Bible Backgrounds and English Literature (Part 1) | Lecture 1
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- The journey through the Harvard 1983 list has begun! The first lecture, "Bible and English Literature (Part 1)," weaves together primary readings from the King James Version of the Bible (Genesis, the Psalms, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, The Gospel of Matthew, the Pauline epistles, and the Revelation of St. John) with several secondary sources (Northrop Frye's The Great Code; Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch's “On Reading the Bible” from On the Art of Reading; T.R. Henn's The Apple and the Spectroscope; Richard Dawkins's “Why I want all our children to read the King James Bible,” from The Guardian, May 19, 2012; Christopher Hitchens's “When the King Saved God,” from Vanity Fair (April 1, 2011); Christopher Hodgkins's Literary Study of the Bible; and Robert Lowth's Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews) to show how the Bible, as a literary monument, inspired the poetry of the English tradition.
I bring together a list of readings from the King James Version (1611) to consider the literary styles and features of the Bible. We survey the major genres of narrative and history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, love poetry, parables, epistolary literature, and apocalyptical writings.
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Introduction 0:00-2:40
Authorities on why the Bible matters 2:40-9:44
Why the King James? 9:45-12:09
Genesis - Creation and Fall 12:09-37:32
Poetry 37:32-48:24
Prophecy 48:24-58:07
Wisdom & Love Poetry 58:07-1:05:07
Parables of Jesus 1:05:07-1:11:55
Epistles 1:11:55-1:16:19
Apocalyptical writings 1:16:19-1:21:05
Poetry Discussed:
John Milton's Paradise Lost
Gerard Manley Hopkins's "God's Grandeur"
Henry Vaughan's "The Retreat"
Wordsworth’s “Intimations” Ode
Lord Byron's "Manfred" and "She Walks in Beauty"
George Herbert's "Love (III)" and "Jordan (I)"
Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road”
William Blake "A Poison Tree"
Allen Ginsberg’s "Howl"
Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream"
Adam really woke up and said *content*
and adam said "let there be content"
As a 19 yo French student in English literature whose English teachers are very much French and not keen on the Bible, I couldn’t thank you enough for sharing those lectures freely on the Internet. I treated it as a regular class and took notes, it was so interesting! I have always felt that I was missing something in my understanding of English lit, but I feel a lot more secure now that I have some knowledge of the KJV. I will definitely make my way through all of your videos. It’s life saving really, especially when teachers focus on students’ command of English more than on literature. Thank you!
I really recommend you to read the KJV Bible because it's actually not hard to understand at all. From a linguistical point of view it's a superb and yet at the same time a surprisingly easy to read work. As a fellow fan of the English literature I can surely say that's been the most eye-opening (in a non-religious sense) book for me!
I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
Such powerful insight
Because I knew next to nothing about the Bible entering college, I was woefully ill equipped as an English major. 30 years of consistent Bible reading and study has now opened up the world of literature. I'm reading Moby Dick for the first time, and it's thrilling to recognize and enjoy his nonstop wonderful allusions. And when I read his story Bartleby the Scrivener, I wondered if Melville had Jesus' words from Luke 25 in mind.
I'm persuaded. My 2024 goal will be to focus on the KJV specifically, which I've never read as a whole. I would love to learn how to enjoy and know the Scriptures both as God's revealed word and as a work great literature itself. Thanks so much for sharing.
Good for you. I re-read the Bible every three of four years - it's easier each time - tho I've no plans right now to re-read Moby Dick. It's a difficult read - often boring - but it's also the kind of novel stays with you forever. Enjoy!
I'd recommend the Yale's course Introduction to the New Testament. It's available here on CZcams - It provides the historical/objective knowledge about these texts. It is not how authors understood it, but I do think it is an enriching knowledge.
@@JoaoPedroRibeiro-wl2hi Thank you!
I cannot thank you enough for what you've been doing, Adam. Really. As a prospective Modern Languages and Literatures student (in Brazil we call it "Letters" lol), your videos are making me more and more sure about this decision. Ty
Adam,
Ever since starting this lecture series with you-many thanks by the way, it's excellent-I've been looking for Biblical allusions in the poetry I read. Just this morning I found the following in the poetry of James Thomson. Thought I'd share with you and your viewers. Re: dust and death from Genesis 3 19 and in conversation with the Vaughn (34:24).
Keats and Shelley sleep at Rome,
She in well-loved Tuscan earth;
Finding all their death's long home
Far from their old home birth.
Italy, you hold in trust
Very sacred English dust.
- James Thomson, "E.B.B."*
*Elizabeth Barret Browning
your subtle grin while making the pun about not pontificating about literature is wonderful!
KJV and Shakespeare and arguably Milton (albeit slightly later) out of the same generation, 'monuments' (loved his use of the word) of our language from what was then a European backwater. The beauty and the improbability.
I can't thank you enough for this. It's so wonderful and I'm going to be playing the section on prophecy for my students tomorrow.
UPDATE: They loved it! We followed up by reading all of Howl and they were really able to see the lines you're drawing back to Whitman and a biblical tradition.
That's wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing!
I'd love for you to go through Dante's four levels of reading the bible - that interpretation can take place on four levels: the literal, the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical.
Thank you so much. I did the IB program in HS and in 10th grade we studied the Old Testament as literature since it was in tandem with our western civ class. We also read classical literature and early Islamic texts first semester. It’s so important as an academic to know how the Bible shaped ideas, history, and literature in western civilization. No parent objected which I can’t see now. I went into science, but even scientists had a relationship with the Bible and it affected their research/beliefs. Thank you for this! Biblical allegory is everywhere in writing.
I woulda gotten up on time if I knew I could listen to Adam with my coffee
Thank you for creating learning material accessible to everyone.
Much appreciation from a poetry newbie and your new fan from abroad
Amazing thank you for that you giving education too lot of peoples that didn't had chance to go to Harvard or great university
Hi Adam, thank you foe creating this content so that knowledge is shared for the common good.👍🏼
Really liked this video, excited for this series!
Thanks for your hard work, Adam. Excellent job. Looking forward to the next lectures.
An excellent introduction. Your readings bring the poetry to life! Thank you. I plan to follow each lecture going forward.
Just amazing. Thanks from Brazil.
Thank you for making your content free. Your doing a great service.
This was amazing. Please don't stop making videos!
Adam you really knew I needed this huh
Thank you Adam for a hour or so's worth of thought provoking references. It being only the first lecture one cannot know precisely what the ultimate aim is tho for me there was a sense of jumping about - for example from Eden to Howl - that was at times jarring. And while I do like the attempt to stimulate the beginnings of original thought that only deep readings can produce, personally I like the occasional idea offered and defended. Well, I expect to see the next few of these so hopefully I'll catch up. In the meantime, Thx again.
This is a great lesson!!!
Bible is beautiful book. Psalms, Lamentations, Gospels & Epistles are books are read from regularly, though mainly in Latin. Authorised Version of Psalms is wonderful English translation & perhaps other than Latin Psalmi the translation I love. I am familiar with Benedictine interpretation of Song of Songs (Canticum Canticorum) which is favourite of Late Classical & Medieval monastics - many commentaries have been written on this poem. 'Trahe me, post te currimus ..' [Draw me and we will run after thee] Cant 1:3
Love your atmospheric aesthetic. I won't say simply background.
I _LOVE_ the way you read poetry. Would be amazing if you made a playlist of you reading favorites.
(I never liked Howl before until I heard you read it)
Happy new year mr Adam . Thank you for your wonderful cultural literary channel. I gathered main information about topic you mentioned briefly here it’s actually bible has influenced authors in various aspects poets , writers taken scene from scripture as subject or poems or story . There are three main types of literature in bible narrative. That makes up whopping 43 percent of bible after poetry that , which 33 percent of bible . And than what you could call prose discourse . Shakespeare wrote religious plays such as as well that ends well , Henry v111 , love labour lost , merchant of Venice are set in Christian world but he also wrote many plays non Christian deities such as Antony and cleopatra , Cymbeline. For several decades some theorists have suggested that Shakespeare placed his mark on translated text of psalm 46 that appears in King James Bible , although many scholars view this unlikely, stating that translations were probably agreed upon by committee of scholars. Thank you for giving us chance to read learn new information and improve our English as well . Best wishes for you your loved ones .
You've just come up in my recommended videos and I'm so happy you did. I'm an avid reader of poetry, though it's mostly contemporary works. But I've just binged a lot of your Shakespeare videos as I've recently gotten into his Sonnets. You have such an incredible and inclusive way of describing poetry, which is hard to come in academia believe it or not. Most lecturers (especially young ones) want to show off their intellect. So thank-you for that!
While I'm here, i also watched your video on poetry books for beginners, which was great and very helpful. But I'd also love to know which poetry collections you'd recommend to readers who want to learn close reading. Are there some that you'd consider introductory texts? and also, possibly some contemporary collections you'd recommend!
Thanks for this kind note! I'll have to put together a list of books and maybe offer another video. Vendler's book has a great variety of contemporary poets (not my forte) as does Mary Kinzie's "A Poet's Guide to Poetry" (which was not included on the list).
Thanks so much! @@closereadingpoetry
Just found this channel... Wow ❗
I'm from Russia. I am very interested in poetry and the English language separately and together. Yesterday we celebrated Orthodox Christmas. Your video was a sweet, welcome addition to the celebration. I watch it little by little to understand and feel it. Thank you!
Merry Christmas! Thanks for the kind comment, and welcome!
when I read the Bible in four languages, I usually compare translations of texts - it’s very interesting
No interest in majoring in English but I'm loving this kind of content :)
Diving head first
Hi Adam, I really like your jumper, could you please tell me from what brand it is ?
Looks like I have my listening cut out for me today!
What KJV would you recommend to get? Is the original 1611 with the archaic spelling, like the Oxford University Press 400th anniversary edition, the best choice if one is not bothered by the archaic spelling of some letters? Or would you rather go with something that has modern spelling with the original 1611 text as closely followed as possible?
I used the one with the modernized spellings! Even the NKJV is alright, if you have trouble with early modern English.
Many of the Psalms rhyme in Hebrew.
In the original Hebrew text in the first chapter of Genesis "God" is referred to in the plural as "Elohim".
But ain't the Bible preaches monotheism which is singular?
Hodgkins has a great discussion of that in his first chapter.
As a Muslim who read the Quran once, I find Biblical narratives of creation , etc absolutely familiar. Quran is a major influence on the Arabic literature specifically poetry just as Bible KJV on English literature.
Paralllel & deviation are features that adorn religious & literary works in multiple levels stylistically, semantically & narratively.
Regarding the Bible as a literature or as a revelation, I can relate to Jews & Christians if they'd be offended to label their holy scriptures as literary pieces because it's considering them as fiction which is not true even if they sound realist or fantasy in their content. However, there's a clime of literariness or literary features in the structure of the Bible.
Genesis first quote I still remember it when I read it in one of my courses during the uni which is called Voices & Texts & it emphasises how the English Literary Canon is actually rooted in the Biblical Canon.
Thank you so much for sharing with us your lectures via CZcams & much appreciated for thy efforts in showing us how some literary texts are inspired by other ones that are authoritative as the Bible. Looking forward to thy next lecture.
Many blessings from Spain.
I was wondering: Don't you have any Twitter page? So when I repost I can mention your Twitter.,
Support from Barcelona.
Welcome! I don't have a twitter, but thanks for asking and for sharing.
You are highly gifted in explaining with great clarity as well as making it a wonderfully enjoyable experience. I’ve listened to this video several times because I find it not only informative but calming. Thank you.
@cindyvermillion7866 thank you!
I think the bible would benefit from starting off with "Of course we might be wrong, but in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...." (Brian Cox)
I understand that it's hard not to understate the importance of the bible in literature but I just refuse to read it on principle. It's brought me too much pain
Call me picky if you like. The Bishops Bible was the approved version & model for the King James translators.
and another thing - the King James Bible, The works of Shakespeare & John Florio's version or Montaigne are the three primary influences on the Englilsh language. That is, they are the published worrks that provide more words, phrases, quotes and language elements to the English language. They form our culture. What we write and read forms our literary culture. Amusing thought, The Biships Bible translattes "treacle" (meaning molasses) what King James Bible called balm, so if we were influenced by it, would we sing: there is molasses in Gilead in place of There is a balm in Gilead. Even porse in the KJB comes out as poetry.. Now isn't that divine!
@austinhelix9739 The Bishops Bible was certainly not the model for the KJV. It's thought to have contributed about 8% to the KJV. See Adam Nicolson on this. I think The Bishops Bible a pretty poor translation -- the molasses you mention is interesting. To add: where the KJV translates "Cast your bread upon the water," the Bishops reads "Lay thy bread upon wet faces."
Anyway, King James disliked the Geneva Bible because of its footnotes and commentary, so it's possible that the Bishops Bible was preferred by him; but it wasn't the translators' first choice or model.
It’s just a great literary work ??? Ok I’m done here lol no need for me to continue ….
This lecture considered it only from a literary perspective.
Your gae lol