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Mayakovsky, Vladimir Vladimirovich

(Encyclopedia)Mayakovsky, Vladimir Vladimirovich vlədyēˈmĭr vlədyēˈmĭrəvĭch mīˌəkôfˈskē [key], 1893–1930, Russian poet and dramatist. Mayakovsky was a leader of the futurist school in 1912, and he...

laurel, in botany

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Sassafras, Sassafras albidum, a member of the laurel family laurel, common name for the Lauraceae, a family of forest trees and shrubs found mainly in tropical SE Asia but also abundant in tro...

Noot, Jan van der

(Encyclopedia)Noot, Jan van der yän vän dĕr nōt [key], b. 1539 or 1540, d. 1595?, Flemish poet. He wrote sonnets, odes, and other pieces in imitation of Petrarch and especially of Ronsard. ...

Chiabrera, Gabriello

(Encyclopedia)Chiabrera, Gabriello gäbrē-ĕlˈlō kyäbrĕˈrä [key], 1552–1638?, Italian poet. He adapted classical forms to Italian verse and wrote graceful lyrics in the manner of Anacreon. Wordsworth trans...

Sheba, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Sheba shēˈbə [key]. 1 In the Bible, rebel against David. 2 Queen of Sheba, who according the the Bible visited Solomon after hearing about the fame of his wisdom. In Arabic legend, Solomon and the ...

Blok, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich

(Encyclopedia)Blok, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich əlyĭksänˈdər əlyĭksänˈdrəvĭch blôk [key], 1880–1921, Russian poet, considered the greatest of the Russian symbolists. As the leading disciple of Vladimir S...

Chernov, Viktor

(Encyclopedia)Chernov, Viktor vēkˈtər chĭrnôfˈ [key], 1876–1952, Russian revolutionary. One of the founders of the Socialist Revolutionary party, he served as minister of agriculture under Kerensky in the p...

Europa, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Europa yo͝orōˈpə [key], in Greek mythology, daughter of Agenor and Telephassa. Zeus, enamored of her, appeared as a white bull, enticed her to climb on his back, and swam off with her to Crete. Th...

Tegnér, Esaias

(Encyclopedia)Tegnér, Esaias ĕsīˈäs tĕng-nârˈ [key], 1782–1846, Swedish poet, bishop of Växjö. Tegnér was the most popular of the Swedish romantic poets. An optimistic nationalist and liberal in his yo...

Czech Legion

(Encyclopedia)Czech Legion, military force of about 40,000 to 50,000 men, composed mostly of Czech and Slovak Russian prisoners of war and deserters from the Austro-Hungarian army who enrolled in the Russian army d...