Matt Dubois

Shakespeare's early and highly successful "Comedy of Errors" owes a debt of gratitude to Titus Maccius Plautus' "The Menaechmi." This essay explores the similarities and common themes of the two works.

A breakdown of the symbolism and themes Nemerov develops in his poem, "The Town Dump."

The art of the modern era, defined by poets like Ezra Pound and Robert Frost, as well as artists such as Dadaist, Francis Picabia, is a cultural barometer, both informing and reflecting the societal values of the modern world.

It is a common error in modern environmentalism to perpetuate the notion of a dichotomy between man and nature. Paradise has not been lost - it never existed.

Apart from his moralizing works and social commentary, Charles Dickens is also beloved for his humorous and captivating storytelling. This essay examines three main elements that make Dickens' writing so entertaining.

An analysis of Dickens' works as a mouthpiece of social criticism, particularly against the treatment of children and the state of education during the industrial revolution.

An exploration of some of Dickens' major works as moral masterpieces, commentaries on capitalist society and jumping-off points for modern writers.

Charles Dickens' works are known for their extensive and complex symbolism, and The Pickwick Papers is no exception, in which gold is a symbol of particular importance.

Want to sculpt your body and improve your fitness without a gym membership? Here are a number of simple and effective upper body exercises that you can do in your home.

Compagni's historical account of the Florentine political maneuverings surrounding Dante's exile provides invaluable insight into the climate in which Dante lived and wrote.

A small gulch full of cigarette cartons and apples - refuse from both man and nature, decomposing together.

A sweeping poem in rhyming couplets to capture the immortal power of love.

Many simply accept global warming as truth because it's based on scientific "facts" and the findings of the IPCC. The facts of the raw data, however, are less cut-and-dried than media sources realize or are willing to admit.

The author's seemingly progressive support of homosexual culture is not only too little too late, there's also reason to believe it's only skin deep.

Dante's Commedia is religiopolitical opus; considering that Dante's two primary pursuits in life were the intricate machinations of Florentine politics and the emancipatory art of the poetic word, it follows that the two would be of commensurate value to each other.

In his De Monarchia, Dante establishes a compelling case for the divine right of empire in temporal affairs that bears his unique trademark. However, is his Monarchy so consistent with his unique style and vision that one could identify it in a anonymous manuscript?

By employing a number of strategies and arguments, Empire attempts to render the domination and exploitation of a race of people not only logically sound, but morally defensible. Not the least of these strategies is the institution of organized religion.

The works of Wordsworth are as ground-breaking as they are numerous. He goes so far as to defy, though subtly, the dogmas of the Christian faith and assert that one's own mind plays as much of a role in creating all that one sees as ever could some all-powerful deity.

A war poem in iambic tetrameter.

The last time I was drunk, I thought to myself, 'If everyone in the world, everywhere, could be drunk simultaneously, you know, have one huge, world party with everyone invited, then there could truly be world peace.'

Dante's Commedia paints a masterful portrait of ecclesiastical traditions, Italian politics, and the drama of personal redemption. He did not write in a vacuum, however, and undoubtedly drew inspiration from a multitude of influences, both poetic and visual.

When viewed analytically, Desperate Housewives loses value, cheapened by its formulaic, commercialist nature. Its melodramatic and often predictable narrative, and the commercials aired during its runtime reveal its true nature: a money-making automaton of pop culture.

As I became less dazzled by the film's aesthetic value, and more receptive to the symbolic, an extensive substructure of pro-war political undertones developed before my eyes.

All corporate-funded, politically dubious attempts to convolute the truth of global warming aside, it is obvious to any clear-headed individual that the impact of our activity on our planet is severe and palpable. And it's only going to get worse.

There is one canto in particular that is particularly salient to Dante's own most deeply-held beliefs, and couched in some of the Commedia's most ingenious rhetoric: Canto XIX, which describes the bolgia of the Simoniac popes.

The monopoly of an enterprise by a government agency is incongruous with the nature of America's economy, which in almost all other areas is highly supportive of private franchise. In recent years, public interest has been sparked in the idea of private enterprise in space.

The ways in which the government, the dominant media, and the military shape our conception of reality in the post-9/11 world are ever-changing; they demand our vigilance if we wish to obtain the truth about the United States' actions around the world in an unbiased light.

One of the most defining characteristics of the literature of Imperial Britain is the ubiquitous self-deception and arrogance underpinning and essential to the Imperial ethos.

In his poem, "My Last Duchess," Robert Browning establishes the character of its speaker indirectly but distinctly through conversation alone. Browning conveys his perspective not only on the speaker, but also on all members of the upper stratum of society.

Plath's impression of the role of women in child-rearing is not simply unique, but almost perversely different, at times, from the traditional definition of motherhood, and reflects the dark and individualistic aspects of her character.

By not only inventing a new societal system, but also satisfying the impulse to translate it into written word, Marx and Engels acknowledged the power of language to exert force on the collective consciousness of their society, and thereby to both destroy and create.

"Why am I taking Calculus?" A common and irksome question posed by many students, myself included, be they first year students or upperclassmen. However, Calculus provides students with a valuable set of problem-solving skills, valuable to any major.

In a sense, 9/11 has become the new JFK assassination, in that everyone seems to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing at the time it occurred.

A contemporary example of the excesses of horror is amply provided by Alexander Aja's "The Hills Have Eyes" (2007). Aja's "Hills" goes above and beyond the call of duty in fulfilling its parameters as a horror film.

Sharon Olds' poem, "I Go Back to May 1937" is a work that is rife with imagery, at the same time beautiful and savage. It is a deceptive one; the imagery Olds employs over the poem's course grows increasingly violent, belying its innocuous and even sentimental beginnings.

Though she didn't amass a significant following during her lifetime, she still attained notice, both historically and in the world in which she lived, making her if not the most famed, the most unique and unusual of all her female mystical contemporaries.

Clearly influenced by both Athenian and Hebrew tradition, St. Benedict was a product of diverse traditions, a fact that is markedly reflected in his work.

If God is truly the maker of all things and all men, and if He created a set of laws for mankind to follow, why does He punish those who obey them?

A look at the birth of Western philosophy from the minds of Euripides, Thucydides, and Plato.

It is clear that alternative energy sources such as nuclear power and hydrogen fuel cells will be a valuable investment to be made for the near future, and their many benefits far outweigh their costs.

It's time for our society to develop better living and eating habits on a daily basis, and a little patience, rather than looking for a quick fix.

According to Shakespeare, "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." However, names often hold a deep and unique significance to the bearer, becoming an intrinsic part of one's personality.

Is affirmative action truly beneficial to minority students, and if so, is it morally justifiable?

An evaluation of feminist writer Laura Mulvey's theory of the male-oriented nature of cinema, and criticism of the Freudian Castration Complex upon which her argument rests.

A poem written during my first real experience of love, about its ability to make you feel like you're soaring. As it is very emotionally-driven, it tends to be a bit overwrought.