Word & Song by Anthony Esolen
Subscribe
Sign in
Home
Notes
Books
Words
Word Audio
Hymns
Poems
Poem Audio
Films
Poetry Aloud
Anthony Esolen Speaks
Sometimes a Song
Archive
About
New
Top
Discussion
Blue
“It hit me right out of the BLUE!” we exclaim, when something strikes us like a thunderbolt, or an inspiration from heaven, utterly unexpected.
6 hrs ago
•
Anthony Esolen
15
Share this post
Blue
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
3
September 2023
"Men of Harlech"
Songs such as this have fallen out of favor in our times. But they teach us to meet with courage whatever battles we are called upon to fight.
Sep 30
•
Debra Esolen
47
Share this post
"Men of Harlech"
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
13
Ulysses
Tennyson presents Ulysses as a hero, but an ambiguous hero who cannot rest or ever satisfy his longing to know, but by restless action.
Sep 29
10
Share this post
Ulysses
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
1
On the Waterfront (1954)
On the Waterfront is a perfect film. Not one scrap of dialogue is flat or forced. Not one shot is overdone. And the performances are unforgettable.
Sep 28
•
Anthony Esolen
32
Share this post
On the Waterfront (1954)
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
11
"A Man's a Man for a' That"
There used to be poets in the world whose songs brought a people together, and such was Robert Burns.
Sep 27
•
Anthony Esolen
18
Share this post
"A Man's a Man for a' That"
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
2
"Christian, Dost Thou See Them?"
Our hymn this week has a most striking melody; you can comb through a thousand hymns and you’d be unlikely to find another one like it.
Sep 26
•
Anthony Esolen
28
Share this post
"Christian, Dost Thou See Them?"
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
3
ANDREW
St. Andrew went to the Greek lands to preach, as far north as Scythia, notorious for being just on the boundary between the civilized and the savage.
Sep 25
•
Anthony Esolen
31
Share this post
ANDREW
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
4
"Blue-Tail Fly"
Burl Ives was the first to record this classic 19th century American folk song.
Sep 23
•
Debra Esolen
30
Share this post
"Blue-Tail Fly"
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
12
"How It Strikes a Contemporary"
In Browning's poem, the poet is the Corrector, not by legal means, but by honest observation and wise, careful judgment.
Sep 22
•
Anthony Esolen
10
Share this post
"How It Strikes a Contemporary"
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Judgment at Nuremberg is not always an easy film to watch. But the old country judge does what is right. And right is right, to the end of time.
Sep 21
31
Share this post
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
3
The Aim Was Song
Frost contrasts the wind that blows as it will, and man the judge, the artist, who teaches the wind to blow in a certain way, to make music.
Sep 20
•
Anthony Esolen
27
Share this post
The Aim Was Song
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
5
Jesu, Priceless Treasure
This hymn plumbs the depth of our hopes and fears. It gives the faithful words of defiance against evil and its temptations, dark nights of the soul…
Sep 19
•
Anthony Esolen
31
Share this post
Jesu, Priceless Treasure
anthonyesolen.substack.com
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
Other
7
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please
turn on JavaScript
or unblock scripts