BRIGHT STAR

Bright Star tells the story of the love affair between John Keats and Fanny Brawne with a classical poise, exquisite craftsmanship and a piercing tenderness. It is Jane Campion’s most fully realised, satisfying achievement in a long while. Read here.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bright-star-2009

HAIKU

A haiku is a specific type of Japanese poem which has 17 syllables divided into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Haikus or haiku are typically written on the subject of nature. The word haiku (pronounced hahy-koo) is derived from the Japanese word hokku meaning “starting verse.”  The origins of haiku poems can be traced back as far as the 9th century.  Read here.

https://www.ryukoku.ac.jp/haiku/haiku_en.html

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

Holocaust Memorial Day, held on 27 January, honours the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution. Read here.

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."      Elie Wiesel

EDGAR ALLAN POE’S “THE OVAL PORTRAIT” - 5^C LINGUISTICO

The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe is a short, yet powerful, story. It explores the ardour of an artist towards his art and his beloved wife. Both perhaps equally important to him, but ultimately, passion for one takes over the other and destroys its rival. Read here.

Here you can read Edgar Allan Poe's short story.

Here you can find a detailed text analysis of this chilling tale.

FIGURES OF SPEECH - 3^C LINGUISTICO

A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that achieves a special effect by using words in a distinctive way. Though there are hundreds of figures of speech, here we'll focus on 20 top examples.  Read here.

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=figures-speech-quiz

https://literaryterms.net/figures-of-speech-quiz/

https://quora2017.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/figures-of-speech/

THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF JOE BIDEN

"Today is the day. After a disturbing era of chaos and division, we are entering the next chapter of American leadership with the inauguration of

Joe Biden

and

Kamala Harris

. Right now, I’m feeling more than just relief at putting the past four years behind us. I’m feeling genuinely hopeful for what’s to come.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the kind of leaders our nation deserves—decent, hardworking people who reflect the best of our values. Most of all, they’re guided by empathy, honesty, and a willingness to put the needs of our country before their own. They’re determined to make life better for all Americans, and I know they will bring us back the stability that has been sorely lacking through what has been a devastating pandemic. Not to mention, we’ll have terrific examples of leadership in

Dr. Jill Biden

and Douglas Emhoff, as our new First Lady and Second Gentleman.

It’s no secret that the work ahead will be challenging. And no one person, even a president, is capable of waving a magic wand and fixing the problems that persist in this country. But this past year I’ve seen folks from all over America step up like never before, whether it was peacefully protesting against racial injustice, registering first-time voters, or simply making sure a neighbor could safely get their groceries. It feels like we might finally be getting some momentum. And with

Joe Biden

and

Kamala Harris

in the White House, we can once again start thinking about building the future we want for ourselves and our children."

Michelle Obama

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/20/us/biden-inauguration#biden-sworn-in

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55736856

READING JANE AUSTEN TODAY

Jane Austen (1775-1817) wrote delicious romantic novels about middle-class girls looking for good husbands among the landed gentry of Regency England. But ... what’s so special about her novels that we are still reading them today? It’s not just their literary quality. Read here.

ROMEO AND JULIET MOVIES - 4^D LINGUISTICO

Romeo and Juliet was popular during Shakespeare's time, but over the centuries it has become nothing short of omnipresent. It is arguably the most-filmed play of all time, and has been adapted 4 times to date - first by George Cukor in 1936, then by Franco Zeffirelli in 1968, Baz Luhrmann in 1996, and most recently, by Carlo Carlei in 2013. 

John Madden's Academy-Award winning film Shakespeare in Love is a fictional account of Shakespeare's life while writing the play. 

It was the basis for Prokofiev's famous ballet, and has inspired numerous operas, pop and jazz songs, books, games, and musicals.

https://ling.online/en/video/films/romeo-and-juliet-1968/

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE - 5^C LINGUISTICO

A VERY HELPFUL BLOG

https://www.cristinacabal.com/

ROMEO AND JULIET - 4^D LINGUISTICO

https://www.biloxischools.net/NoFear_Shakespeare

ROMEO_AND_JULIET.pdf

https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet

https://www.litcharts.com/lit/romeo-and-juliet

https://libguides.lowtherhall.vic.edu.au/english/romeoandjuliet

TWELFTH NIGHT

Many Christians around the world celebrate Epiphany on 6 January. It is a public holiday in many countries and marks some events in Jesus Christ’s life, according to the Christian Bible. Continue reading here.

In medieval and Renaissance England one of the main Christmas celebrations was Twelfth Night, which coincided with the feast of Epiphany.

In this regard, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night takes its name from the English holiday celebrated on the eve of 5 January, the so-called "twelfth night of Christmas" or the Feast of the Epiphany. Read here and here.