“Over the Hills and Far Away” by Unknown and “Louis Napoleon” by Oscar Wilde
Commonplace Book – Pages 99-101
O’er the Hills and Far Away by Unknown
O’er the hills and o’er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
King George commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away.
It’s forty shillings on the drum
To those who volunteer to come,
To ‘list and fight the foe today
Over the hills and far away.
Through smoke and fire and shot and shell
And to the very walls of hell,
But we shall stand and we shall stay
Over the hills and far away.
If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Ask the pipes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away.
Louis Napoleon by Oscar Wilde
Eagle of Austerlitz! where were thy wings
When far away upon a barbarous strand,
In fight unequal, by an obscure hand,
Fell the last scion of thy brood of Kings!
Poor boy! thou shalt not flaunt thy cloak of red,
Or ride in state through Paris in the van
Of thy returning legions, but instead
Thy mother France, free and republican
Shall on thy dead and crownless forehead place
The better laurels of a soldier’s crown,
That not dishonoured should thy soul go down
To tell the mighty Sire of thy race
That France hath kissed the mouth of liberty,
And found it sweeter than his honied bees,
And that the giant wave Democracy
Breaks on the shores where Kings lay couched at ease.
Notes on ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde
Commonplace Book – Pages 98-99
I don’t think a review is needed for this one, because I think everyone knows how amazing this book is. It is one of my favorites, and the character Dorian Gray is second only to my love of Hamlet. And I adore Oscar Wilde, both as a person and a writer, and he may be the only one who can write true “aesthetic” and make it sound beautiful rather than cliche:
How exquisite they were! As one read them, one seemed to be floating down the green water-ways of the pink and pearl city, seated in a black gondola with silver prow and trailing curtains…The sudden flashes of color reminded him of the gleam of the opal-and-iris throated birds that flutter round the tall honey-combed Campanile…
Noted examples of:
Aphorism: A succinct statement expressing an opinion or general truth (often in Lord Henry’s dialogue)
Philanthropy: A desire to improve the material, social, and spiritual welfare of humanity
Philistine: A materialistic person who is indifferent to artistic and intellectual achievements and values (Lord Henry and Dorian Gray)
Misanthropy: A desire to hate humankind in general, or to dislike and distrust other people and tend to avoid their company (Dorian Gray)
Other notes:
“Devil’s Bargain”: The nickname of Dorian Gray give by the public for his corruption and deeds
“Piaresque Novel”: A plotless novel
Dalmatic: The wide-sleeved garment worn over the alb by a deacon, cardinal, bishop or abbot during Mass.
Sojourn: A temporary stay; a brief period of residence
Antinomianism: The doctrine or belief that the Gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law, whether scriptural, civil or moral, and that salvation is obtained solely through faith or gift of divine grace.
Champak: A southern Asian tree, Michelia champaca, of the magnolia family, having fragrant yellow or orange flowers and yielding an oil used in perfumes.
Spikenard: An aromatic perennial herb of the Himalaya Mountains, having rose-purple flowers. Also called ‘nard’; An ointment of antiquity prepared from this plant
Hovenia: A small genus of deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rhamnaceae. They occur naturally from India to Japan.
Caryatid: A sculpted female figure used as a column
Black-ball: to vote against; to exclude socially; to reject
Alembic: A vessel with a beaked cap or head, formerly used in distilling; anything that transforms, purifies or refines
Favorite Quotes:
There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful. – Narration
And mind you don’t talk about anything serious. Nothing is serious nowadays. At least, nothing should be. – Dorian Gray
I am tired of myself tonight. I should like to be somebody else. – Dorian Gray
I love scandals about other people, but scandals about myself don’t interest me. They have not got the charm of novelty. – Dorian Gray
Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man’s face. It cannot be concealed. People talk of secret vices. There are no such things a secret vices. – Basil Hallward
I keep a diary of my life from day to day, and it never leaves the room in which it is written. – Dorian Gray
But youth smiles without any reason. It is one of its chiefest charms. – Lord Henry Wotton
Poor Basil! What a horrible way for a man to die! – Dorian Gray
The dead linger sometimes. – Dorian Gray
Do you think this girl will ever be really contented now with any one of her own rank? I suppose she will be married some day to a rough carter or a grinning ploughman. Well, having met you, and loved you, will teach her to despise her husband, and she will be wretched. Besides, how do you know that Hetty isn’t floating at the present moment in some mill-pond, with water-lilies round her, like Ophelia? – Lord Henry Wotton
To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respected. – Lord Henry Wotton
It has been a charming evening, and we must end it charmingly. – Dorian Gray
You and I are what we are, and will be what we will be. - Dorian Gray
Words (Cont.) and ‘Oscar Dear’ by Anonymous
Commonplace Book – Pages 85 – 87
Witenagemot: An Anglo-Saxon advisory council to the King, composed of about 100 nobles, prelates, and other officials, convened at intervals to discuss administrative and judicial affairs.
Witan: The members of a Witenagemot
Gemot: Old English word meaning ‘assembly’
Folkmote: In medieval England, a general assembly of the people of a town, district or shire
Shiremote: A general assembly of the people of a shire – an example of a folkmote
Subreguli: In Anglo-Saxon England, what we would call ‘under-kings’ that ruled under one supreme King
Scir: Old English word meaning ‘shire’
Scirman: A governor of a shire, one who discharges the duties of a scir
Gerefaern: Court-house
Gerefland: Land held by a reeve
Gerefmaed: Reeve’s meadow
Gerefmann: Official, courtier
Gerefscipe: Reeve’s office
Gerefscir: Steward’s office
Portgerefa: Port-reeve, mayor; an official of a foreign town
Tun: Enclosure; farm field; homestead
Manung: Admonition; claim; place of toll; district for purposes of tribute or taxation; residents in a taxing district
Folcriht: Right of the people, common law; (adj) according to common law
Geongra: Attendant; assistant; deputy
Geongre: Female attendant; assistant; deputy
Mangere: Trader; merchant; broker
“Oscar Dear” by Anonymous
- first published by F.W. Helmick in 1882
I’ll sing to you of a nice young man
Of virtues rich and rare
Of stature tall and ankles thin
And long and curly hair
Aesthetic to a great degree
In actions sweet and mild
Sublimely lank and nonchalant
But just a little wild!
