Read deeply. Understand clearly.
The blog November 2026
Study notes, close readings and exam-focused essays on English literature, literary theory and poetry.
Latest Literary Theory 11 min read
Introduction: Woolf’s Groundbreaking Essay on Women’s Professional Barriers Virginia Woolf’s “Professions for Women” is a revolutionary essay that explores the challenges faced by women writers and professionals in...
Advice to Women poem proves that profound relationship wisdom can come in small packages. In just twelve lines, this concise piece delivers powerful insights about emotional dynamics in...
James Herriot’s “A Triumph of Surgery” delivers exactly that with humor, wit, and valuable life lessons. This delightful short story follows the misadventures of Tricki Woo, an overfed...
Introduction T.S. Eliot’s “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” published in 1919, remains one of the most influential essays in literary criticism. The essay revolutionized how we understand the...
Introduction “The Nightingale and the Rose” stands as one of Oscar Wilde’s most poignant and haunting fairy tales, exploring themes of sacrifice, unrequited love, and the often painful...
Introduction If you need to discuss the theatrical techniques and devices employed in the play The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, start with its political purpose. Written by Ngugi...
Henry James’s “The Art of Fiction” stands as one of the most influential literary essays of the 19th century. Published in 1884 as a response to Walter Besant’s...
The Road (1965) is a play by Wole Soyinka. It is set around a roadside shack run by the Professor, who sells spare parts from road accidents and searches for "the Word", the meaning of death.
The Pot of Gold (Aulularia) is a Roman comedy by Plautus, written around 195 BCE. The old miser Euclio finds a pot of gold and becomes so afraid of losing it that he suspects everyone, while his daughter's marriage is being arranged around him.
Samuel Johnson’s “London” (1738) stands as one of the most powerful satirical poems in 18th-century English literature. Written when Johnson was an unknown 29-year-old writer struggling to make...