What Inspires You?
Sep 01, 2024 1:10 pm
Hello, lovely readers!
One of my favorite things to do with my books is integrate poetry from the time period into them. In First Comes Courtship, this was an easy task, Cora being a poet and all. I gave her two favorite poets who offer the most inspiration--the Earl of Rochester and Charlotte Smith.
Rochester was an 17th century erotic poet, and if you've ever seen the Johnny Depp movie about him--The Libertine--you have an idea of how scandalous he was.
Smith is probably less well known. I didn't know her until I took a grad-level class on Romantic poetry. In the past I'd been taught mostly the big 6 of Romanticism--William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and George Gordon, Lord Byron. All dudes. Naturally.
What a surprise to finally meet Charlotte Smith and to learn how she significantly inspired those 6, especially Coleridge. Smith is BIG on the emotions, on the natural imagery, and, a little bit, on despair. The pull between hope and misery, optimism and pessimism was perfect for Cora. Take a look at one of Smith's poems, "Oh, Hope! thou soother of human woes":
Oh, Hope! thou soother sweet of human woes!
How shall I lure thee to my haunts forlorn!
For me wilt thou renew the withered rose,
And clear my painful path of pointed thorn?
Ah come, sweet nymph! in smiles and softness drest,
Like the young hours that lead the tender year
Enchantress come! and charm my cares to rest:
Alas! the flatterer flies, and will not hear!
A prey to fear, anxiety, and pain,
Must I a sad existence still deplore?
Lo! the flowers fade, but all the thorns remain,
‘For me the vernal garland blooms no more.’
Come then, ‘pale Misery’s love!’ be thou my cure,
And I will bless thee, who though slow art sure.
Now for a bit of Rochester. 😉 This is from "The Imperfect Enjoyment":
Naked she lay, clasped in my longing arms,
I filled with love, and she all over charms;
Both equally inspired with eager fire,
Melting through kindness, flaming in desire.
With arms, legs, lips close clinging to embrace,
She clips me to her breast, and sucks me to her face.
Her nimble tongue, love’s lesser lightning, played
Within my mouth, and to my thoughts conveyed
Swift orders that I should prepare to throw
The all-dissolving thunderbolt below.
WHEW! That naughty Rochester. No wonder he's one of Cora's favorites. (First Comes Courtship is still exclusively at Wolf's Store here!)
What inspires you?
Discover a New Book
The next book recs have a clear theme I did not plan. 🤣 Rath, Reckoning, and Vengeance!
First up is Mariah Stone's Duke of Rath.
Then we have Jane Charles' A Rogue's Reckoning.
Finally, check out Katherine Bone's Lady Vengeance.
Now you know I love cinnamon roll heroes! So here's a collection of hot histroms featuring nice guys.
And I'm also partial to the slow discovery and fall into love when the MCs know each other first. So here's a friends to lovers collection that celebrates books that do just that!
Finally, are you itching for something cheap and hot? Try these scandalous free reads!
Happy reading!
Charlie
(these books will be in KU)
(these books are in KU)
