I was inspired this morning as I walked to practice piano for an upcoming recital... this would have been great, had I been inspired to practice. Rather, I was inspired to set the opening of Wordsworth’s The Prelude to music. My roommate (bless her) stopped me just in time: “Ryanne, if you write a melody and…
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman having read or seen Pride and Prejudice, must be in want of a Mr. Darcy." - Jane Austen and Ryanne McLaren* *Note: The above quote does not actually represent the entirety of this post, but I did think it rather apt in capturing the feelings of Austenites…
In reading Dante's Inferno, I was struck by his ability to identify, categorize, and assign fitting punishments to various sins. This is not perhaps the most cheerful observation, but it was certainly intriguing and made me think (apologies for the morbidity): what crimes I would punish were I to write a modern Inferno and how would I…
Yes, my title is a hashtag. Sometimes I like to break the trend of ordinary prose. Sorry not sorry. Ironically, however, this post is based on writing standards set waaaaaaaay back in the days of Homer. In reading through The Odyssey for my university's honors institute, I realized two things: First, listening to Chopin's nocturnes whilst reading makes…
Standing at the checkout at the grocery store, I found myself incredibly bored having forgotten both my book and my phone. Most people in such a predicament would probably do one of two things: 1) make small-talk with fellow shoppers or 2) flip idly through the magazines on the racks. Similar to Mr. Darcy, I…
One of my friends who knows more about movies than I do informed me that "Inception" does not actually refer to having one thing within itself but rather having a story begin at the end (or something like that) and that my cookies more accurately could be compared to nesting dolls, with one thing holding a…
Once more, I find myself in the uncomfortable situation of actually enjoying my homework. A lot. I know that many people in my class find this irritating, but I can't help it; I like to write, so naturally I will like an assignment that requires me to write a short story using the literary elements…
Sometimes reading postmodern literature is like reading those texts where people just type the first words their iPhone suggests... For instance, compare the authorship of: 1) My iPhone and that of a friend: 2) A revered postmodern author: Oddly similar...yet only one is deemed worthy of annotations! Disclaimer: I honestly do have appreciation for postmodern artistry and understand the…
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ― Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci is remembered as one of the most ingenious men to have walked the earth. Even those unfamiliar with art recognize his name as the painter of the "Mona Lisa" and the innovator of ideas ahead of his time. And yet, this man, the epitome…
"Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words." ~Edgar Allan Poe Aside from signing my friends' yearbook with personalized limericks, I admit that I have little experience with poetry. However, I adore reading it, as it was meant to be read, aloud. I love the sounds of its rhymes, the flow of the lines,…
