Critical Readings
Episodes
CR Episode 17: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Part I
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel discusses the first three parts of Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, proposing the Ancient Mariner as a figure in transition from the...
CR Episode 16: Lyrical Ballads, Part II
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel begins to cross over from Wordsworth to Coleridge in the second of three episodes focused on Lyrical Ballads, addressing the role of nature,...
CR Episode 15: Lyrical Ballads, Part I
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel discusses Romanticism and begins a three-week examination of selected poems from Lyrical Ballads, the experimental collection by Wordsworth ...
CR Episode 14: Gray’s Elegy
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As the panel continues the transition from the Augustans to the Romantics, they turn their attention to the notoriously self-critical Thomas Gray, who...
CR Episode 13: The Deserted Village
09 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel continues its focus on the poetry of the Augustan era of British letters, this time examining Goldsmith's poetic response to the increase of...
CR Episode 12: Astræa Redux
02 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Having concluded Paradise Lost, the panel moves from the poetry of Milton to the opposing views of one of his contemporaries, examining John Dryden, a...
CR Episode 11: Paradise Lost, Books XI and XII
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel concludes Paradise Lost with an examination of Adam's hope and despair, differences between Michael and Raphael, biblical kingship, the wort...
CR Episode 10: Paradise Lost, Book X
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel tackles the difficult problems of Adam's guilt, the nature of heavenly justice and its parallels with English Common Law, Milton's conceptio...
CR Episode 9: Paradise Lost, Book IX
12 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel discusses the ninth book of Paradise Lost, with a special focus on Milton's depictions of gender roles, guilt and innocence, division of lab...
CR Episode 8: Paradise Lost, Book VIII
05 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel considers whether the Garden of Eden required a robust space exploration programme (yes), whether Angels are real (yes), whether human being...
CR Episode 7: Paradise Lost, Book VII
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel examines the moment of creation, the etymological development of atheism and chaos, divine warnings against transgressing the proper bounds ...
CR Episode 6: Paradise Lost, Book VI
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel welcomes Zac Watson as special guest to discuss questions about Paradise Lost, before examining the War in Heaven, Classical cosmogeny, Sata...
CR Episode 5: Paradise Lost, Book V
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Clinton and Dr. Cooper examine the fifth book of John Milton's Paradise Lost, with a particular focus on Milton's Arian Christology and whether Satan ...
CR Episode 4: Paradise Lost, Book IV
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel examines John Milton's prosody (particularly in the light of Dr. Johnson's comments) and reflects upon his troublesome Christology and poten...
CR Episode 3: Paradise Lost, Book III
01 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel discusses the third book of John Milton's Paradise Lost, with special attention on aspects including the ambiguously diabolical imagery of t...
CR Episode 2: Paradise Lost, Book II
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The panel discusses Book II of John Milton's Paradise Lost, with a focus on the fallen angels as an inversion of divine imagery, the politics and plot...
CR Episode 1: Paradise Lost, Book I
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of Critical Readings, the panel begins a twelve-week discussion of Milton's Paradise Lost, with discussion focused on the poem's ...