Our destination is Amherst, Massachusetts, home of the beloved Emily Dickinson. She led lonely and secluded life, barely leaving her bedroom. Yet, she left behind hundreds of poems, many of which were written down on kitchen paper.
“Words, words, words.” – Shakespeare, Hamlet
For the genuine lovers of the written word 23 April is a remarkable day, since Shakespeare’s 449th birthday is celebrated on this day. Although Shakespeare’s plays were written to be performed at the Globe, on the south bank of the Father Thames, today they attract the audience around the globe. The power of the Bard’s magical pen can be felt today, even though the Golden age of the Queen Elizabeth I is centuries behind us.
We have all heard the intriguing stories about fearless artists, glamorous expats and beautiful socialites gathering in cafes, bars, restaurants, mostly European, Parisian, to be more precise.
A boy, “desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery”, rises from the dining table. He fears that such an act might be an example of inconsiderate rudeness yet, he dares to utter probably the most famous sentence in the history of literature. ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’
For centuries, The Bard’s plays have been beguiling us with shadings of emotion and countless twists of fate. The bravery of his heroes is inspiring, and the courage of his heroines is touching.
For Henry Fielding, “love and scandal are best sweeteners of tea”. However, these days, upon ordering a cup of tea, you would get a cup of boiled water and a tea bag lying next to it. Only if you are lucky enough, a cookie or some other sweetener would be there, too.
‘Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.’ – Virginia Woolf