The hammer beat against the red-hot sword, their clang resounding through the empty forge, a war cry. Once, twice, thrice, the Blacksmith beat the steel, until it was as smooth as a blade of grass, but far deadlier. Satisfied, he plunged the weapon into a vat of oil and hung it on the wall, to … Continue reading War’s Gift
Author: .lou
Aeneas vs Odysseus
Virgil’s Aeneid is the story of an epic hero, Aeneas, who rose from the ashes of Troy, exchanging his humanity for the immortality of founding Rome. The story picks up at the end of Homer’s Iliad, and the first three books alone, parallel the Odyssey in a variety of ways. Virgil uses a number of … Continue reading Aeneas vs Odysseus
Time’s Curse
“I knew love once,” Time says to me, his stony clock face void of emotion. I have never laid eyes on him before, but when he first entered my shop, mere minutes ago, I knew him on sight. Now, his giant form sits hunched in the wicker chair across from me, looking as out of … Continue reading Time’s Curse
Nature’s Dream
Nature is asleep. You watch her sleeping soundly, her head tucked under her arms, unconsciously protecting long braids of flowers and vines. Her breathing is slow, so slow that you have to press your ear to the cool moss of her chest in order to hear it. The moss tickles your ear. You pull away, … Continue reading Nature’s Dream
Fate’s Trick
When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? —Shakespere’s Macbeth, Act I, Scene I It’s all wrong. The sun is shining painfully bright and there isn’t a cloud in sight. I lift a hand to shade stormy eyes, my gaze sliding across the blossoming park. The air smells of flowers and … Continue reading Fate’s Trick
Death’s Name
Death. The word mankind fears most. A shadow that can not be outrun, as inescapable as nightfall, and as unpredictable as the weather. He wears many skins, ranging from the head of a jackal, to feathery bones, from a dark helm, to copper eyes. In some cultures, he even takes the form of a woman—but … Continue reading Death’s Name
Nature in Del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)
Published in 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, is among the most famous works of gothic horror and science fiction. It shouldn’t be a surprise, therefore, that it has inspired many adaptations, recently, Guillermo del Toro’s film, Frankenstein (2025). What makes del Toro’s portrayal so particularly interesting? Guillermo del Toro’s depiction of Marry … Continue reading Nature in Del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)
A.I. In Literarure
The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Art and Literature: A.I’s Impact on the Creative Industry of the United States Since 2020 I. Introduction April 30th, 2023, at 1 pm, fifteen years of labor peace in Hollywood came to an end as strikers crowded the streets outside of Netflix’s office buildings in Los Angeles and New … Continue reading A.I. In Literarure
Cheap Love
My grandparents used to go on a date every week, To see what the cheapest meal they could find was,Often they landed at some chain burger joint,Splitting the smallest thing on the menu. I aspire to have a love like that. A love that I don’t need to earn, that’s cheap,All I have in terms … Continue reading Cheap Love
Luna’s Petition
I surround myself with stars that dazzle, Beacons of light, beautiful but fragile, They are composed of glitter and fire, Vicinity correlating to attention required. I am but a fragment of them, a mummery, My light is softer, almost melancholy,But don’t confuse humility for weakness, I am not always speechless. In fact, I have a … Continue reading Luna’s Petition
Lou.Summers 