Hello my lovely readers, and welcome to Gothic Week on White Rose of Avalon! For day one I have decided to write up a list of my 15 essential Gothic reads. This will not be a ranked countdown like most of my lists, as it is nearly impossible for me to choose a…
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Morgana Le Fay as La Belle Dame Sans Merci
For today’s post I would like to analyze the poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats. This particular analysis will focus on my belief that the Belle Dame of the poem is none other than Morgan Le Fay! Within the poem we meet a knight who is lying near death and tells…
Read MoreMy Top 5 Favorite Classic Gothic Fantasy Fiction Works
For today’s post I have decided to do a countdown of my favorite works of gothic fantasy fiction. For this countdown I will only be choosing works of classical fiction! I hope that you enjoy my thoughts. Without further ado here’s the countdown. Number 5: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and…
Read MoreHarry Potter References to Arthurian Legends
For today’s blog post I would like to take a look at the ways in which J.K. Rowling referenced Arthurian legend in the Harry Potter series of books. Some of these references are very obvious and others are less so. It is important that we are able to understand just how Rowling was…
Read MoreMy Top 5 Magical Celtic Books
In honor of this very magical time of year, I have decided to do a countdown of my top five magical Celtic books! These books go deep into the history and myths of the Celts and Arthurian legends. Each one is well worth reading for anyone interested in magic, myth, and legend (whether…
Read MoreThe Influence of the Mabinogion and Arthurian Legends
For today’s post I would like to take a brief look at how the tales of the Mabinogion became influential to later tellings of Arthurian legends, inspired real monarchs (especially during the Wars of the Roses), and how those historical monarchs inspired more modern fantasy (namely Game of Thrones, or in book form A Song…
Read MoreMy Top 10 Favorite Dorothy Parker Quotes
For today’s post I have decided to do a countdown of my favorite quotes by Dorothy Parker! In the past I did a countdown of favorite Shakespeare quotes. Remembering that, I chose another great wit for a literary quote countdown! Dorothy Parker was a writer living in the Jazz Age, as part…
Read MoreLiving a Life Inspired by Your Passions
For today’s post I would like to discuss how living a life that is inspired by things you love can make even difficult times easier. I personally have never wanted to live a mundane life, and I am not temperamentally suited to living by any one set of societal norms. My interests are…
Read MorePeter Pan
For today’s post I would like to discuss the character of Peter Pan. He is the titular character in J.M. Barrie’s play, and has become one of the most recognizable modern fairytale characters! Peter, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys are all remembered fondly. They have also inspired many further works…
Read MorePygmalion
For today’s post I would like discuss the story of Pygmalion. This tale began as a myth in ancient Greece, and later would be used to inspire George Bernard Shaw when he wrote a play of the same name. That play, which was set in the nineteenth century, was adapted to become the…
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