Roman Roads Press Blog

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Eucatastrophe

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

“This emotional rollercoaster that Tolkien puts us on – puts Éomer on – this swinging us from one extreme of Éomer’s sense of despair and impending defeat, to the thrill of discovering that what you thought was your enemy coming to kill you was in fact your friends and allies coming to rescue you. That’s what Tolkien calls “Eucatastrophe,” and that’s how Tolkien would have us read, and to feel, and to experience, the Gospel.” – Jonathan McIntosh, Old Western Culture, The Novels. Christ’s death and resurrection was the ultimate eucatastrophe in the history of mankind. The darkest moment, greatest … Continue Reading “Eucatastrophe”

What will I learn in Fitting Words – 2nd half?

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Fitting Words: Classical Rhetoric for the Christian Student is arranged around the five canons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. In the first half of this course, after laying the Christian philosophical and historical foundation of the subject, the text concentrated on constructing the first two canons: invention, and arrangement (primarily the six parts of a discourse). The text also covered the three artistic modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos (including the special lines of argument: forensic, political, and ceremonial oratory). In the second half of this course, students will continue to learn about logos by constructing … Continue Reading “What will I learn in Fitting Words – 2nd half?”

Write a poem for Mom! |Grammar of Poetry

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Happy Mother’s Day!  One of the immediate payoffs to learning the building blocks of poetry (the “grammar” of poetry), is in communicating more effectively, and more beautifully, with those you love. Matt Whitling gives his students a tool called an “epiphany chart” to help them as they write poetry. An epiphany chart is a way to organize your thoughts, memories, places, and even things. This mother’s day, sit down with your child, and have them fill out a special “Mom’s Epiphany Chart”! What are some special memories, places, or things about Mom? Fill in the chart, and use it to write a … Continue Reading “Write a poem for Mom! |Grammar of Poetry”

The Benefits of Learning Poetry

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Guest post by David Henry, a student of Liberal Arts and Culture at NSA. POETRY is a basic part of human culture, and a key element in man’s effort to glorify his Creator. When God planted Adam in the garden, he presented that first specimen of humanity with a world half-named: sea and land, heavens and earth, birds and creeping things. Then the Lord brought him rank upon rank of creature and told him to name them. From the very beginning God has asked us to use words to describe his creation. This springs into startling clarity when we take … Continue Reading “The Benefits of Learning Poetry”