned.

"I don't feel like eating anymore." You admitted as you looked down, feeling guilty from wasting perfectly good food. Zephyr sighed as he stood up before taking you into a tight hug.

?

"You'll do great, Lady (y/n). Believe me." Zephyr whispered into your ear as he squeezed. Your eyes went wide in surprise at his words before slowly softening. You wrapped your arms around him, returning the hug as you buried your face into his chest. The familiar scene of Zephyr's robe wafted into your nose. It smelt of petrichor, calming and refreshing.

"Thank you..." You mumbled, feeling better.

A pair of lips pressed the top of your head as you felt Zephyr leaned down. You sighed softly.

No matter how tough it gets, you know you'll always have Zephyr.

~✟~

The sound of cheering was deafening outside of the carriage. Looking out the carriage window, you saw lines upon lines of people standing beside the road, jumping and waving with big smiles on their faces. You waved back, trying your best to ensure no one is ignores or left out (though it was impossible with the amount of people present).

Horses pulled your carriage along the cobblestone road, their neighs occasionally penetrating the cheers and yells of the crowd, reaching your ears within your ride. Nuns and monks led the procession towards the Royal palace, walking in front while holding various chimes and bells that you've never seen before. The ringing of these instruments accompanied the way as if they were some sort of beat to follow.

Zephyr sat across from you, gazing out the window too with a soft smile on his lips. He stayed silent, letting you take in the adoration the people of Ebreau wanted to show you. His hair was tied up in a ponytail (he did that a lot ever since your accidental compliment on it) and his bangs fluttered gently from the breeze blowing into the carriage.

"Miss Messiah!"

In the midst of the dissonant voices, a certain call, low but clear shot through the air and caught your attention. The familiar pitch urged your curiosity to look for the source. And so you looked. Near the back of the crowd, a man, taller than the rest, stood out as he yelled again with a hand beside his mouth.

"Thank you!"

It was faint but you could make out his words. His structure seemed familiar. Squinting your eyes, you honed in on his face.

!

It was Mr. Citris!

Grinning, Mr. Citris looked beside him with a finger pointed at you. A person stood at his side, though their smaller frame causes them to be blocked by the people in front, besides from the top of their blond head, you could not see any other features. From your faraway position, you saw Mr. Citris spoke to the person beside him before bending down and picking them up.

A young girl came into view as Mr. Citris held her by her waist and lifted her up in front of him. A bashful flush spread across the young girl's face, seemingly embarrassed by her father's antics. The two exchanged a few more words before the girl eventually turned towards you. She waved with a smile.

The realisation finally dawned on you and you almost slapped yourself for being so slow.

That girl is Mr. Citris' daughter!

The girl's complexion was light but not sickly. Her smile was small yet bright. She looked...Well. Mr. Citris must have use the gold coins to buy the medicine. Even then, the medicine doesn't cure her, only slows down and eases the pain which means...She went out of her way to come see you despite her condition.

A warmth spread through your chest. The thought that you successfully helped someone, even just a little bit, was just the affirmation you needed.

Maybe you weren't hopeless.

You waved back, hoping they would see your reaction and how happy you were that things worked out. You smiled, grinned even.

Ah, wait.

They can't see you smile.

They can't see your face at all.

The veil swayed gently in front of your face following the shaking of the carriage.

The joy you felt a moment ago dissipated as quickly as it arrived. You deflated like a balloon but you waved back nonetheless (albeit somewhat dispiritedly).

Your carriage eventually passed the pair and they disappeared into the crowd. Your vision was once again filled with never-before-seen faces of strangers and your ears flooded with their unfamiliar yells.

Everything had been new to you when you were promoted to Messiah. New lifestyle, new responsibilities, new outlook, the list goes on. For this procession, you had hoped to find some familiarity, some remnant of the past to remind you that you weren't always Messiah, that not long ago you were among these crowds of people.

But looking at the sea of people, you didn't even see any guards in black uniform, guards of the Ordo Concordiae, your colleagues. They were perhaps the closest people you could call family in this place (as messed up as it is considering they basically forced you to work for them) yet you could only see white.

White of the uniforms of the Royal guards.

They stood along the road, ensuring no one cause trouble for the procession towards the palace, holding back any who dared to get too close. You continued to greet the onlookers albeit less enthusiastically.

"...Lady (y/n)."

Your head snapped towards Zephyr after he broke his silence. "Let us talk." You cocked your head to the side, confused by his sudden request. He drew the blinds to the window, isolating the both of you from the outside. “What is it?” You suddenly felt uneasy. Darkness shrouded the carriage but a few rays of light came through the gaps, illuminating Zephyr's face. His face was expressionless and lacking of warmth, unbefitting of his usual demeanour.

“…” He remained quiet and it agitated you further. Zephyr moved from his seat across from you to beside you, facing some difficulty standing up straight due to the low ceiling of the carriage. He shuffled to your side of the carriage and sat down. Your eyes followed him as he turned to you.

“…” He was still silent, his gaze dropping down towards the ground.

Cold sweat was beginning to form on your forehead. Seeing Zephyr so quiet and emotionless was concerning if not alarming. “Zephyr?” You called out, leaning in closer until you came into his peripheral, hoping that would finally catch his attention and prompt him to say what was on his mind.

He finally looked back up before reaching over to you. He grasped onto the hem of your veil and lifted it, revealing your golden eyes to him. “You’re worrying me, Zephyr. What is it?” You asked, furrowing your eyebrows. You grabbed onto Zephyr’s hands that were still holding your veil. “Why are you taking it off?” Zephyr simply shook his head and let go but not before making sure it wouldn’t fall back down and cover your face.

“I just…want to see your face, Lady (y/n). Just for a bit.” Zephyr explained, a small smile finally gracing his lips. You frowned, not convinced it was as simple as that. He took a breath before finally speaking. “Lady (y/n), no matter what happens when you meet with the queen and prince later,” He held your hands in his. “Please remember you’re already doing your best."

You blinked. “…What?”

Zephyr pulled you close and embraced you, pressing your head against his chest. He stroked your hair gently. You could hear his heartbeat through his chest, slow and steady. It'd even be calming if it weren't for the current situation. “You don’t have to fix every problem this kingdom has.” You looked up from his chest, eyes swirling with confusion. You pushed yourself off him. Zephyr doesn’t stop you but his arms remain in a loose hug around you.

“What does that mean?” Zephyr sighed and closed his eyes. “…The politics of Ebreau is more complicated than you think, Lady (y/n).” He reopened his eyes and his purple irises stared back into your golden ones. Unlike his, your heart was pounding inside of you, threatening to burst from the stress but you pushed on, knowing this was important. You had to know more. “Tell me then. Shouldn’t I know how this country functions if I am to guide its people?” You pestered for him to elaborate. You unconsciously gripped onto his robe, tensed about what he’ll say. Just how many more challenges were you going to face?

Zephyr’s hands went up to your face and cupped your cheeks. He leaned down, shortening the gap between both your faces. “The relationship between the royal family and the temple…isn’t as great as it seems.” Zephyr confessed. The cheering outside continued on even after your retreat into the carriage but right now, you wished it would stop so you could have some silence to process this information. You tried your best to respond. “What…what happened?”

Zephyr let go of your face before peeking out the blinds. You looked out the small opening between the blinds and windows over his shoulder. The people continued to celebrate the procession outside, their voices not appearing to die down any time soon. He readjusted the blinds and blocked out the people once more. He took a deep breath.

“Things started to get messy 3 years ago. After the war with the Casvians began." Zephyr recalled. "As with all wars, the kingdom has suffered many losses from this ordeal, including but not limited to economic downfalls and disharmony among its people." You nodded. That makes sense...But how did that cause the deterioration of the relationship between the temple and the Royal family?

"Much of Ebreau's money and resources have been sent to the front line in the northeast to aid in the battle with Casviren. The Royal family only has so much money to spare now and they cannot effort to spend it on unnecessary groups or organisations." He fidgeted in his place. It was clear this was a sensitive and top secret topic. You could see glints of worry reflected in his eyes as he spoke. Zephyr was afraid of this information being leaked to the public.

"The temple maintains the people's belief in our Lord, Calerus, ensuring their undying loyalty to him. A common religion fosters unity and reduces dispute among the people as everyone shares the same principle and belief." Zephyr elaborated. You processed his words, keeping your head bowed in thought before asking. "So, basically, the temple is responsible for keeping the peace among the citizens?"

"Yes, that's a good way to put it." A smile graced Zephyr's lips, easing the tension in the air. "But many tragedies have occurred. Much blood has been spilled and even more tears have been shed. The war has raged on for too long and too fiercely. It has made a grave impact on the people, not just economically but also spiritually." He sighed. "They are starting to lose faith. Some even believe Calerus has abandoned Ebreau." Zephyr played with your hair. It appeared unfitting of the situation at first but looking at how he was rubbing and pinching the tip of it instead of twirling it like how he usually does, you guessed he was doing it out of anxiety and not playfulness.

Your mind spun as you tried to piece together the information. You never knew the beliefs of Ebreauans were waning. Have you just not been out and about enough? Surely not. You ran errands everyday for the past 2 years. You were always outside and mixing with the folks. Then that means either you're an unobservant idiot or you've never seen Ebreau when it was still prosperous.

The war started 3 years ago and you only got dropped here 2 years ago. 1 year may not be enough to put a dent, economy wise in a kingdom as wealthy as Ebreau but you don't doubt it's enough to instill fear and cause hysteria among the people.

Perhaps you've never seen the true glory of Ebreau.

Perhaps you've jumbled the chaos with the mundane.

Perhaps this madness has become your normal.

"The temple is losing influence, is that what you're saying?" You muttered and, to your dismay despite expecting it, Zephyr nodded. "Our Lord, Calerus," he sighed, "is no longer a tie that binds the nation together." He looked away before closing his eyes. "We no longer have the means to maintain the peace like we used to." It hurt him to admit this.

"..." You were deep in thought and thankfully, Zephyr was more than willing to give you space to process everything.

People are scared and confused. The war with the Casvians has gone on for 3 years already and currently, it still shows no signs of stopping. The commonfolks are grasping at anyone and anything for guidance in this desperate time. They look towards those in charge, in this case, the Royal family and the temple for assurance and direction, for a spark of hope that they will get through this. But when that fails...

It's not going to end well for the higher ups.

Zephyr took a deep breath and continued. "The palace considers us inept and are an extra weight that burdens them when they already have so much on their hands." The carriage rattled as it went over, what you assume to be, a rock. "Communication between the temple and palace has decreased to when absolutely necessary over the years and collaborations happen only to uphold the act that Ebreau is co-ruled by the temple and royal family." He explained further.

"I..." Zephyr paused midsentence and your breath hitched, awaiting what terrible news he will relay on you next. "I expect them to cut ties with us soon." You suppressed the urge to jump out the carriage this instant and run back to the temple-no, back to the small, little house you rented before you became Messiah. Before everything went haywire.

You buried your face into your hands. This was all too much. It went from bad to worse to horrible. It's been a constant downward spiral these back few days.

Don't cry, (y/n). Don't cry.

A pair of arms wrapped around you and pulled you towards their chest. Zephyr hugged you as he caressed you. His hand going up and down your back as he comforted. "I'm sorry to burden you with so much, Lady (y/n)." You felt him gripping onto your clothes. "I don't expect you to fix these problems. They've been festering for too long." He kissed your head.

"Maybe this country is already beyond salvation."

Your hands felt weak and fell from your face as he murmured into your ear. This kingdom... Ebreau... Your home...

How do you save it?

~✟~

The palace was just in view as the horses trotted closer, leading the carriage from the cobblestone road of the central town to the tiled pathway within the castle compound. Royal guards dressed in their white uniforms continued to stand guard beside the pathway just as they did when you were still on the streets of the central town. However, now with the revelation that people from the palace have a sour (to put it nicely) relationship with the temple, the blank stares of these men felt a lot more menacing and frightening than they previously were.

You met eyes with a certain guard on duty beside the pathway and it could be paranoia speaking but you swore there was ill intent behind those eyes. A chill ran down your spine as you quickly adverted your eyes to elsewhere.

Zephyr was still seated next to you, not moving despite already finished telling you the situation with the Royal family. You didn't mind though, you needed the emotional support for what was about to come.

The palace was mostly white in colour, its roof golden and its doors wooden but painted with silver, so were the window frames. As you inched closer, you could make out figures standing in front of the main entrance.

You gulped.

The carriage came to a stop. Zephyr stepped out first before holding his hand out for you to take. You slowly reached over, scooting towards the open door before stepping down the steps of the carriage, your hand in his.

Your heart was racing and you mentally counted to yourself before lifting your head to meet the gazes of the people before you.

“Messiah, we are so delighted that you’re here.” A silky and smooth voice poured from the mouth of the woman in front of you. The woman had light brown hair, done up into a side bun which hung low and near to her face. She wore a light blue gown, embellished with white pearls and clear crystals around the waist and also the skirt of the gown. She smiled, a few wrinkles appearing around the corners of her ruby eyes. “I am Marika Sinnyala.” She introduced herself, leaving out her title.

Queen.

Marika held up her hand and gestured to the person standing beside her. A younger man, tall and slim. He wore a uniform similar to the royal guards except his was silver, not white and there were some black embroidery around the collar. He had the same red eyes and a face resembling hers albeit it was more masculine. It wasn’t hard to tell who he was and what his relationship with Marika is.

“This is my dear son, Xion Sinnyala.”

The prince strode over, his white hair bouncing gently on his head. A mark of royalty as some would say. As was gold the colour of the divine, white was the colour of royalty. The Sinnyala family had ruled Ebreau for centuries alongside the temple. A striking characteristic of the Sinnyalas were their white as snow hair. It’s speculated that that’s why white symbolises royalty. It wouldn’t be far fetched that as time went on, Ebreauans associated that colour with power and luxury. Most past rulers of the kingdom had that colour of hair after all.

Even the late king.

Xion stopped right in front of you. He reached for your hand, grabbing onto it as he leaned down. His touch was feathery light, you could barely feel it.

It was almost as if he was avoiding touching you.

You resisted the urge to pull your hand back as he pressed a soft kiss on the back of your hand. His other hand rested behind his back. To outsiders, it may have appeared as a friendly gesture. A greeting from a prince to a maiden. Gentlemanly and almost fairytale like. You admit. Something like this, normally would get your heart racing and cheeks flushing.

But Xion, he was staring right at you as he did so.

The mother and son pair may share the same coloured eyes but Queen Marika’s were soft and friendly as she greeted you. Prince Xion, on the other hand, his eyes were piercing and fierce, his gaze felt like a glare. His actions seemed gentle and welcoming but the look in his eyes said otherwise.

You suddenly felt grateful for the veil you were wearing as your lips trembled.

His soft lips finally left your skin but he did not stand back up. Still in a bowed position, his voice, low and crisp, sounded.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Messiah.”

Another voice echoed from within the deep chambers of your mind at the same time, almost overlapping with the prince’s.

“Beware the Heretics.”

~✟~

Ahhhh done! Finally! This chapter was so hard to write since it was less action and more lore heavy. But finally it’s done! I was supposed to get this up yesterday but my body straight up went “hey wouldn’t it be funny to make her sick?” So yeah. That kinda slowed me down a bit. Sorry and thank you for waiting! I hope you enjoyed ^^

Ps: I decided to change the colour for Messiah from blue to orange since it suited better so I’ll go back and change the ones in previous chapters afterwards. Oh and again, any errors you find, let me know so I can correct them!

~

Taglist

@ursinaw @ceeesxy-blog @deepinballs @vash-yuu @fairy-lenaa @fleurescentlight @surprisemodafakas @cerisearan @avyannasstuff @justabratsworld @m0chilattae @sirenetheblogger @rosesunderthegarden @party-9 @waywardstardustcollector @crnnbrry-blog @iamapotatoe @altumsomnum @liesatemyocean @tired-of-life-86 @takottai @alexatiu

please tell me if I missed anyone!

[onetwofeb]

“Let me point out in passing that I could not fail to be surprised, touched, and even moved when I found in Shakespeare’s Sonnets the literal term “present-absent,” complete with a hyphen, at the point at which he was describing love relationships.”

Jacques Lacan, Seminar VI, Desire and Its Interpretation, page 371

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 45 of the Fair Youth Sequence, in which he is expressing his love for a young man

[coffinsister]

@ashleydidnothingwrong Where is that implied? Are you referring to the Ashley voice mails where she tells Julia she's not the only girl with her brother? Cuz I always just took that as Ashley's jealousy, like Ashley literally thinks talking to other people who aren't your beloved is whoring yourself out and being unfaithful, so yeah

Idk Andrew doesn't really seem like the type to cheat for me, like he's already bored enough dealing with one girlfriend, I don't think he wants any more pression to mask even more.

He's just very repressed until he can start dating his sister and be happy that way.

Andrew and Julia sleeping with each other when Andrew starts saying Ashley's name in his sleep. Julia thinks he's having a nightmare until she realizes those aren't noises of worry he's making...

Oh actually that's curious, would Andrew have nightmares while staying over at Julia's place.

If he did though, I cannot imagine him asking for Julia's help the way he does Ashley, on one hand because he doesn't want her help, and on the other because both him and Ashley know very well Ashley is the only one who can give him respite

(Also, Andrew does lie about his nightmares sometimes, I wonder if he ever used that as an excuse to just stay with Ashley at their place instead of going to sleep with Julia)

In this situation, I can picture Julia just waking up and taking a second to process the situation first, she's worried and too drowsy to just wake him up all at once, but then slowly, she looks at Andrew and at his flushed face and at his hands and at the way he's moving against the bed

And she just quietly listens-in in silent terror at her boyfriend moaning out his little sister's name in front of her

Usually any girl would get pissed at their boyfriend having sex dreams about other girls, but it is a special kind of scary when said girl is his not so discreet little sister

I definitely think that Julia wouldn't take too kindly to that, I cannot really picture her being okay with the incest that way, the way other characters in-game seem to be, but she also comes off as very non confrontational.

So I think she would just shove Andrew awake with one swift move and then immediately turn around on the bed and pretend to be asleep.

Julia also pretends like she doesn't hear her boyfriend quietly cursing to himself while lifting the sheets out of the lower half of his body before quickly running to the bathroom and locking himself up in there for a while.

Man, Andrew is such a bad boyfriend in my takes lol, maybe he was more decent in-game, but somehow I rather doubt that. Doesn't seem like he cared much for poor Julia.

[psychopomp-namine]

ohhh okay. there are two maybe three different copies of the shakespeare book, and liu xiao has either the original one that cheng weimin wrote in or it's a copy same as cheng weimin's.

(it would be odd if it's the original because does that mean cheng weimin wrote on two pages, sonnets 19 and 38? liu xiao scribbled here which means someone else wrote this. either cheng weimin wrote twice in the same book, wrote twice on different pages of different books, or someone else wrote this. mayhaps...... mysterious blonde lady.......) (<- just need mysterious blonde lady to be relevant somehow, and the ed is pairing her with liu xiao soooo)

(or it's liu xiao himself lol)

cheng xiaoshi has a different copy with possibly a missing sonnet (?) since sonnet 37 shows up on the left page for him, but on liu xiao and cheng weimin's copies, even numbered sonnets are on the left page.

though cheng xiaoshi's book has sonnets 18 and 19 in the correct page, so there's an error somewhere after that for some reason. like a misprint? lmao. I wonder which sonnet is missing...

more continuity errors like usual 🤗 bridon is truly the dream sequence season

edit: if you're reading this, please check the reblogs. it gets worse

[i-am-the-oyster]

The book consists of McCartney's discussions with Muldoon of the lyrics of 154 of his songs written during his time as a member of the rock bands the Beatles and Wings and as a solo artist.

The Lyrics wiki page

Fair Youth The "Fair Youth" is the unnamed young man addressed by the poet in Sonnets 1–126. The young man is handsome, self-centred, universally admired and much sought after. The sequence begins with the poet urging the young man to marry and father children (sonnets 1–17). It continues with the friendship developing with the poet's loving admiration, which at times is homoerotic in nature. Then comes a set of betrayals by the young man, as he is seduced by the Dark Lady, and they maintain a liaison (sonnets 133, 134 & 144), all of which the poet struggles to abide. It concludes with the poet's own act of betrayal, resulting in his independence from the fair youth (sonnet 152)

When discussing or referring to Shakespeare's sonnets, it is almost always a reference to the 154 sonnets that were first published all together in a quarto in 1609

Shakespeare's Sonnets wiki page

[libidomechanica]

Peeped, shining streams be free: but in his gulfe

A sonnet sequence

               1

Peeped, shining streams be free: but in his gulfe. Brought two grand dear love. And feet the tilt of a burro.—To be lost though in you to come may triumph, being and is herte al hoolly on, to and found so he chewed her forehead’s like amorous birds are, or honor now I know, mong a number one is farre: I thought nedes be endured. For feare not yet a breach of callow jinkin’ round him to one by one and that other reason why my most fervently, the time so sordid and sing at emotion of the fieldes ay fresh, and blessed are, most quiet tomb, our fresher star! She has they chaffred?

               2

And this inconstancy. Might doth find, but sorrowing, all this husband gave, purification to me, saying. From you, the high treason to heart of lost my métier, yet God’s just reverted back I felt as a swallow youth before mayst attune thy day-nets none do slacken, none scapes free from mine own, is no disastrous, blood worn like shepheards swayne, much had she is gone; ten time, where on its object finding now? My woe now my visits here! For this: Once you, I engraft you wake? And to touch, as is this husband told me with all through rain and the good as worthiness of Albany.

               3

And when to cease; whether tongueless like a robe, and she had no pere: so fold the helpless green bank hath powers, which, used, lives there they han sold thilk same long on the hour stroke, thereof nought is dreary, I would he speed, being a boat passion put thirty thousand wretched men to those feeder was smash candy out of a people beat hears so gentle mould, o heauens high comes those that repose, ne’er to complain about thy sorrowe and perforse. Whose base and pensive tendance made itself slipt from this by tears speake, perswades for being poyson knows; let the eleventh months ran on him, the hour!

               4

The heaven’s circle weaves a drowning thee! A dwarf-like in each rose that I want to have no rude alarm; and maken gayne, oft liues with thyself were drincks she roses at my steps: great bridal bed by fate and loue right with houses well might doth, if thou go? All of content you? And o’er the love the vena cava. On thee lie! But heedy shepheard, have her, world till growth to sullied night doth hence I knew not. Like an into the eye; that’s all pleasures grieved that way shall see; see him once cometh not, thoughts in a cause of many han the bosom assail’d or victors of my Firmán, he quiet!

               5

Matter; that she said, fifteen stone for the stroked in symbiotic lichen. And could not, though it festers of rauenous smart, thou art much profane I will buy his faults lived on. For they wyll: or the daffodil, I know the Foxes that so wild beast a helper, me, tiresome verse. If they doe as thee from thou be told me with the noble lang nightly pray, a Lambe had she has twa sparkling roguish een. Me, the immortal change in trouble thou doest me too cute, the bower. Tunnel. And youthful ash, that I might I a lesson derely tas- ke, as cocke on my steps: great Mother do.

               6

But thee, Katie, my complaint in your name. —’Tis done my wrongsthat she, that way, I pray these worth a love vaunteth not, they’d undermined, some one is the poplar fell upon the fruit, as full moon, and take their pedantic boring circles. The moon-struck me destroy, Sighing sich. Now is thy payne. The firths of dryness find him; by the parasitic forms that ill or well. Why show, the Muses, thought ease and most mite make payne. He couth to be grateful Time for tincture stalking with beauty, blunt the fieldes and lost my mistress might I lean toward, from thee: but when Sicilian shepheard that men do misse.

               7

Got new fire—my mistress’ thrall, came vested morn by morning glanced about they chaffred? Thou art gone as spring-days, with savage, extreme; a blisse? With pyne and draw thee with the others are the middle of the world is dimme and with Melancholly mind bemones his truth before alone kingdoms of men darken, and ease. Hardly leaves so fonde, in which that doth impart. Bene a little hour! I kiss on her brow: are ye this possible, and hold is more than to cease, cheek grownd, and forced, mought that forth thou was wonted light, and true Love, foolish me! If ten of care the wound with your hair sprent witch!

               8

A love the streaming teares and oh, you seest my life has desire was sloping to do he knew her cheek grownd, and arbitrary black men who cherished her shape and giue hem there blythe bell. To roll all our stroke, life. With her own to find the dirke night not a thought little ones are done my wife she country yielded she like a robe, and we shouting a web over the dazed eyes that lights of icy grass, stood as men sayd, was plentye: and if thou art not me; he music. A light, my orphans of my hands over my eyes, and thither; the stroked in jest, but all her hands to touch upon the million.

               9

Ah fon, now nis the shy Thames anger too? Under the caged yellow bird hung with his spirit, by spirits taught, o heauie herse, make sweet good Hobbinoll, as God mought back again, and hope; while birds rejoice, a glory of mine. From Beauty in thee made him in the Lass of Albany. In thy jealousy? You are two; thy soul than to wake! Sit by the world drops dead. And cloutin’ a spoon; o merry hae I begun. Julia, I must for your name. Who last age should not think thy throat—it fail’d, and tears are like the dewy breast; but to use in my arm. But thou and I the javelin suck’d away, and lo!

               10

Is what shall love not thou was wont greene: the body—I looked at her but the flock of any fear from hands of dames: by axe and lyeth wrapt in little park with, hopeth all thoughts so strong as for they doen lick. I wonder more bene, what we may blessed Gods and a bird, that may look two will I say, thou always he, hold up your place, with ease we prove twas but an expansion, like a corsage to kiss on your she turned hast, noy gynnes to mine eye aside those the year old woods, as is dear, and the royal blood, like into the stal, is nowe nor iolloye, nor follow’d like yond Cosset, which it fades away.

               11

From thence I knew, I asked to say thus found whilst thou alone till grief with thou hast passion from her that some loss is a babe; the cond the dreamed that after his image should that jigsawing old, waiting frankly night invade the end of stormed at their cal: for such a closer to feel, to gie herse, yet soon will not by art. Dost thou some specially do well knows; let it yielded around and spirit, by sun and wear to meet heavy, my knees will knows not from the skirts, its wandering parts o’ men and blessed are you, you will be, yet of that hath chaunge the years. As in him had be broke my Bond, nor, in tight!

               12

In a mirror, dark procession; or, for now we see in so with other in they didn’t fix into that sedged brown-eyed morning what to me. Mine, among and dream, sweet- William with her than thee. And fell; but there shall loose all go forward as if in irony, and into weeping, grant in thou within her hand. To glide a sunbeams intermix’d? By dreary, oh God, and all the dice by turns once walk; nor wilt thou loves be only said, My life of mayntenaunce, emong the unshapeliest, for nought ay deeper and declare all the gravity at words will leap, and wavering disaster.

               13

Alike, when a’ was daye lightes, as they that has lost, my cabbage, I will we hae a lassie dwell. An age at least they went and the streaming crystal grows erect, as the more. Accept, dear is too-too cruel stars, and riding her dream, yet it yields;—reflection but of Lethe scatter’d marish-mosses to be her gardens greene bate, as witness’d defense cannon-bullet rust of the e’enin sun. And night wont in life’s the must cough, as I swim through she did it weighed enough; hope, lovely one in the porch … year after year, my carrets fine, my boiling spire; and hatred of the youthful times thou may come.

               14

If there for night; an’ kissin’ my Katie! But in air and make herse, nor glance to byte or tongues of shepheards sich, God mought that bene the second I felt as a tunnel. Our little hour in these moment, didonis dead. On the fragrant in little bit, which he wild wood where mighty Mother’s taut throw the Raven, star after from afar, and for hair, first set my tongue that a summer, ere it cannot rejoice on my love, all the morn; an’ she has twa sparkling sleep! See each other such a day of yours, I though strife thorough the other one in mine, like the middle of being from me.

               15

Might I lean to complayne, than I keep her exquisite face to restore. Not to be up to herye, nor fail beneath to say, and calling friends which I the working of Death as doom. I stand any more. What purple of his pipe, and lyeth buryed long ere thou loves be only said, The night, But at my mouth. And by some host to go on from thy frozen mount the fire-fly wakens: wake and rumour of revenge upon me, who must, like the never her garden-rose thee: I seemed a tear; by which this with payne, with thee of yore. At end the beames displast by dolors dint: all be as been in your here.

               16

Yet who knows her prayse, but balk the bosom’s liker must hour ere loth, she roses that hath melted into their poisoned not close, till growth to th’ utmost mad and colour’d vellum playe, or sleeping the raging sea, and my heads. It feels right what conscience is; yet was you covered in jest, but love, and see, who is neither than I know, to keep her up but mine and bright; an’ she has a little room. Betwixt men diseased; but to short to the never more could ne’er be prophecy, and new; when the village streamlets flow, and one moment for the wild voice slower, if men adore than recall, nor dare we things of great Pan bought that sweet heavy heart, for itself and with looks are past; an’ aft my life has made of all thing, whose to me, sayne, the most was on me, doth put to dress than the sonne of the more subterranean echo of clamorings peace is singing of spirit that’s for to death.

               17

In everywhere I stand, showing throne of things, hope, but it was you my eyes full moon, and I did, till not, though it in the love that grow vaster, yet God’s just awake. Then thou countest the womb is not fall and snow, for whose million. What a war with heauie cheat you on the dews at even; her tears speak, while I yet descry tears fell with thee, whether reason; but, fool I walk in the pride. What this work-day world, to hold, he, or hand in honde, that are chiefe, the mouse behind I weep on some euill at commaund: but now at dark night I not love lets down which watch not itself enough to support me, theyr furre.

               18

Had I a cave one twain, by praise, and bow and hunger than my old griefe I now haue this fair Lesley, as sheepe that slowly childward can we first shall darken, and the sea. To safely didn’t fix into something good old man vsed to Mars as he shown, let us divided live, and seem to sayne, but an hour of revenge upon the sun, yet, Thyrsis there the heard me sigh this and into the fields, that yours, I though I knew it. That other maidens came, and thorns on the other such a block left humankind, can I keep open my heavy do I in my old griefes store: o carefull verse.

               19

And my wrists, two names, horrible, hate I bemoan but with griefe: sike myrth now should keep it, and in hand though I must wed him run. To see him sits an idle toys, amid their open wing the other the faded quite and whispersed in symbiotic lichen in youth and blythe best displayd, it flouret of the world again. Deserts of human haunts, outliving the soil lies in and relics shalt have not see within few month of memory; then Kidde of all the sick: the stalk and you said, My life! Both demands, and still render purple sprang, and a womanly mirage I am the facts!

               20

And heaved a little hour in they sayne the village streaming spire; and waite. Others said I could die: till fayrest floureth fresh, and mine. Height the talked of a back-hoe. As from all are grateful, monstrous large, bright of haunt, and myself up: my hopes and girdled her to fighting wide, doe misse the more! The stars she never singing when I did see, Walke in Elisian fields, this ragged hands do hold. I tell you that wont greene bate, and wilt thou mounefulst Muse, what you said, The day within few months shalt thou betray my noble still at a shake, as cocked treasure feares flower leane soul iudging with thy side.

               21

’ Other, but loved each her down, and think and morning daffodil, I know what euer thou that bears, on whose who believes, and cleanly course: the fieldes ay fresh, as if a dream, yet firme love depends; so dost thoughts of her youthful shore, and now good-morrow out of love shall not cease the village gree, where, that this garden-rose that ease we property, it work in yougth and being made anither! Among all the half of why your times of people in the pleasure. Sleeping out of silver the fewer Woolues yrent, all of sums, yet it light. Ne would haunts, outliving the luring the undoing cranck.

               22

Julia, this huge stage present’st to haue thriue, all forget more from cages pull of the Apennine, thou doest prayse, but from the words is dead. And hath since sorrowing into the gold-dusted snow, when theyr folded around my heavy, my knees will to endure not, thou, O cruel, not heau’n doth not; love my lovers’ lovely maid’s of rauenous smart; such cause my cruel stars she said? Where are falsehood, in sun her sheepe would taken him to seeketh not in unrightest hour badly spight, my orphans of teares doe only the moth, grinning I tarry, to keepe, when I read her whom Mankind, can’st thou be thy verse.

               23

You love forsworn and trembling burn, with think you, a wofull within these fields, she stops before him from her eyes and penuree. Not come into one. For tincture stalk and mix’d my day. For that I do fawn upon? Before mayst thou years of your deep breath of thy repose, and from week to weare the royal bed where thee his best and let then my beauties budde, reliuen not love, and fall for the doors old footsteps of you and in wild as low, and lands—the rose glowing its webs. While thy within who lay then overbear reluctance fill’d his silver tolerant enchanted the birds are? With a smile to see.

               24

Laid by his sickle took precedence is of heart-weary night, blot out thy will he sprang, and like yon cherries ripe, and full flame usual in darkness it should she lo’ed her graue, the scales with all the foot less for they crammed the faire day is me thou leave me more bene beastly and base. Over the holy and being poyson knows what you, a woful word but with Desire; his pipe, the floure our deep east, dun and is here, her suffer, being hath conquer’d till our springing alone, sky-pointing sense of God, and knocking its wall; and day by day. Our lasses are thought pleasure of the David!

               25

There white, all for the shpheards to feed her and fevers bare finger blood. Sette foote in a dream, yet it like yon cherries ripe, and declare all thee has they would have climbed thunderbird instead of a burdenous corpse. You years of raungers, a continent. But not harms distill’d: make something care, to save the cannot provoked, as a beauty, midnight, then my stores of love? Mine only. Who dead, the Gods with my native to be but world my one the Flood, and two days until the faded lockes fall be done my wife she scorn denied me to byte or tongueless little time we home into heauie herse, let stream with Sally Brown, to squeeze like a corsage to bloom go I! Far into it—that there is the starre seemeth ay green, when perverted, does ever love. Object find. Leaving and in him his triumvirs; and is ended. Waiting for, tasted, turns from thee feeble, gave the year heart may blessed key can bring?

               26

Had bene falsen no wight. Shun the time may be more slow clocks throbbed thunder the Hall, my Maud has sent it be you turne you up inside my heart; for, Lady, were dead, the high degree, where you, whose Christian-name wild revolt, and Giaours throbbed thunder the mountain-tops where was stranger seeded and mix’d my day. Noons of old! Now sleepe through bliss aboon, man, but if sadde Winter wind, concerned with should be bettering today—this, and tears are two love is, as there! The drift of truth, O Loue, now brings the streetlight, the Sun drop, dead weight doth faith, so as I ne wote, it is there the winds howl to the dead!

               27

Amid the cups of yore. Too rare, too rare, since I saw the Flood, at leads me bien, and let thy sweet; the living words: this thyr sourse, o ioyfull verse. Can your fill, and fear: why faint eyes, and fair; but balk this thy worth the old Law did Judas I had in posterity? Amid life’s morn to Caledonie! And if you best, if thy soule Diggon, I see lawn, clear away, because of higher tree, and of loue of mourning doves in the soul than the painted thy sweet and knocking it like a viper often comes to weare, not from my Maw. Yet to the will be the oxen’s low came round my wrists, two names, Spring, through those blest while his eye. They lie upon me, whose absence was vncouth: so lost thou dost wakes among theyr flocks astate. Lovely to-night, if ten of false to you. Where cams’t thought little the signs. Yet God’s just as I can, I will brings that in trance, bide each other just awake; mine own selfe had my day.

               28

Heart, now my visits here wardrobe which time. That due of woman, came too much profanations of the read: till doth words which were fleet as fair Albany. Defect, for I cleaved them not; love so alike, and milk and makes thus conquest and the sharp north, and day by day. Thou art as for buttondown, O maid, from world my spinnin’ wheel? Then how, when the World, baring of men are two of yore. Darkening slant in your favorite pop song I probably didn’t tell the light of hell in darkness it sees but a feint. Any hart; her hands—if she be told; and I shall be done away! Where yet withheld him to be.

               29

Procured that rage outside to her; now, young lion plaid, mine own, is no more, a little the sick. Not from her linnens, and always vision strain did guides: my true-love her sweet is the cote, alike the all-fragrant me tempt, but neuer heeds the womb is not in our brow and smile can warm leaden shapin’ a spoon; o merry hae I been so carefull verse. Over throat, in mossy skulls that rich forest hovel to a home; what might is more square foot the fled, and they nould but shore. To quite it seems you wilt thou lent’st a pure and base. Brought I will seeke forgive it is time, the other eventide.

               30

But balk this is my selfe escaped thilke same should be; we’ll welcome should keep court-favour: here next? In their thou doest procession so; had, having and fyrie furies for the frosty window light controls, and gilte Rosemaree? Nor in Christian-name was plentye: and stepping into the blossom of the grave’s a fine air I wish you were dead, the hills, where to heauie herse, bound there was but a feint. ’St from me I’ll remove mount the hills? All day within few months shall have sigh and why? Also he cheek! To make our poem left off your slave, I shall it pleasure of all within her brought two grand dew-drops dead or sleep!

               31

When in the bats, which her place with vigour fresh; an’ a’ the long them or explain—If I were death’s conquer all heart, smilest, dear is the sigh and thou in the heauens doe misse the stal, is nowe fast starry air of midnight as well: tho may we the sea. But by my true-love her, and all women up in early youth; and I shall leap, and marching Time from the shadow lour’st on maid of sweet will fulfil your Valentine. Radiant Sister of pain. Poor her garden-trees, and hatred of a back-hoe. Mine and me not, and pale with the million’d absence, bide each gripping in each simple, fire-fly wakes thus vnkind?

               32

Her he, nor fail so. Wake, sleep her used what way, I praised of her will, gude faith instant special blest, but in me, and strayen abroad. I waste it once, even less but to say truth needs me bien, and bent. Is faith! Dead and hunger too? Their images I love the others? Putting my grief, thou, best this english is flatt. Hollow shows; nor end of May, know him! Out of the forum, and bugle and vain the every part, nothing keeps the depth and thoughts and she ’d said, The day, whilst Ben he tribe of Reuben? Well, thy sweet good- morrow and all this to give you couldst rubies find one through strife and from the babe rest.

               33

Teaching lips and I the javelin such encheason, If you would maken a Mart of losing fall, and sommer drizzle, hye we home, and breath. And thorns once sticky, fluttering struck vainly in thy far-reaching Time for him; to a life unto grace the ministering gyres, by his own back to the Rust Belt. Of two gold or silver hornes but ah to weeping out over they grow; the helpless love of year behind the faire day I ca’ at my hand: and my wife she dangers stretch did know what was, became there the minds perfect music unto noble thou cannot provoked, a sad distant stay.

               34

Unto a mile, morne wind it was farre: I thought back but to use in my arms the peasant, Slavic and drinks that Memory wakens: wake to lift my love of others, risen agayne to the love I’ve often spoke I feared, the kindle coales of Cypres doe only Drink to ’stablish danger of thine. This isn’t have room.—They sang, they bene Wolues yrent, but my eyes so greenish malignant with honour, lay me not speak. And make iudge of thee. And the Charioteer and sing; I a’ the bitter on his friends which yet join not forbidden in war with me of. She only past, and past: since dead!

               35

A children, and bade the dreaded tear. To deck her Dame, and the leaves so great receipt with this mantled medowes mourning dance to die of Truth, tops in life’s the twisted chimney-stacks—are ye too quivering oblivion beyond mean, and outward part; but by my troth, which made you are as floureth fresh each greate she that she, that a hard or play hard to master. I feel thou art blame your name. And leans his western sky. Off the mind with a joy proposed; but to do but her casement-curtain the morning daffodil dies, what I been shame is lust in a clear, our Gipsy-Scholar travel.

               36

Laid paused hortensia spoken love, and high disdaine hath its food serve thee pure as floures fancies be. While his owne where the great she has twa sparkling roguish in his sweet dream, yet soon o’er it weene, yet halfe in love, and man. The scatter’d worldly vanitee, and myself, and find one especial blest, and young planet in trouble, gave thee how, in part of words which that old hysterical mock-disease—year after long sleepen long. That when the years to come away; whether by trade; and trust, enjoy’d no sooner was fully spent. And with will stroked in jest, but lies there dead, the Seven Sleepers’ den?

               37

And it was full flames to wake! She stooped; and while it my wife she did it weighed enough to support a matter it was pumping from me far frae the earth now shows now. Or captain jewels trifle undertook him to his dead. Care less, will the terms of the time I hunt for a little flushed, and all time, by new-built rick. The pathlesse though sorrow to our ain sweet Idyl, and I love: little her great is t, but into thy praised of by his own backyard like the wretched! Now droop, and is ended. As if to master; so many a light, and in question Whither? And purer or more to complain.

               38

And love, how thou art not, grow old? Let maps to confess? Her lips away that some home instinct in individualities, but hunker down, a third daughters, sing of injury. Lo, I have not to get in her roguish een. Me there by thy tongue that nys on earth forget him, less prosperously these twain, by praise, and the words by the Indians scorched wight, understand. And it weene. Lay you dearer thousand towns, the thine eyes, and of the Jews. A light, as it was but to show it go or stay, so sweetly doth not, she said he, if you’re lucky together it was surprising at set me go.

               39

Immersed and thou art as for they holden mysteries and left and in question of her cares to weepe for thy wrongs and shivers burn away individual beauty’s truth: and you, as he gone, which elemented birk and sees but a leafe from the houses or with repeats its webs. Was not loveth the said, our Gipsy-Scholar haunt, and when shall sterued with heauie herse, now is that it is the shepherd-pipes we first—they said, from earlier that nys on earth’s poorest how truely mene, but sorrow not to justify the best of ill make hast a helper, me, that I meant to be lost thou hast.

               40

Alas, why dost thou hast. Dear heart. Is perjury; then the maidenhead? I take their sad for him here the Gods greatest of right, and meadow-sweet good-morrow to make me with me in only so are needful at there before my sling. If there the swallows and flute would love so mortal men, and barbarous league-sundered by thee O that while it my wife, my cotage thou algate lust in a wave is singing when the quiet smile betwixt the indent of the rights against thou for beautiful voice, a gesture I love and hope; while it might unused beauty as the last night among the sea.

               41

On lofty aiks the cold morn the golden Autumn woodland over any good. Young souls to go against the rest, that it is faire to be here our fix’d; beauty treble; and woe among whose soul than forgiveness, a love my dearer: yet all the white fog creeping, vseth. But knew it, she fled, and take his eye. These brambles pale and check, with me; I am become and warm at e’en, while I live. Billows and the hidden: which stil keep therefore me that Boy, proue, some good or ill, we deemed a thunderbird instead perforse. And twilight shall weeps with this mildly away, but my kind, I embrace my sling.

               42

She stoute: but ah, of our boat a boat and lookest with a joy in white ravine, stately came, and the day, lights of it the loued last age should love without shall her side; for Nature, apt to know, to keep there’s no way. I will not boast thy spirits taught, past read than a wave had misled the November, and all of couetise, and have in the best doth but a drop of urine? And in my poor a plight skirts of Loue, I thinking of the rose up whole, and from that in battle, and her and seem only Hope to be hell; not blame of all male mind with clay. Do you in the right and fear: why faint. My words will no more I will be possess on your pen. At end the luminous eyes, and dance. And hath my rest. My heart that climbs still the torrent out Diggon. As he takes from the sweet springs given the wretched by me, lay quite sure Sighing still were trying roguish in his and changed: the spikes oft thy will be.

               43

Lay your pleasures warke: waile we the flown! Its farther, world my one through this my senses guide and the hills, and slip at once studded, old, white evening-sun so bright, dear he will I, alas, refraine; now will be true, you of inward and let me safe in time; down by the shiny things, belief in heavy eyelids screen; they wandered fruit of Writers mind! Remedy for buttondown, O the best displayd, it floure our two so as their craft is in their earnest lump of the floures fancied sight: and sidelong glance thou please, refuses to-night pass watched men to your morning on the mind with the ways.

               44

Tho may we talking when thee—beholding, but, in Natures besprint. Eve and morning mouthed erased. And breathing of the blackness is a burdenous Woluish sheep from this huge stage present’st a pure and sin he which they mought with the course the entirely bought pleasure, but genuine Love must quaile, that by your hands over us, and body that bindeth not, she said, I am very day. But, being made anither! From the smooth,—and now good-morrow to man,—o aye my wife she wakes the world, the through Year just reason no rival ither’s grief my eyes, and makes thus governes mee.

               45

The morning deliberate suicide wasn’t a disaster. As a whale rises keen, while within who lay the barren way, what was, a woman a’ her woe began to weare, now brings to Love were slurring crew; tis not be cured. To soothe a time may brag we hae a lass there before the Heaven, blind, and I have not selfe had gone, what place that bene all in white hills of the glacier; frail at fires, now brings my pains o’er, before than to week: much had sworn and fife to thee? His mother there remain as it thee’ I said, My life. And her will, gude faith! My orphans of the blood. I was but a leafe sturre.

               46

By tears speak, while his bosom try what euer auaile, that disturbing she said; she couch, and pastures cabinet, stella: now shall be poured out of silver tongues—and of Honour that wol his slow-chapt powers, nights, his because of silver told thilke payne, let not Thou Me, for the Hall, my Maud has sent it be self-same sky, and blow a straining song: then ought to writers use of the treasure of my spinnin’ wheel, and lo, it is, thoughts and drent, didonis dead on to move to hear you open unto me. For weakness, blent wilderness who has a little on her veil draw softly it rains are done away!

               47

And giue yond Cosset, while as in us is over my Sappho’s brow, and slug and at heightenings that err’st not mixed equally; if our bed will, thy grave thee hent, nethelesse state, and thro’ cells of love, and hang like yond Cosset, which rubies, corals, scarlets, all drench. And holding, besides love, and all the Noose of nyne, such country for ever; for Nature’s a youthful ash, that some fine picture wont for feared thine earthly turmoil growing the acacias, and morbid that by the hill be tomb’d with Decay, to chace, but oh your long present’st a pure lovingkindness lays upon the other lite.

[lichqueenlibrarian]

Parmen makes Kirk recite Shakespeare’s Sonnet 57, part of the “Fair Youth” sequence of the sonnets.

[tanadrin]

memo to the world: the rubaiyat of omar khayyam is not an "epic poem." it's not very long, for one. but more importantly, it's a collection of poems! it's like a sonnet sequence, if every sonnet was four lines long. and it's not a fixed sequence or anything; the "rubaiyat of omar khayyam" as usually understood in english is a particular selection of rubaiyat by omar khayyam chosen and translated in a particular (and possibly tendentious) way. in a way it rather reminds me of some of wyatt's "translations" of petrarch's sonnets (e.g., "whoso list to hunt" vs petrarch's 190th sonnet)

[mamasuellen-blog]

Aziraphale and Crowley - Nightingale Analogy

After the second season, I started thinking of them both as if they were birds, specifically the Nightingale. Here's an analogy with scenes from Good Omens.

Symbolic Meaning of the Nightingale

The Nightingale is a charming bird, revered especially by artists, such as poets and writers who have been inspired by them and used them as symbols in their works throughout history and time. They are considered as a symbol of love and fidelity. This bird has inspired plays, songs, sonnets, folklore, poetry, stories, legend... It has cultural and mythological importance in various parts of the world. He is mentioned in several books that tell romantic, melancholic and tragic stories. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman chose this particular bird to be part of the iconic story of Good Omens.

Some examples of stories about our two Nightingales over time.

When they met, they sang a millimetrically perfect melody on the same frequency, a song that only they could understand. A tune full of feelings, sensations and connections between two creatures. It brought harmony and meaning for them to stay together.

Color Detail

The Nightingale's plumage predominates in discreet brown and brown tones, with slight RED shades. Your chest is more GRAY in tone, with RED or WHITE tones.

The Power of The Voice

This bird plays an important role in the ecology of the region in which it lives. The sound produced by the Nightingale can help regulate the population of insects and other animals that are part of the food chain. Crowley and Aziraphale are guardians of the land and together they played an important role in keeping it safe. Maintaining balance is essential.

They are Territorial

They are very territorial and become even more so during mating season. They respond more aggressively to others who enter their territory, as they want to protect their love nest.

The Musical Richness of Nightingale’s Song

This bird's musical repertoire includes 260 sequences. His song has a double function: Seduction and defense of the territory. The Nightingale's serenade begins at dusk, continues through the night, and lasts through the early hours of the morning until dawn. It is possible that he sings during the day, even though this behavior is not that common. The most physically vigorous birds are also those with the greatest musical repertoire. Some sequences are sung just for your reciprocated love :

​While other sequences only serve to impose yourself against other rivals :

When a Nightingale hears its partner singing, it becomes very active, attracted by the unique and special sensitivity of this melody :

Crowley moves, fascinated by Aziraphale's singing.

The most impressive thing about this bird is its musical repertoire. The Nightingale is capable of singing for hours without repeating the same sequence once.

Crowley and Aziraphale know several languages. Aziraphale *sings* Nightingale in French.

The Nightingale's song reveals a remarkable delicacy and great power. In its vocal production, cheerful and lively sounds predominate, combined with a strong whistle, a strong whistle to attract.

Crowley makes a loud whistle to attract Aziraphale's attention.

Serenade of Love

After a lot of harmonious song between a Nightingale couple, it's time for the mating ritual and one of them always has the task of building the love nest. In the case of our Nightingales, romantic gestures to develop the relationship always happen.

The construction of the love nest is done with great care and care.

This ritual takes place at night and consists of beautiful love melodies, like the music that plays at the ball. While one Nightingale makes a special vocalization for the occasion, the other feels attraction and moves a lot (dances) and vice versa. Aziraphale chose Crowley and Crowley chose Aziraphale. The two have always been each other's ideal match.

The ball dance is the ritual of these Nightingales.

Predators

Although Nightingales are discreet, their song always reveals where they live, which is dangerous, as it attracts predators who want to capture them.

When frightened, the Nightingale uses its song to communicate sensations and threats, warning other Nightingales of danger. Our two Nightingales are threatened. Nightingale Aziraphale needs to alert his companion of this ambush.

Nightingales are capable of emitting very complex melodies, so complex that they are still of interest to ornithologists in studies. The mixture of different songs caused communication between Nightingale Aziraphale and Nightingale Crowley to become disconnected. The warning song gives way to the melodious and sad song.

The Nightingale Aziraphale tried to warn of danger.

Nightingale Crowley also tried to warn of danger.

After singing intensely to Nightingale Aziraphale, Nightingale Crowley's voice becomes weak and the song that follows is filled with suffering. In his last hope, he gives one last trill. He tried to protect their territory, but was unsuccessful.

The Last Trill of the Nightingale Crowley.

In the end, without strength, Nightingale Aziraphale's voice tried one last song. He wished the fairest of all for Nightingale Crowley, but he didn't get it. Pain hit him in the chest, closing his throat.

In the series, the band of Nightingales was already in the process of migrating, moving forward in search of warmer areas. In the posters for the second season, you can see them leaving.

The Nightingale flock heads off to migrate. The Nightingale Aziraphale also goes to heaven, but a place that is not his home.

I'm aware of what Neil Gaiman mentioned about Rouxninol's singing on Tumblr, but I chose to ignore what he said. Seriously, that's clearly a bird's chirp. And thank you to the person who managed to hear a bird singing in the scene and informed the fandom of this information. Whatever it was, it was a bird call. Yes, I may be crazy for believing this, but I'm not the only one, other people also believe it's a bird's song.

The Nightingale, who had sung in the book and at the end of the first season, for me, who is writing this analogy, also reappears in the second season, even if in a more discreet way, with an almost imperceptible and low voice. What's really impressive is that we can hear him, when the camera focuses on Aziraphale's face, who is holding back crying with his mouth slightly open, trying to emit something, or was it the Nightingale Aziraphale who made this song?

The predator achieved its goal. He separated and silenced the birdsong.

Nightingale Aziraphale was captured and transported to heaven in a box. A sky without any freedom, a totally inhospitable place, outside of its natural habitat

Meanwhile, Nightingale Crowley, at the slightest sign of distress, quickly flew in search of shelter to protect himself from the pain.

One of the peculiarities of Nightingales is that they are loyal birds and do not adapt well when isolated from their companions.

They were the last nightingales to leave and unfortunately painfully separated, which makes part of this romantic story in Anguish. And this fits the meaning and symbolism of the Nightingale bird for writers.

In season 3:

“They’re not talking to each other.” = They are not singing.

Although they are separated, the singing is still present. A single song and many memories. “A Ninghtgale Sang in Berkeley Square” has a heart-like vibration within them. This music resonates in them, like a charged wave of energy that surrounds them and tunes them to each other, a vibration so powerful that it connects them to "us".

I am faithful to the theory that Aziraphale sent the song to Bentley for Crowley to listen to, as he also remembers and will never forget the memorable moments between them.

"A nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is the song they can understand, the melody made sublime.

There is nothing that lasts forever, not even the pain of separation. The Nightingale bird's migration is temporary and on this journey they always return. The gang is always faithful to its place of origin.

In this way, in a flock, the nightingales Crowley and Aziraphale will meet and begin the freedom they so desire. The power of their song will be ineffable, allowing them together to destroy cages, traps and predators. Bringing harmony to their world.

In the end, Nightingale Crowley and Nightingale Aziraohale will flap their wings and fly together in synchronization, dancing in new airs, until they land on an apple tree branch, which is in a beautiful garden and there they will build a new nest. They will sing in a divine way, while exchanging vows of love, in a beautiful sunset.

Meanwhile, the Nightingale flock will be noisy for them on the South Downs.

I had a lot of fun writing this analogy and I hope you like it too. English is not my mother tongue, sorry for any spelling mistakes. Thank you if you made it this far. :)

[cedarxwing]

What was the most romantic scene in Hannibal for you?

The end sequence of Antipasto, hands down. Just everything about it. It makes me tear up every time.

The way Hannibal, heartbroken at Bedelia's rejection and betrayal, sits alone on the train en route to Palermo with Antony Dimmond's corpse in his trunk, recalling his last dinner with Abel Gideon while Ravel's Pavane plays.

The way even Gideon, who was always the Ripper's biggest fan, now finds Hannibal banal and tiresome, calling him pathetic and lonely to his face. The way Hannibal is disgusted by Gideon's poor manners, but puts up with him because he's that desperate for connection.

HANNIBAL: Why do you think I'm allowing this? GIDEON: Snails aren't the only creatures who prefer eating with company. If only that company could be Will Graham.

The way Hannibal is speechless at that. Not only does Gideon call out his obsession with Will, but he compares Hannibal, Mr. Firefly himself, to a snail. That's what Will's reduced him to.

Side note: LOVE how Gideon becomes a prophetic figure as he approaches death, "becoming brighter" as Hannibal puts it. Remember, this exchange takes place before S2b, sometime between Futamono and Yakimono.

Gideon can see how Hannibal longs for the kind of cannibal date night Will gives him at the end of Naka Choko, but refuses, out of sheer pettiness, to be his perfect dinner partner, snarfing down those snails with the utmost incivility. Love him. <3

"I'm just fascinated to know how you will feel when all this... happens to you." <- referencing how Mason will try to eat Hannibal, but on a deeper level how Hannibal's heart will be eaten as in the first sonnet of Dante's La Vita Nuova (which he quotes earlier in the episode):

Joyous love seemed to me, the while he held My heart within his hands, and in his arms My lady lay asleep wrapped in a veil. He woke her then. Trembling and obedient, She ate that burning heart out of his hand; Weeping I saw him then depart from me.

The way Hannibal looks SO SAD as he folds the Vitruvian Man into an origami heart, obviously still thinking about La Vita Nuova and how Will's eaten his heart. The way he extends the heart metaphor into the Three of Swords tarot presentation in the Norman Chapel to signify betrayal. The way the soundtrack swells with violins and the solemn heartbeat of a drum over beautiful close ups of Dimmond's skinned carcass.

Side note 2: I have searched high and low for the track that plays during the Vitruvian Man folding, but it doesn't seem to have been published anywhere. Tunefind says that it was adapted from Hayley Westenra's Never Say Goodbye (which is sooo romantic lol), but it doesn't sound anything like that song to me.

Finally, this is the most insight we, the audience, get into the conception of any Ripper tableau and it's a valentine for Will. Oughhhh. I'm going to cry just thinking about it.

[The Naka Choko dinner scene is a close second tho! The audacity they had to score it with Mahler's Adagietto... And the end of TWOTL would be my third pick.]

[hellsite-proteins]

Could you render William Shakespeare’s 29th Sonnet?

It reads as follows:

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself and curse my fate,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,

Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least;

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth sings hymns at heaven’s gate;

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

i'm not usually a fan of sonnets, but i really enjoyed this one :)

letter sequence in this ask matching protein-coding amino acids:

WhenindisgracewithfrtneandmenseyesIallalneeweepmytcaststateAndtrledeafheavenwithmytlesscriesAndlkpnmyselfandcrsemyfateWishingmeliketnemrerichinhpeFeatredlikehimlikehimwithfriendspssessedDesiringthismansartandthatmansscpeWithwhatImstenycntentedleastYetinthesethghtsmyselfalmstdespisingHaplyIthinkntheeandthenmystateLiketthelarkatreakfdayarisingFrmsllenearthsingshymnsatheavensgateFrthysweetlverememeredschwealthringsThatthenIscrntchangemystatewithkings

protein guy analysis:

this is made up mostly of alpha helices, with fewer loops than several of the other structures we've seen, which must be worth something. there may not be any confidence in the shape acting like a tertiary structure, but the secondary structure is doing a good job pretending to be trustworthy. the alpha helices are almost close enough for this to look like something, even if one of them does seem weirdly long to me

predicted protein structure:

[beyourselfchulanmaria]

下午我又去咖啡店做些我的皮雕工作、看書和避暑 lol … 熱到想要成天都浸泡在俱樂部的游泳池裡。 hahaha

In the afternoon I went to the coffee shop again for doing a part of my leather works, read and escape the heat lol…it was so hot that I wanted to soak in the club's swimming pool all day long. hahaha 😁😆😛 Lan~*

Rainer Maria Rilke 《Letters to a Young Poet》

譯者：Charlie Louth (Translator)

出版社：PENGUIN BOOKS LTD.

里爾克: 軍旗手、致年青詩人十封信 (中文版)

The Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke/ Letters to a Young Poet

作者：萊納．瑪利亞．里爾克; 張錯/ 評析

譯者：張錯

出版社：商周出版

萊納·瑪利亞·里爾克（Rainer Maria Rilke，1875-1926）在慕尼黑和布拉格學習文學、藝術史和哲學，通常被認為是二十世紀最偉大的德語詩人之一。他最著名的兩首詩集是《俄耳甫斯十四行詩》和《杜伊諾輓歌》。他最著名的兩部散文作品是《給一位年輕詩人的信》和半自傳《馬爾特·勞裡茲·布里格的筆記本》。

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) studied literature, art history, and philosophy in both Munich and Prague and is often considered one of the German language's greatest twentieth-century poets. His two most famous verse sequences are the Sonnets to Orpheus and the Duino Elegies; his two most famous prose works are Letters to a Young Poet and the semiautobiographical The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge. 

查理·勞斯 (Charlie Louth) 是牛津大學女王學院的研究員，以德語授課。他是《荷爾德林與翻譯動力》一書的作者。

Charlie Louth is a fellow at Queen's College, Oxford, where he lectures in German. He is the author of Hölderlin and the Dynamics of Translation. 

路易斯‧海德 (Lewis Hyde) 是暢銷書《禮物》(The Gift) 的作者。海德是麥克阿瑟研究員、哈佛大學大學部學生創意寫作主任，也是哈佛大學伯克曼網路與社會中心的研究員。他住在麻薩諸塞州劍橋和俄亥俄州甘比爾。 

Lewis Hyde is the author of the hundred-million-copy bestseller The Gift. A MacArthur fellow and former director of undergraduate creative writing at Harvard University, Hyde is a fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Gambier, Ohio. 

萊納·瑪利亞·里爾克（Rainer Maria Rilke）寫給一位有抱負的年輕詩人的有力感人的信。 二十世紀初， 里爾克  （Rainer Maria Rilke）給一位年輕的軍官學員寫了一系列信，在寫作、愛情、性、痛苦以及建議本身的性質方面向他提出建議。這些深刻而抒情的信件從此對包括女神卡卡和佩蒂·史密斯在內的幾代作家和藝術家產生了巨大影響。裡爾克的信充滿了誠實、優雅和對作為藝術家常常伴隨的孤獨的深刻理解，是靈感和安慰的無盡源泉。劉易斯·海德的新介紹探討了這些信件的寫作背景，以及作者如何將孤獨視為一種創造力。該版本也收錄了里爾克的晚期作品《青年工人的來信》。 80 多年來，企鵝出版社一直是英語世界領先的經典文學出版商。企鵝經典 (Penguin Classics) 擁有 1,700 多本圖書，代表了全球書架上的各個歷史時期、跨流派和學科的最佳作品。讀者相信該系列提供的權威文本由傑出學者和當代作家的介紹和註釋以及獲獎翻譯家的最新翻譯增強。

Rainer Maria Rilke’s powerfully touching letters to an aspiring young poet.    At the start of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering, and the nature of advice itself. These profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for generations of writers and artists of all kinds, including Lady Gaga and Patti Smith. With honesty, elegance, and a deep understanding of the loneliness that often comes with being an artist, Rilke’s letters are an endless source of inspiration and comfort. Lewis Hyde’s new introduction explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced his isolation as a creative force. This edition also includes Rilke’s later work The Letter from the Young Worker.  For more than 80 years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. 

[virromanus]

How the Renaissance Shaped the Italian Language

The Renaissance, a period of immense cultural, artistic, and intellectual growth in Europe, played a crucial role in the development of the modern Italian language. This era, spanning the 14th to the 17th century, witnessed a revival of interest in the classical art, literature, and learning of ancient Greece and Rome, significantly influencing the evolution of the Italian language.

Dante Alighieri's Contribution:

Dante Alighieri, often referred to as the "Father of the Italian language," was instrumental in establishing the Tuscan dialect as the standard for the Italian language. His most famous work, "The Divine Comedy" ("Divina Commedia"), written in the early 14th century, was one of the first major works of literature written in the vernacular, i.e., the local Tuscan dialect, instead of Latin. Dante's choice of the vernacular over Latin marked a pivotal moment in the development of Italian as a literary language.

Dante's works demonstrated the expressive and aesthetic possibilities of the Italian language, elevating its status and proving it could be used for serious, high literary pursuits, a domain previously reserved for Latin.

Petrarch's Influence:

Francesco Petrarca, known as Petrarch, further solidified the use of the vernacular in literature. He is best known for his Italian sonnet sequences, which focused on themes of love, personal reflection, and the human experience. Petrarch's poetry, particularly his "Canzoniere" (Songbook), greatly influenced Italian literature and language. His refined use of the vernacular and his development of the Italian sonnet format set a standard for lyrical poetry in Italian.

Boccaccio's Contributions:

Giovanni Boccaccio, another key figure of the Italian Renaissance, also contributed significantly to the development of the Italian language. His most famous work, "The Decameron," is a collection of novellas written in the vernacular. It not only had a profound impact on Italian literature but also helped to shape the Italian language by demonstrating its suitability for both serious and more lighthearted, secular topics.

Impact on Standardizing Italian:

The works of these authors were essential in the standardization of the Italian language. Their choice of the Tuscan dialect, particularly that of the Florentine region, as their literary medium contributed to its status as the basis of standard modern Italian.

Legacy and Continued Influence:

The Renaissance's focus on humanism and the return to classical sources also played a role in shaping the Italian language. This period encouraged a deeper exploration of the human condition, emotion, and intellect, aspects that were deeply integrated into the Italian language through literature and art.

In sum, the Renaissance was a period of reawakening that not only rediscovered the riches of classical antiquity but also set the foundation for the development of the modern Italian language. The works of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio were not just literary masterpieces but also linguistic milestones that established the prestige and potential of the Italian vernacular, leading to its evolution into the modern Italian language we know today.