The Muses Companion – May 19, 2024

Good day, readers. Today is May 19th, the 140th day of the year 2024, with 226 days remaining.

Believe you can and you’re halfway there.

Theodore Roosevelt

Today in Literary History:

On this day in 1897, Oscar Wilde was released from Reading Gaol. After his imprisonment for “gross indecency,” Wilde wrote the profound and poignant work De Profundis, a long letter reflecting on his life, art, and suffering. This letter has been critically acclaimed for its literary merit and depth of personal insight.

Notable Birthdays:

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist. A courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, Malcolm X remains an influential figure in the fight against racial discrimination. His autobiography, co-written with Alex Haley, offers a gripping narrative of his life and transformation.

Today’s Readings:

From The Autobiography of Malcolm X: “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

Literary Fact of the Day:

On May 19th, 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England, was executed. Her life and death have fascinated historians and authors, inspiring numerous books, plays, and films that explore the complexities of her personality, her political influence, and her role in the religious upheaval that marked the era.

Poem of the Day:

“Love is Not All” by Edna St. Vincent Millay:

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.

It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution’s power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be. I do not think I would.

This contemplative poem explores the limitations and essential nature of love, weighing its non-practicality against its profound psychological and emotional necessity in human life.

Advice for Writers:

Inspired by Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, maintain confidence in your creative potential. The belief in your ability to achieve can significantly impact your motivation and success. As you write, remember that self-assurance can be as critical as skill in realizing your literary goals.

Have a courageous and confident day, dear readers. Until tomorrow, may your beliefs empower you and your endeavors meet with success.