As far as Friars go, you can’t do much worse than Friar Laurence. He conducted the marriage ceremony of two teenagers who had known each other for a couple of days without permission from their parents. Who does that? Quotes from Act IV Quote: I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins / […]
Literary Quote of the Day: “‘Tis Torture and not Mercy”
June 20, 2022 By
Popular culture considers Romeo this romantic wonder, this suave, sophisticated loverboy. Let us not, however, forget that Romeo does some serious slicing and dicing. He’s not one to mess with. Just ask all the people he killed. Intro Music Quote: A plague a both your houses. (III, i, 99) Analysis: Mercutio as he dies says […]
Literary Quote of the Day: Juliet Betrays Her Family
June 19, 2022 By
Act I sets the stage. In Act II, the plot thickens. Here are some Romeo and Juliet quotes from Act II to make you sound smart. Intro Music Quote: O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name (II, ii, 33-34. Analysis: The key word in Juliet’s question is […]
Literary Quote of the Day: Finny’s Fall
June 16, 2022 By
One of my favorite novels I came across by accident when I was teaching 10th grade back in the early 2000s. It’s called A Separate Peace by John Knowles and it contains our quote of the day. Intro Music The novel’s protagonist, Gene, has issues. His best friend has a limp, a permanent limp probably […]
Literary Quote of the Day from Catcher in the Rye
June 15, 2022 By
The first time I read Catcher in the Rye, I liked and felt bad for Holden Caufield. The second time I read it, I couldn’t stand Holden Caufield and was happy about his demise. These contradictory feelings toward one of American Literature’s most famous protagonists is in line with Caufield’s contradictory feelings toward just about […]
Literary Quote of the Day: “We’ve Got to Have Rules”
June 14, 2022 By
I thought I had a well behaved class…until I got a student teacher. That’s when the Lord of the Flies broke out. Kids who had been angels in the classroom for over half the school year turned into savages. One day the student teacher left for the day and I resumed my role as teacher. And they […]
Mark Twain Literary Quote of the Day: “Preparing for a Calamity”
June 13, 2022 By
We talked about Mark Twain yesterday and it was such a fantastic episode that I thought I’d check in with Mr. Twain again. Intro Music Oh there’s plenty of quotes to choose from, but I thought I’d choose one that is relevant to teaching. Quote: The calamity that comes is never the one we had […]
Literary Quote of the Day: “Don’t Be a Bindle Stiff”
June 11, 2022 By
The first time I read chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men I was on a stationary bike at Gold’s Gym. When Lennie broke Curley’s Wife’s neck, I had to stop, walk outside, and collect myself. Today’s literary quote of the day comes from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Intro Music Crooks sees a lot. […]
Literary Quote of the Day: “It Didn’t Make Sense to Me”
June 9, 2022 By
The first time I read The Great Gatsby I thought Gatsby was cool. Then I got older and realized Gatsby is kind of pathetic. Perhaps I’m being judgmental, unlike Nick Carraway. Intro Music Nick doesn’t drink very often, but when he does it’s usually at an apartment in New York with his cousin’s husband and […]
Literary Quote of the Day: “Eating Your Own Tail”
June 8, 2022 By
I had a college professor who was a Mark Twain impersonator on the side. I went to UNLV in Las Vegas, so this whole impersonation thing is kind of normal there. Needless to say, he was a huge fan of Mark Twain and no matter what humorous literature we read, he claimed Mark Twain influenced […]