An autobiographical collaboration of subsequent journal entries of a poet delves behind the scenes of solitary tedium and introspection when a spark catches between the heart and brain and transforms into a pulsing literary song on the printed page. Based in Brooklyn, New York in the twentieth century, the written word comes alive through a city dweller that gives his life for his art in the all-too-often darkness of poverty and the clash with social expectations. While a friendly narrative of a life story threads into a likeable character, the poetic expressions, observations, and essays surpass politics, social issues of the day, and religion and exposes the richness of beauty and the limitations of being human. Melancholic in tone, the writing dares to challenge the astute reader to explore the deeper and unspoken aspects of the human condition.
"This work postulates that the set of 116 designs by William Blake, illustrated herein, is not a series of individual responses to the pieces of text they accompany, nor is it a series of responses to the individual poems of Thomas Gray. The designs are also more than illustrations, or corrections, of Gray's speakers or of Gray himself. In the Gray designs, Blake was using the opportunity given him by John and Ann Flaxman in 1797 to explore and explain visually the reformist malaise in the reactionary nineties when the general economic well-being and optimism had been replaced by the effects of war and fear. For Blake, the collapse into the later 1790s is the failure of the imaginative will to sustain the impetus that the American and French Revolutions had begun." "Blake saw several causes for this failure of will and created a set of designs rich in allusions and dense with visual conventions. These visual topoi are personal, topical, classical, biblical, and literary." "Thus, there is a need for a study of the Gray designs that sees them as they are: a unity rich with visual conventions partaking of Blake's revolutionary pattern of development and desire to reshape in specific ways the mind of his audience."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Omar Khayyam’s Secret: Hermeneutics of the Robaiyat in Quantum Sociological Imagination is a twelve-book series of which this book is the third volume, subtitled Khayyami Astronomy: How Omar Khayyam’s Newly Discovered True Birth Date Horoscope Reveals the Origins of His Pen Name and Independently Confirms His Authorship of the Robaiyat. Each book is independently readable, although it will be best understood as a part of the whole series. In the overall series, the transdisciplinary sociologist Mohammad H. Tamdgidi shares the results of his decades-long research on Omar Khayyam, the enigmatic 11th/12th centuries Persian Muslim sage, philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, physician, writer, and poet from Neyshabour, Iran, whose life and works still remain behind a veil of deep mystery. Tamdgidi’s purpose has been to find definitive answers to the many puzzles still surrounding Khayyam, especially regarding the existence, nature, and purpose of the Robaiyat in his life and works. To explore the questions posed, he advances a new hermeneutic method of textual analysis, informed by what he calls the quantum sociological imagination, to gather and study all the attributed philosophical, religious, scientific, and literary writings of Khayyam. Omar Khayyam’s true birth date horoscope, as newly discovered in this series, is comprised of a dazzling number of Air Triplicities sharing a vertex on a Sun-Mercury Cazimi point on the same Ascendant degree 18 of Gemini. Among other features, his Venus, Sextile with Moon, also plays a lifelong, secretively creative role to intentionally balance his chart. These features would not have escaped the attention of Omar Khayyam, a master astronomer and expert in matters astrological, no matter how much he embraced, doubted, or rejected astrological interpretations. In this third book of the series, conducting an in-depth hermeneutic analysis of Khayyam’s horoscope, Tamdgidi reports having discovered the origins of Khayyam’s pen name in his horoscope. The long-held myth that “Khayyam” was a parental name, even if true, in no way takes away from the new finding; it only adds to its intrigue. Tamdgidi’s hermeneutic analysis of Khayyam’s horoscope in intersection with extant Khayyami Robaiyat also leads him to discover an entirely neglected signature quatrain that he proves could not be from anyone but Khayyam, one that provides a reliably independent confirmation of his authorship of the Robaiyat. He also shows how another neglected quatrain reporting its poet to have aged to a hundred is from Khayyam. This means all the extant Khayyami quatrains are now in need of hermeneutic reevaluation. Tamdgidi’s further study of a sample of fifty Khayyami Robaiyat leads him to conclude that their poet definitively intended the poems to remain in veil, that they were considered to be a collection of interrelated quatrains and not sporadic separate quatrains written marginally in pastime, that they were meant to offer a life’s intellectual journey as in a “book of life,” that the poems’ critically nuanced engagement with astrology was not incidental but essential throughout the collection, and that, judging from the signature quatrain discovered, 1000 quatrains were intended to comprise the collection. Oddly it appears that, after all, “The Khayyam who stitched his tents of wisdom” was a trope that had its origins in Omar Khayyam’s horoscope heavens. CONTENTS About OKCIR—i Published to Date in the Series—ii About this Book—iv About the Author—viii Notes on Transliteration—xvii Acknowledgments—xix Preface to Book 3: Recap from Prior Books of the Series—1 Introduction to Book 3: The Hermeneutic Significance of Omar Khayyam’s Newly Discovered True Birth Date Horoscope—21 CHAPTER I—Was Omar Khayyam’s Birth Horoscope Intended Just to Offer a Birth Date or Was It an Astrological Bread Crumb?—31 CHAPTER II—Considering Both the Stated and the Silent Features of Omar Khayyam’s True Birth Date Horoscope—53 CHAPTER III—Features of Omar Khayyam’s Horoscope as a Whole Based on Astrological House and Other Definitions Traditionally Held in His Own Time—89 CHAPTER IV— Hermeneutically Interpreting Omar Khayyam’s Horoscope as a Whole: Discovering the Origins of His Pen Name—131 CHAPTER V—Discovering the Signature Robai of Omar Khayyam, Leading to An Independent and Final Confirmation of His Authorship of the Robaiyat—177 CHAPTER VI—The Case of A Second Signature Robai of Omar Khayyam, Reporting Its Author to Have Turned A Centenarian—215 CHAPTER VII—Tentatively Intersecting the Findings with a Few More Khayyami Quatrains—251 CHAPTER VIII— Khayyami Astronomy and the ‘Khayyami Code’: Hermeneutically Understanding Omar Khayyam’s Attitude Toward Astrology and His Own Horoscope—297 Conclusion to Book 3: Summary of Findings—317 Appendix: Transliteration System and Book 3 Glossary—337 Book 3 Cumulative Glossary of Transliterations—350 Book 3 References—357 Book 3 Index—361
In a world perpetually in motion, the human spirit yearns for glimpses beyond the present, seeking to unravel the tapestry of the future. The fascination with prophecy, an endeavor to foresee the unfathomed, has been etched into the very core of our existence. It is this age-old quest that forms the heart of "Reading the Future: Prophecies and Their Impact Through History." In this captivating journey through the annals of time, we traverse the landscapes of ancient civilizations, where oracles whispered secrets and prophets shared divine messages. From the enigmatic prophecies of the Oracle at Delphi to the profound foresight embedded in religious scriptures, we unravel the threads connecting humanity's yearning for insight. The enigmatic figure of Nostradamus stands as a beacon of mystery and intrigue, his quatrains dancing on the precipice between reality and imagination. As we explore the life, works, and interpretations of this renowned seer, we delve into the entwined destinies of historical events and his captivating predictions. Venturing further, we journey into the realm of science and technology. With the advent of innovation, the boundaries of foresight expand, allowing us to contemplate the possibilities of tomorrow's world. We traverse the pages of science fiction literature, tracing the eerie trails where fiction and reality converge. Yet, this voyage doesn't end at the crossroads of imagination and science. It delves into the realm of the psychic, where extraordinary abilities challenge the limits of the human mind. We ponder over the implications of these talents, pondering the interplay between belief, intuition, and empirical understanding. In this book, we endeavor to disentangle the intricate threads of prophecy, examining them through the lenses of both the scientific and the mystical. We dissect the statistical intricacies, assess the depths of human perception, and unravel the impact of prophecies on human societies and psychology. As you embark upon this exploration, consider the profound impact that prophecies, visions, and anticipations have wielded throughout history. May "Beyond and Foreseen" serve as a compass, guiding you through the intricate maze of humanity's quest to transcend the present and catch a fleeting glimpse of the uncertain yet enthralling horizon of the future.
Over 15 years in the making, an unprecedented one-volume reference work. Many of today's students and teachers of literature, lacking a familiarity with the Bible, are largely ignorant of how Biblical tradition has influenced and infused English literature through the centuries. An invaluable research tool. Contains nearly 800 encyclopedic articles written by a distinguished international roster of 190 contributors. Three detailed annotated bibliographies. Cross-references throughout.
‘The title is Search Party – the idea being that we’re all out here looking for something, and my poems are my way of finding myself.’ A young black poet blending spoken word and rap; an inner city upbringing with a Cambridge education; a social consciousness with a satirical wit and infectious rhythm – George The Poet is the voice of a new generation. Search Party is a thought-provoking and deeply autobiographical collection. From the overtly political ‘Go Home’ to the deeply personal ‘Full-time’; the narrative poems that offer vivid and unapologetic snapshots of inner-city life, such as ‘His Mistakes’, ‘Believer’ and the anthemic ‘My City’; to the provocative social commentary in ‘Lazy Dog’ and ‘YOLO’; to the inspiring, idea-driven pieces such as ‘The Power of Collaboration’ and ‘School Blues’, George takes poetry into new territories and to new audiences, offering a different way to talk about the things that matter, to explore his own experience and ideas, and encourage others explore theirs. George The Poet’s mesmerising and unforgettable live performances have earned him critical acclaim. From sell-out headline gigs and YouTube hits, to recording his own music, and now his first collection of poetry, George uses his work to speak truth to power and challenge our preconceived ideas about the society we’re living in. Whether you’re searching for yourself, for answers, for change – join the search party.
