Chapter & Verse

John Maher would like to know who said, "Analysis is death"--and where.

Marian Barkley is looking for the source of the phrase "these (the?) half-forgotten, sunlit days."

Gerald Hogan requests the text and author of a long poem or ballad, possibly Welsh or Scottish, entitled "The Tale of Johnnie Kigarrow." He reports that the first line runs, "My brother and I were down in Wales...."

"The blood of children" (July-August). Elizabeth Aracic identified Pablo Neruda's poem "Explaining a Few Things," published in Residence on Earth and Other Poems (translated by Angel Flores), as the source of this slightly misquoted simile. The correct text is "through the streets the blood of children/flowed simply, like the blood of children...."

"We work in the dark...." Laurie McNeil, who also works in the dark--"rather more literally, as my scientific experiments are conducted in a dark room"--asked for a full citation for the Henry James quotation included in the address that President Neil L. Rudenstine delivered in Sanders Theatre last May 13, at the conclusion of the University Campaign (see "A Hazard of Good Fortune," July-August, page 49). The quotation occurs at the end of James's short story "The Middle Years," first published in 1893 and reprinted in The Complete Tales of Henry James, volume 9, edited by Leon Edel (1964).

Most popular

Don’t Be A ‘Solo Superhero,’ Jonny Kim Tells Harvard Alumni

The astronaut, doctor, and Navy SEAL delivered keynote remarks at the University’s Alumni Day festivities.

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

Mercy Otis Warren in period attire writes at a desk by candlelight, surrounded by books.

The Woman Who Penned the Case for War

Mercy Otis Warren’s poetry and plays incited the Patriot movement.

A dancer in a black leotard poses gracefully in a bright studio, with mirrors reflecting her movement.

A New Black Swan Musical Cranks Up the Tension

The creative team of the A.R.T.’s new show dish on adapting Darren Aronofsky’s thriller classic from screen to stage.

Portrait of a man with white hair, wearing a black coat, arms crossed, thoughtful expression.

The Framer Who Refused to Sign the Constitution

Harvard’s Elbridge Gerry helped draft the U.S. Constitution, but worried it might create a new monarch.