Final lecture in the series: Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

For those who wish to read in preparation for the lecture, Dr. Schopf recommends reading the following poems by Tennyson.

In this three-lecture series, Dr. Sue Weaver Schopf will explore questions that have often been asked in studies of the sister arts: What can poetry express that painting cannot? What can painting express that poetry cannot? And what are the artistic possibilities when painting and poetry work in tandem to convey ideas and express emotion?

William Blake and Dante Gabriel Rossetti were both painters and poets, who experimented with the potential of each medium. But when they began to illustrate their poetry, they discovered the full range of expression possible when the visual and verbal arts function as compliments to each other.

Among the many poems of the 19th century, none were more frequently illustrated than those by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. What drew artists to his poetry, and how did their paintings enhance or further elucidate the author’s works? These interesting dynamics will be the subject of separate lectures on April 20 (Blake), May 16 (Rossetti), and June 6 (Tennyson). A list of poems to be considered will be made available before each lecture.

Sue Weaver Schopf is Distinguished Service Lecturer and retired Associate Dean at the Harvard Extension School. She has served on the board of the Salem Athenaeum and is a member the Program Committee.

Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of the month at 11:00 a.m.

View the reading list.

Weekly Writing Studios at the Salem Athenaeum.

The building will be open from 9:45-12:00 every Tuesday (unless announced otherwise). Feel free to come by and write in a quiet peaceful setting.

Come for as long as you’d like–for 20 minutes or all three hours.

Weekly Writing Studios at the Salem Athenaeum.

The building will be open from 8:40-11:30 every Tuesday (unless announced otherwise). Feel free to come by and write in a quiet peaceful setting.

Come for as long as you’d like–for 20 minutes or all three hours.

All are welcome to bring work-in-progress to share with the group for feedback. The group is facilitated by J.D. Scrimgeour, Professor of English, Salem State University.

Weekly Writing Studios at the Salem Athenaeum.

The building will be open from 8:40-11:30 every Tuesday (unless announced otherwise). Feel free to come by and write in a quiet peaceful setting.

Come for as long as you’d like–for 20 minutes or all three hours.

Weekly Writing Studios at the Salem Athenaeum.

The building will be open from 8:40-11:30 every Tuesday (unless announced otherwise). Feel free to come by and write in a quiet peaceful setting.

Come for as long as you’d like–for 20 minutes or all three hours.

All are welcome to bring work-in-progress to share with the group for feedback. The group is facilitated by J.D. Scrimgeour, Professor of English, Salem State University.

Starting at 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 7th, and running until about 7:00 PM that evening, Salem Maritime National Historic Site will be hosting “Enduring Hawthorne: A Marathon Reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.”

With the help of many, many volunteers we will read The Scarlet Letter from beginning to end.

Join us from the beginning or stop by to listen as the novel progresses. Watch for special “Hawthorne’s Custom House” tour and the opportunity to make your own scarlet letter to publicly state your personal sins.

We ask everyone interested in helping to read to please email gavin_gardner@nps.gov. He will be pulling together the volunteer list and organizing a planning meeting later in June to brief all of the readers. Let us know by June 15 if you are interested in volunteering for a five minute reading slot.