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determinism

(Encyclopedia)determinism, philosophical thesis that every event is the inevitable result of antecedent causes. Applied to ethics and psychology, determinism usually involves a denial of free will, although many ph...

Cowley, Abraham

(Encyclopedia)Cowley, Abraham ko͞oˈlē, kouˈ– [key], 1618–67, one of the English metaphysical poets. He published his first volume of verse, Poetical Blossoms (1633), when he was 15. While a student at Cambr...

Gascoigne, George

(Encyclopedia)Gascoigne, George găskoinˈ [key], c.1539–1577, English author, a pioneer in various fields of English literature. A reckless, dissipated youth, he left Cambridge without a degree to study law, but...

Midrash

(Encyclopedia)Midrash mĭdˈräsh [key] [Heb.,=to examine, to investigate], verse by verse interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures, consisting of homily and exegesis, by Jewish teachers since about 400 b.c. Distinction...

Sackville, Thomas, 1st earl of Dorset

(Encyclopedia)Sackville, Thomas, 1st earl of Dorset, 1536–1608, English statesman and poet. A barrister of the Inner Temple, Sackville entered Parliament in 1558, gained favor with Elizabeth I, and was created Ba...

Old Norse literature

(Encyclopedia)Old Norse literature, the literature of the Northmen, or Norsemen, c.850–c.1350. It survives mainly in Icelandic writings, for little medieval vernacular literature remains from Norway, Sweden, or D...

Corinna

(Encyclopedia)Corinna kərĭnˈə [key], fl. c.500? b.c., Greek poet of Tanagra. Her verse, fragments of which remain, deals with mythological themes and is written in Boeotian dialect. There exists no consensus on...

Giusti, Giuseppe

(Encyclopedia)Giusti, Giuseppe jo͞ozĕpˈpā jo͞osˈtē [key], 1809–50, Italian satirical poet. He directed his original and ironic polemics against Austrian rule and also attacked demagoguery and graft. The id...

Mendès, Catulle

(Encyclopedia)Mendès, Catulle kätülˈ mäNdĕsˈ [key], 1841–1909, French poet, critic, and novelist of the Parnassian school. He founded (1861) the Revue fantaisiste, contributed to the Parnasse contemporain,...

Archilochus

(Encyclopedia)Archilochus ärkĭlˈəkəs [key], fl. c.700 or c.650 b.c., Greek poet, b. Paros. As an innovator in the use and construction of the personal lyric, his language was intense and often violent. Many fr...