April 1, 2015

Wednesday Writing Wisdom (1)



“And as imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothings a local habitation and a name.”


William Shakespeare

Curious facts about:


Present day  English language owes much to William Shakespeare. Words like fashionable, frugal, excellent, barefaced, assassination, countless, eyeball, lackluster first appeared within his writings.


After approximately 884,421 words & 34,895 speeches written across 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 other poems, Shakespeare passed away at the age of 52 on his own birthday April 23rd, 1616, or so we think.


One of William’s plays Cardenio was lost in time. We know it was performed in England but no known copies survive today.

8 comments:

  1. What a nice tribute to the Bard. I had no idea he passed away on his own birthday. It's interesting to think how someone who lived so long ago has impacted us in so many ways. It just goes to show the power of the written word and creativity!

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, Mae!
      I wanted to begin this series with the Bard, as you rightly call him. I wonder if, at that time, he found publishing his works as hard as we find it nowadays.

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  2. He created magic with his words--teaching you to pause and listen. A true bard.

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    1. I doubt he'll ever be equaled by another author. Though he wasn't entirely original and was in many parts a borrower of subjects, he turned the legends, other plays, stories, into exquisite gems.
      Thank you for checking my post, Mary!

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  3. I love Shakespeare. Which is your favorite play? It's hard to choose. The three witches in MacBeth always stand out to me. Richard II intrigues me because of the history and the way the author portrays him. Thank you for reminding us of this wonderful talent.

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    1. I am a great admirer of this gifted creator of words and worlds. Macbeth is among my favorites too. It is fascinating how things are still valid today. How power corrupts and leads to dictatorship.
      Hamlet is another one of the plays I admire. This 'Blood and Thunder' tragedy is a perfect example of a great thriller.
      Thank you for visiting!

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  4. I studied some of the Bard at school and loved it. My first big date with my husband was to go and see Romeo and Juliet performed in Stratford on Avon. That was a momentous night. I love the sonnets too. Excellent post.

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    1. Yes, Romeo and Juliet is a great landmark in world's literature. A perfect example of romance, even if it's not a HEA. Thanks for checking the post, Daisy!

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