Welcome to the Writer's Library, dedicated to the classic short stories, novels, poetry and books on writing. Learn to write by studying the classics. The collection provides readers with a perspective of the world from some of the 18th and 19th century's most talented writers. "You learn by writing short stories. Keep writing short stories. The money’s in novels, but writing short stories keeps your writing lean and pointed." – Larry Niven
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Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them. I know they are as lively, and as vigorously productive, as those fabulous dragon's teeth; and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men. And yet on the other hand, unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book: who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye. Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.
JOHN MILTON.
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VOL. I
ABÉLARD AND HÉLOISE (by Thomas Davidson) -- 1079-1142
Letter of Héloise to Abélard
Abélard's Answer to Héloise
Vesper Hymn of Abélard
EDMOND ABOUT -- 1828-1885
The Capture ('The King of the Mountains')
Hadgi-Stavros (same)
The Victim ('The Man with the Broken Ear')
The Man without a Country (same)
ACCADIAN-BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN LITERATURE (by Crawford H. Toy)
Theogony
Revolt of Tiamat
Descent to the Underworld
The Flood
The Eagle and the Snake
The Flight of Etana
The God Zu
Adapa and the Southwind
Penitential Psalms
Inscription of Sennacherib
Invocation to the Goddess Beltis
Oracles of Ishtar of Arbela
An Erechite's Lament
ABIGAIL ADAMS (by Lucia Gilbert Runkle) -- 1744-1818
Letters--To her Husband:
May 24, 1775; June 15, 1775; June 18, 1775;
Nov. 27, 1775; April 20, 1777; June 8, 1779
To her Sister:
Sept. 5, 1784; May 10, 1785;
July 24, 1784; June 24, 1785
To her Niece
HENRY ADAMS -- 1838-
Auspices of the War of 1812
What the War of 1812 De
monstrated
Battle between the Constitution and the Guerrière
JOHN ADAMS -- 1735-1826
At the French Court ('Diary')
Character of Franklin (Letter to the Boston Patriot)
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS -- 1767-1848
Letter to his Father, at the Age of Ten
From the Memoirs, at the Age of Eighteen
From the Memoirs, Jan. 14, 1831; June 7, 1833; Sept. 9, 1833
The Mission of America (Fourth of July Oration, 1821)
The Right of Petition (Speech in Congress)
Nullification (Fourth of July Oration, 1831)
SARAH FLOWER ADAMS -- 1805-1848
He
Sendeth Sun, He Sendeth Shower
Nearer, My God, to Thee
JOSEPH ADDISON (by Hamilton Wright Mabie) -- 1672-1720
Sir Roger de Coverley at the Play
Visit to Sir Roger de Coverley
Vanity of Human Life
Essay on Fans
Hymn, 'The Spacious Firmament'
AELIANUS CLAUDIUS -- Second Century
Of Certain Notable Men that made themselves Playfellowes with Children
Of a Certaine Sicilian whose Eyesight was Woonderfull Sharpe and Quick
The Lawe of the Lacedaemonians against Covetousness
That Sleep is the Brother of Death, and of Gorgias drawing to his End
Of the Voluntary and Willing Death of Calanus
Of Delicate Dinners, Sumptuous Suppers, and Prodigall
Banqueting
Of Bestowing Time, and how Walking Up and Downe was not Allowable among the Lacedaemonians
How Socrates Suppressed the Pryde and Hautinesse of Alcibiades
Of Certaine Wastgoodes and Spendthriftes
AESCHINES -- B.C. 389-314
A Defense and an Attack ('Oration against Ctesiphon')
AESCHYLUS (by John Williams White) -- B.C. 525-456
Complaint of Prometheus ('Prometheus')
Prayer to Artemis ('The Suppliants')
Defiance of Eteocles ('The Seven against Thebes')
Vision of Cassandra ('Agamemnon')
Lament of the Old Nurse ('The Libation-Pourers')
Decree of Athena
('The Eumenides')
AESOP (by Harry Thurston Peck) -- Seventh Century B.C.
The Fox and the Lion
The Ass in the Lion's Skin
The Ass Eating Thistles
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
The Countryman and the Snake
The Belly and the Members
The Satyr and the Traveler
The Lion and the other Beasts
The Ass and the Little Dog
The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
The Dog and the Wolf
JEAN LOUIS RODOLPHE AGASSIZ -- 1807-1873
The Silurian Beach ('Geological Sketches')
Voices ('Methods of Study in Natural History')
Formation of Coral Reefs (same)
AGATHIAS -- A.D.
1816-1847
Greatness of Friendship ('Woman's Friendship')
Order of Knighthood ('The Days of Bruce')
Culprit and Judge ('Home Influence')
WILLIAM HARRISON AINSWORTH -- 1805-1882
Students of Paris ('Crichton')
MARK AKENSIDE -- 1721-1770
From the Epistle to Curio
Aspirations after the Infinite ('Pleasures of the Imagination')
On a Sermon against Glory
PEDRO ANTONIO DE ALARCÓN -- 1833-1891
A Woman Viewed from Without ('The Three-Cornered Hat')
How the Orphan Manuel gained his Sobriquet ('The Child of the Ball')
ALCAEUS -- Sixth Century B.C.
The Palace
A Banquet Song
An Invitation
The Storm
The Poor Fisherman
The State
Poverty
BALTÁZAR DE ALCÁZAR -- 1530?-1606
Sleep
The Jovial Supper
ALCIPHRON (by Harry Thurston Peck) -- Second Century
From a Mercenary Girl--Petala to Simalion
Pleasures of Athens--Euthydicus to Epiphanio
From an Anxious Mother--Phyllis to Thrasonides
From a Curious Youth--Philocomus to Thestylus
From a Professional Diner-out--Capnosphrantes to Aristomachus
Unlucky Luck--Chytrolictes to Patellocharon
ALCMAN -- Seventh Century B.C.
Poem on Night
LOUISA MAY ALCOTT -- 1832-1888
The Night Ward ('Hospital Sketches')
Amy's Valley of Humiliation
('Little Women')
Thoreau's Flute (Atlantic Monthly)
Song from the Suds ('Little Women')
ALCUIN (by William H. Carpenter) -- 735?-8o4
On the Saints of the Church at York ('Alcuin and the Rise of the Christian Schools')
Disputation between Pepin, the Most Noble and Royal Youth, and Albinus the Scholastic
A Letter from Alcuin to Charlemagne
HENRY M. ALDEN -- 1836-
A Dedication--To My Beloved Wife ('A Study of Death')
The Dove and the Serpent (same)
Death and Sleep (same)
The Parable of the Prodigal (same)
THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH -- 1837-
Destiny
Identity
Prescience
Alec Yeaton's Son
Memory
Tennyson (1890)
Sweetheart, Sigh No More
Broken Music
Elmwood
Sea Longings
A Shadow of the Night
Outward Bound
Reminiscence
Père Antoine's
Date-Palm
Miss Mehetabel's Son
ALEARDO ALEARDI -- 1812-1878
Cowards ('The Primal Histories')
The Harvesters ('Monte Circello')
The Death of the Year ('An Hour of My Youth')
JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT -- 1717-1783
Montesquieu (Eulogy in the 'Encyclopédie')
VITTORIO ALFIERI (by L. Oscar Kuhns) -- 1749-1803
Scenes from 'Agamemnon'
ALFONSO THE WISE -- 1221-1284
What Meaneth a Tyrant, and How he Useth his Power ('Las Siete Partidas')
On the Turks, and Why they are So Called ('La Gran Conquista de Ultramar')
To the Month of Mary ('Cantigas')
ALFRED THE GREAT -- 849-901
King Alfred on King-Craft
Alfred's Preface to the Version of Pope Gregory's 'Pastoral Care'
From Boethius
Blossom Gatherings from St. Augustine
CHARLES GRANT ALLEN -- 1848-
The Coloration of Flowers ('The Colors of Flowers')
Among the Heather ('The Evolutionist at Large')
The Heron's Haunt ('Vignettes from Nature')
JAMES LANE ALLEN -- 1850-
A Courtship ('A Summer in Arcady')
Old King Solomon's Coronation ('Flute and Violin')
WILLIAM ALLINGHAM -- 1828-1889
The Ruined Chapel
The Winter Pear
O Spirit of the Summer-time
The Bubble
St. Margaret's Eve
The Fairies
Robin Redbreast
An Evening
Daffodil
Lovely Mary Donnelly
KARL JONAS LUDVIG ALMQUIST -- 1793-1866
Characteristics of Cattle
A New Undine (from 'The Book of the Rose')
God's War
JOHANNA AMBROSIUS –
1854-
A Peasant's Thoughts
Struggle and Peace
Do Thou Love, Too!
Invitation
EDMONDO DE AMICIS -- 1846-
The Light ('Constantinople')
Resemblances (same)
Birds (same)
Cordova ('Spain')
The Land of Pluck ('Holland and Its People')
The Dutch Masters ('Holland and Its People')
HENRI FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL (by Richard Burton) -- 1821-1881
Extracts from Amiel's Journal:
Christ's Real Message
Duty
Joubert
Greeks vs. Moderns
Nature, and Teutonic and Scandinavian Poetry
Training of Children
Mozart and Beethoven
1854-
A Peasant's Thoughts
Struggle and Peace
Do Thou Love, Too!
Invitation
EDMONDO DE AMICIS -- 1846-
The Light ('Constantinople')
Resemblances (same)
Birds (same)
Cordova ('Spain')
The Land of Pluck ('Holland and Its People')
The Dutch Masters ('Holland and Its People')
HENRI FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL (by Richard Burton) -- 1821-1881
Extracts from Amiel's Journal:
Christ's Real Message
Duty
Joubert
Greeks vs. Moderns
Nature, and Teutonic and Scandinavian Poetry
Training of Children
Mozart and Beethoven
VOLUME I.
The Book of the Dead (Colored Plate).
First English Printing (Fac-simile).
Assyrian Clay Tablet (Fac-simile).
John Adams (Portrait).
John Quincy Adams (Portrait).
Joseph Addison (Portrait).
Louis Agassiz (Portrait).
"Poetry" (Photogravure).
Vittorio Alfieri (Portrait).
"A Courtship" (Photogravure).
"A Dutch Girl" (Photogravure).
VIGNETTE PORTRAITS
Pierre Abélard.
Edmond About.
Abigail Adams.
Aeschines.
Aeschylus.
Aesop.
Grace Aguilar.
William Harrison Ainsworth.
Mark Akenside.
Alcaeus.
Louisa May Alcott.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
Jean le Rond D'Alembert.
Edmondo de Amicis.
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by
Georges Polti & Lucille Ray
1868
"Gozzi maintained that there can be but thirty-six tragic situations. Schiller took great pains to find more, but he was unable to find even so many as Gozzi."
Thirty-six situations only! There is, to me, something tantalizing about the assertion, unaccompanied as it is by any explanation either from Gozzi, or from Goethe or Schiller, and presenting a problem which it does not solve. For I remembered that he who declared by this limited number so strongly synthetic a law, had himself the most fantastic of imaginations. He was the author, this Gozzi, of "Turandot," and of the "Roi Cerf," two works almost without analogue, the one upon the situation of the "Enigma, ' the other upon phases of metempsychosis; he was the creator of a dramatic system, and the Arabesque spirit, through him transfused, has given us the work of Hoffmann, Jean-Paul Richter and Poe.
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CONTENTS
I. How THE Book Came to Be Written and What It Is About 8
II. How TO Use the Personals in Testing the
Imagination 7
III. The Interpretation of a Personal 26
IV. Thinking the Literate Imagination 43
V. Names and Clothes as Literate Accessories . . 59
VI. Tricks of the Literate Imagination .... 74
VII. What Kind of Mind the Novelist Needs ... 86
VIII. Where the Writer Gets His Plots and Personalities 103
IX. The Problem of the Plot 127
X. Character-Creation 141
XI. Plot-Making as a Safety-Valve 164
XII. The Case-System of Literary Training .... 179
XIII. Putting a Foot-Rule on the Imagination ... 208
XIV. Miscellaneous Personals 226
XV. Personals in Continuities 232
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