Featured – Critical Readings

CR Episode 113: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part II

24 January 2022 Critical Readings

The panel reads the second part of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", and examines the theological significance of the seasons, the detailed military fortifications of Castle Hautdesert, and the appearance of the beautiful Lady Hautdesert.

CR Episode 112: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part I

17 January 2022 Critical Readings

The panel reads the first part of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, providing an overview of the formal aspects of the poem, the history of the manuscript (Cotton Nero A.x), theories about authorship, and analysis of the poem's titular, veridian symbolism.

CR Episode 111: Light Verse of Ogden Nash

10 January 2022 Critical Readings

The panels searches for a smile / And dwells with Ogden Nash a while. / Some lines are light and some are scary / But the formal aspects rather vary. / Most of them rhyme in a manner relaxin', / But the metrics range from good to absen'.

CR Episode 109: H.M.S. Pinafore

27 December 2021 Critical Readings

In a special, Christmas episode, the panel reads selections from W. S. Gilbert's libretto to H.M.S. Pinafore, and discusses how they are representative of Gilbert's penchant for comic 'topsy-turvy' plots which include keen-eyed social commentary.