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Among the most influential philosophers of modern times, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) declared in this classic study that Greek tragedy achieved greatness through a fusion of elements of Apollonian restraint and control with Dionysian components of passion and the irrational. In Nietzsche's eyes, however, Greek tragedy had been destroyed by the rationalism and optimism of thinkers like Socrates. Nevertheless, he found in these ancient works the life-affirming concept that existence is still beautiful, however grim and depressing it may sometimes be. These and many other ideas are argued with passionate conviction in this challenging book, called by British classicist F. M. Cornford «a work of profound imaginative insight, which left the scholarship of a generation toiling in the rear.»

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The long agony of the American Civil War inspired a wealth of contemporary verse — from sentimental doggerel to sublime lyrics that rank among the finest American poetry. This inexpensive anthology brings together a superb selection of poems from both North and South, comprising the best and most representative poetry of those turbulent times.Over 75 poems include works by many of America's greatest 19th century writers: Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, William Cullen Bryant, and many more. Also included are many fine poems by lesser-known poets of the period: Julia Ward Howe, Henry Timrod, Edwin Markham, Edmund Clarence Stedman, Francis Miles Finch, George Henry Boker, and more.Among the selections in this volume: Julia Ward Howe's «Battle Hymn of the Republic,» Ralph Waldo Emerson's «Boston Hymn,» John Greenleaf Whittier's «Barbara Frietchie,» «The Death of Slavery,» by William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's «Killed at the Ford,» Henry Howard Brownell's «The Bay Flight,» «All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight» by Ethel Lynn Beers, «O Captain! My Captain!» and «When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd» by Walt Whitman, and many more.Ranging from boisterous calls to arms to poignant memorials for the slain, these poems reflect the heroism, horror, exaltation, and anguish of the bloodiest and most crucial conflict in the nation's history. Anyone interested in the Civil War or American literature of the period will want this collection on their bookshelves.

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Two sets of twins are separated at birth by a storm at sea: a pair of masters (both named Antipholus) and a pair of servants (both named Dromio). Years later, the Antipholus-and- Dromio pair raised in Syracuse happen to visit Ephesus, where the respective twins reside — providing the basis for ongoing incidents of mistaken identity, within a lively plot of quarrels, arrests, and a grand courtroom denouement.Based on a pair of comic dramas from ancient Rome, The Comedy of Errors presents a spectacle of pure farce in the spirit of utmost fun and — as the title suggests — hilarious confusion. One of Shakespeare's earliest dramatic efforts, the play abounds in his trademark conceits, puns, and other forms of fanciful wordplay. It also foreshadows his later and greatest comedies, offering students and scholars a valuable key to the playwright's development.

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In scene after memorable scene of Sarah Orne Jewett's fictional masterpiece, The Country of Pointed Firs, the Maine-born author recorded what she felt were the rapidly disappearing traditions, manners, and dialect of Maine coast natives at the turn of the twentieth century. In luminous evocations of their lives — a happy family reunion, an old seaman's ghostly vision, a disappointed lover's self-imposed exile, and more — Jewett created startlingly real portraits of individual New Englanders and a warm, humorous, and compassionate vision of the New England character.No less a writer than Willa Cather ranked The Country of the Pointed Firs — with Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — as one of the three American works most likely to achieve permanent recognition. Long overlooked, Sarah Orne Jewett is today widely acknowledged as an American master and The Country of the Pointed Firs as a landmark in the defining of American character and the American experience.

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Widely considered the most popular modern French play, Cyrano de Bergerac has dazzled audiences with its wit and eloquence since it premiered in 1897.Cyrano, a quarrelsome, hot-tempered swordsman, as famous for his dueling skills and pugnacity as for his inordinately long nose, is hopelessly enamored of the beautiful Roxane. She, in turn, is in love with Christian, a handsome but inarticulate and slow-witted suitor. Asked for help by Christian in wooing Roxane, Cyrano pours out his heart in romantic dialogues — delivered under cover of night and dense foliage — and through ardent love letters written in the name of Christian.Presented here in a rich blank verse translation by poet Louis Untermeyer, this beloved romantic comedy will be warmly received by theater buffs as well as students and teachers of drama and literature.

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Carolers, choral groups and sing-along enthusiasts will welcome this convenient collection of over 50 of the most popular Christmas carols. Compact, inexpensive and printed in easy-to-read type, this handy volume is the perfect companion to pass around and take along on informal singing events throughout the holiday season. With this book, you don't have to worry about remembering every word of every carol-the complete lyrics are right at your fingertips. The carols in this volume include: Away in a Manger, Coventry Carol, Deck the Halls, The First Nowell, God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, I Saw Three Ships, It Came upon the Midnight Clear, Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, O Christmas Tree, O Come, All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, The Twelve Days of Christmas, We Three Kings of Orient Are, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

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Among the best known and most quoted books of the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms contains some 150 hymns of praise, prayers of crisis, and songs of faith once attributed solely to the Biblical King David. It is now believed that this collection of poems, originally chanted or sung with instrumental accompaniment, reflects Israel's entire history from the period of the exodus (13th century B.C.) to the postexilic restoration (after 600 B.C.), and we cherish them as the expressions of faith of many generations and many peoples. The Book of Psalms is shared by all sections of Judaism and Christianity, and is fundamental to both Christian and Jewish liturgies. Its English translation in the King James Version of the Bible (1611), from which this edition is reprinted complete and unabridged, is an exceptionally beautiful and stirring one, long regarded as a classic of English literature.

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"Let blockheads read what blockheads write," suggested Lord Chesterfield. W. H. Auden once said, «Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.» And TV celebrity Jerry Seinfeld noted: «The big advantage of a book is that it's very easy to rewind. Close it and you're right back at the beginning.» Over 450 memorable quotes about books and reading fill these pages—with provocative declarations from Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Andrew Carnegie, Theodore Roosevelt, James Thurber, Anna Quindlen, and Oprah Winfrey, and scores of other writers, political figures, and celebrities.A handy aid for speech writers and public speakers, this entertaining collection will also delight general readers.

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In a faraway medieval realm, Manfred, an arrogant and evil prince, rules with an iron fist. Banishing his wife to the castle dungeon, he confines — and plans to wed — the lovely Isabella, fiancée of his recently deceased son. The prince's plans are foiled, however, when a well-meaning peasant helps the young woman escape through the castle's underground passages. Grisly, supernatural events further aid in fulfilling a prophecy that spells doom for the prince and justice for Isabella's rescuer and rightful heir to the throne.One of the first and greatest of Gothic novels, this thrilling tale ranks among the most influential books in literary history. Serving as the model for plots, characterizations, settings, and tone for hundreds of successors, The Castle of Otranto abounds with colorful scenes, adventure, suspense, and inexplicable phenomena.

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Although Robert Frost (1874&#8211;1963) wrote poetry throughout his youth and early adult years, his first collection of poems was not published until he was nearly 40 years old. And, ironically, it was not in America that this quintessentially American poet was first published, but in England. In 1912, he settled his family in Buckinghamshire, determining to devote his full life to poetry. <BR>In 1913, Frost published <I>A Boy's Will, </I>his first collection of poems. A series of sharply observed impressions of New England rural life touching upon universal themes, it included such poems as «Into My Own,» «Asking for Roses,» «Spoils of the Dead,» and «Reluctance.» A second volume, <I>North of Boston, </I>followed in 1914 and contained several of Frost's finest and best-known works: «Mending Wall,» «After Apple-Picking,» «The Death of the Hired Man,» and others. Both volumes are reprinted here complete and unabridged &#8213; a treasury of fine early verse by one of the 20th century's most admired poets.

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