IDs
I profess the religion
of love Wherever
its camels turn, there
lives my faith
What is Ibn Arabi in Translator of Desires: Gentle Now, Doves
This celestial body frequently appears in the poems as a symbol of the beauty and perfection in Translator of Desires.
What is the moon/sun
Why do you think Citizen appears first on the syllabus, before older texts?
It challenges traditional chronology, prompting students to rethink literature’s relevance and how contemporary works engage with historical themes.
How do Citizen and Inferno use perspective to shape the reader’s experience?
Citizen uses the second person (“you”) to immerse the reader in racial injustices, while Inferno follows Dante’s first-person journey, guiding the reader through a structured moral landscape.
"If I could have the things for which I pray,"
I said to him, "then you would not yet be banished
from our humanity this way"
What is Dante in Inferno to Brunetto. Canto 15.
Augustine describes this specific moment of conversion in the garden as the climactic turning point of his spiritual journey.
What is the garden scene at Milan
Why does Rankine use “you” instead of “I” in Citizen?
It immerses the reader, making them both observer and participant, enhancing the book’s themes of racial experience and accountability.
How do Confessions and Citizen use memory to construct identity?
Augustine reflects on his past to find spiritual redemption, while Rankine presents fragmented memories of racial injustice to show the ongoing impact of systemic oppression.
"How long, O lord? How long, Lord, will you be angry to the uttermost? Do not be mindful of our old iniquities."
What is Augustine in Confessions: Pick up and Read.
This unique poetic structure invented by Dante consists of three-line stanzas with an interlocking rhyme scheme.
What is terza rima
What does Augustine’s pear theft reveal about his view of sin?
He sees it as sin for sin’s sake, showing humanity’s flawed nature and the struggle between desire and morality.
How do Dante and Augustine incorporate classical philosophy into their Christian worldviews?
Augustine integrates Plato’s idealism into his theology, using it to justify the existence of God. Dante, guided by Virgil, honors classical wisdom but ultimately subordinates it to Christian salvation.
"If your will commanded you to kill your daughter, would you kill her?"
What is Montaigne in Confessions: Of Friendship.
This scene depicts Gloucester attempting suicide but being unknowingly saved by his son.
What is the Dover Cliff scene
Why does Dante place Virgil in Limbo?
He respects classical wisdom but asserts that salvation requires divine grace, placing Christianity above human reason.
How do King Lear and Confessions portray personal transformation?
Both depict painful self-discovery—Lear loses everything before seeing truth, while Augustine reflects on his past sins to achieve spiritual renewal.
"I am a man more sinned against than sinning."
What is Shakespeare in King Lear: Act 3.2.
Montaigne's famous motto, translates to this philosophical question
What is "What do I know?" ("Que sais-je?")
What does Lear learn about sight and recognition?
He moves from blindness—misjudging his daughters—to painful truth, realizing love too late, reinforcing the play’s themes of wisdom through suffering.
How do Citizen and King Lear use language to convey breakdowns in understanding?
itizen exposes racial injustice through fragmented, repetitive language, while King Lear strips language down to raw emotion, showing the collapse of reason and power.