Chapter & Verse

Germaine Odenheimer hopes to learn the author and title of a poem that begins, "I am a magical mouse. I don't eat cheese. I eat houses and the tops of trees."

Susanne Byron asks for th author and title of a poem beginning, "I know not how such things can be/I only know there came to me/A fragrance such as never clings/To aught save happy living things...."

Desirée Martinez would like background information about the following quotation, which has been attributed to an anonymous Native American: "Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I will understand."

George Day requests an attribution for the lines, "What matters it what went before or after;/Now with myself, I will begin and end."

"but cannot explain himself" (July-August). Caldwell Titcomb verified Pericles as the source of the following advice, which appears in the last of four speeches by the Athenian leader included by Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War. In the translation by R.W. Livingstone, Pericles proclaims himself "second to no man either in knowledge of the proper policy, or in the ability to expound it" and adds, "A man possessing that knowledge without that faculty of exposition might as well have no idea at all on the matter" (book 2, chapter 60).

Most popular

How physical appearance influences authority

Cherubic features benefit black male CEOs, but not other groups, underscoring the complexity of social disadvantage.

A Right Way to Teach Reading?

The science, art, and politics of teaching an essential skill

At Harvard Talk, Retired Supreme Court Justice Breyer Defends Shadow Docket

The current law professor also spoke about affirmative action, partisanship, and the limits of “bright-line rules.”

Explore More From Current Issue

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.

Three joyful graduates in caps and gowns celebrate together outdoors.

Commencement Week Events

Harvard Commencement Events 2026

A colorful hummingbird hovering by vibrant flowers.

Discoveries

Short takes on cutting-edge research