Otto Jespersen helped transform English into a language that could be systematically studied. Through his work on grammar, phonetics, and usage, he helped shift English from literary tradition toward modern linguistic analysis—changing how it is examined, taught, and understood around the world.
Death of Otto Jespersen (1860–1943) — When English Became a Language to Study
excerpt Ivan Nikolaevich, the second rate agent. Still, she wanted the director to know that she had been correct in her suspicions.“Da, da, yes, of course,” nodded the functionary, pawing through his desk drawer searching for something. The man’s an idiot, she thought. This is the quality of worker who stands guard over the country! […]
Jazz with Ella
Rod McKuen helped bring poetry closer to everyday English. Through simple vocabulary, conversational rhythm, and emotional directness, he made verse feel less formal and more familiar—expanding poetry’s audience and helping reshape what modern English poetry could sound like.
Birth of Rod McKuen (1933–2015) — When Poetry Began to Sound Like Conversation
Avec délicatesse, tu vins sécher ma peine,Cette larme qui fuyait, trop lourde à contenir ;Ton sourire a posé sur ma nuit son haleine,Et j’ai revu, grâce à toi, la lumière venir.La douceur d’un baiser, si simple, si discret,M’a soulevée d’un coup, comme un souffle vainqueur ;Ton regard langoureux, tes mots pleins de secret,Ont pris mon […]
Goutte d’âme – Drop of soul
The new issue of The Common, a literary journal always worth reading from cover to cover, carries my poem “Legion.” I never thought I’d write a poem about the First World War, a conflict that gave rise to more great verse in English than any other. What could I add to the lines of Wilfred […]
“Legion”: Harry Krumm in the Great War
Ulysses S. Grant is remembered for war and politics, but his greatest contribution to English may be his prose. In Personal Memoirs, he proved that clarity, restraint, and plain style could carry more authority than ornament—helping define modern nonfiction in English.
Birth of Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) — When Plain English Became Powerful
The Beauty of Softness: Finding Peace in Paul Verlaine’s “Green” Green Paul Verlaine See, blossoms, branches, fruit, leaves I have brought, And then my heart that for you only sighs;With those white hands of yours, oh, tear it not, But let the poor gift prosper in your eyes. The dew upon my hair is still […]
Green ~ A Poem by Paul Verlaine
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