Literature, Theory, and History

@UCqWpsERXY15r4uzL0GiY5rg - 261 subscribers

My name's Ben Smith. In another life I studied English and Creative Writing at Brunel University and Creative Writing at the University of Hertfordshire, while more recently I've been in painting and decorating. I aim to introduce and expound upon works of literature, theory, and history to make them accessible to all. I will focus mostly on books that are less well represented on YouTube, with a particular focus on Marxist literary theory and the English philosophical and political tradition. If you're interested in my private tutoring services on these topics or any others featured on the channel, please email me through my channel page, or help support my work through Buy Me a Coffee.

Home Videos Live Playlists

On Allegory: The Bosnian Genocide and Interpretations of Christendom

On Allegory: The Bosnian Genocide and Interpretations of Christendom Literature, Theory, and History

25 views - 2 weeks ago

On Allegory: Marxist Hermeneutics and The Lord of the Rings

On Allegory: Marxist Hermeneutics and The Lord of the Rings Literature, Theory, and History

19 views - 2 weeks ago

Limits to Lacan

Limits to Lacan Literature, Theory, and History

112 views - 3 weeks ago

Schoenberg, Music, Zionism, and the Exhaustion of the West

Schoenberg, Music, Zionism, and the Exhaustion of the West Literature, Theory, and History

95 views - 3 weeks ago

D.G. Rossetti and the Dialectic of Nature and Art

D.G. Rossetti and the Dialectic of Nature and Art Literature, Theory, and History

44 views - 1 month ago

Can Art be Ugly?

Can Art be Ugly? Literature, Theory, and History

85 views - 1 month ago

R.S. Thomas: Welsh Nationalism and Techno-Scepticism

R.S. Thomas: Welsh Nationalism and Techno-Scepticism Literature, Theory, and History

141 views - 1 month ago

Hegel and the Inescapability of Ideology

Hegel and the Inescapability of Ideology Literature, Theory, and History

79 views - 1 month ago

Three Books I Often Revisit

Three Books I Often Revisit Literature, Theory, and History

117 views - 1 month ago

Hegel, Lacan, Marx: Beyond 'the Self'

Hegel, Lacan, Marx: Beyond 'the Self' Literature, Theory, and History

53 views - 1 month ago

Brideshead Revisited... revisited: an ideological analysis

Brideshead Revisited... revisited: an ideological analysis Literature, Theory, and History

37 views - 1 month ago

Hegel, Hirschman, Psychology, the Passions...

Hegel, Hirschman, Psychology, the Passions... Literature, Theory, and History

5 views - 2 months ago

Hegel: A Few Pointers From My Journey So Far

Hegel: A Few Pointers From My Journey So Far Literature, Theory, and History

818 views - 2 months ago

The New Poetry - selected and introduced by A. Alvarez

The New Poetry - selected and introduced by A. Alvarez Literature, Theory, and History

47 views - 2 months ago

Locke, Toleration, and Middle Class Culture

Locke, Toleration, and Middle Class Culture Literature, Theory, and History

42 views - 2 months ago

Price Rises and Historical Crises: The Great Wave by David Hackett Fischer

Price Rises and Historical Crises: The Great Wave by David Hackett Fischer Literature, Theory, and History

113 views - 2 months ago

Poetry Reading: Ben Jonson (1572?-1637) - On my First Sonne

Poetry Reading: Ben Jonson (1572?-1637) - On my First Sonne Literature, Theory, and History

10 views - 2 months ago

Poetry Reading: Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-1861) - The Latest Decalogue

Poetry Reading: Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-1861) - The Latest Decalogue Literature, Theory, and History

6 views - 2 months ago

Political Problems of 17th Century England

Political Problems of 17th Century England Literature, Theory, and History

5 views - 2 months ago

Two Minor Poet-Critics in Search of England: Donald Davie and C.H. Sisson

Two Minor Poet-Critics in Search of England: Donald Davie and C.H. Sisson Literature, Theory, and History

52 views - 2 months ago

Hermeneutics in Hooker and Hobbes

Hermeneutics in Hooker and Hobbes Literature, Theory, and History

52 views - 2 months ago

Poetry Reading: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886); Charlotte and Emily Bronte (1816-1855; 1818-1848)

Poetry Reading: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886); Charlotte and Emily Bronte (1816-1855; 1818-1848) Literature, Theory, and History

8 views - 2 months ago

The Uses of History in the English Civil War (and for the one to come?)

The Uses of History in the English Civil War (and for the one to come?) Literature, Theory, and History

44 views - 3 months ago

My Research Tools

My Research Tools Literature, Theory, and History

80 views - 3 months ago

Maurice Blanchot: Suffering as Thinking

Maurice Blanchot: Suffering as Thinking Literature, Theory, and History

69 views - 3 months ago

Poetry Reading: Oliver Goldsmith (1730?-1774) - from The Deserted Village

Poetry Reading: Oliver Goldsmith (1730?-1774) - from The Deserted Village Literature, Theory, and History

9 views - 3 months ago

R.G. Collingwood - The Idea of History

R.G. Collingwood - The Idea of History Literature, Theory, and History

49 views - 3 months ago

Maurice Blanchot: Literary Theory for the End of the World

Maurice Blanchot: Literary Theory for the End of the World Literature, Theory, and History

42 views - 3 months ago

Poetry Reading: Fulke Greville (1554-1628) - 'Oh wearisome Condition of Humanity!'

Poetry Reading: Fulke Greville (1554-1628) - 'Oh wearisome Condition of Humanity!' Literature, Theory, and History

14 views - 3 months ago

Reading Milton’s Paradise Lost Through Macherey

Reading Milton’s Paradise Lost Through Macherey Literature, Theory, and History

44 views - 3 months ago

Is Marxist Theory 'Reductive'?

Is Marxist Theory 'Reductive'? Literature, Theory, and History

58 views - 3 months ago

Poetry Reading: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-92) - from Maud, Part I, Section 22

Poetry Reading: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-92) - from Maud, Part I, Section 22 Literature, Theory, and History

16 views - 3 months ago

Fredric Jameson - Marxism and Form

Fredric Jameson - Marxism and Form Literature, Theory, and History

88 views - 3 months ago

Is History 'Objective'?

Is History 'Objective'? Literature, Theory, and History

119 views - 3 months ago

Poetry Reading: W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) - 'The Song of Wandering Aengus' and 'Sailing to Byzantium'

Poetry Reading: W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) - 'The Song of Wandering Aengus' and 'Sailing to Byzantium' Literature, Theory, and History

6 views - 3 months ago

Levi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology, and Anarcho-Primitivism

Levi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology, and Anarcho-Primitivism Literature, Theory, and History

103 views - 3 months ago

Poetry Reading: from Wagner's 'Parsifal' (Huckel's Interpretation)

Poetry Reading: from Wagner's 'Parsifal' (Huckel's Interpretation) Literature, Theory, and History

46 views - 3 months ago

Moishe Postone: Value and Price in Marx's Critique of Capital

Moishe Postone: Value and Price in Marx's Critique of Capital Literature, Theory, and History

75 views - 4 months ago

Poetry Reading: D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) - 'Thought' and 'Song of a Man Who Has Come Through'

Poetry Reading: D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) - 'Thought' and 'Song of a Man Who Has Come Through' Literature, Theory, and History

41 views - 4 months ago

Rieff, Freud, Lacan, and 'the Unconscious'

Rieff, Freud, Lacan, and 'the Unconscious' Literature, Theory, and History

312 views - 4 months ago

Renaissance Prophetic Poetry, Christian Zionism, and the World of Late Capitalism

Renaissance Prophetic Poetry, Christian Zionism, and the World of Late Capitalism Literature, Theory, and History

96 views - 4 months ago

Geoffrey Hill vs. J.H. Prynne: Modernism vs. Post-Modernism?

Geoffrey Hill vs. J.H. Prynne: Modernism vs. Post-Modernism? Literature, Theory, and History

192 views - 4 months ago

Moishe Postone: The Abstract Time of Capital

Moishe Postone: The Abstract Time of Capital Literature, Theory, and History

35 views - 4 months ago

Moishe Postone: Capital as Social Domination

Moishe Postone: Capital as Social Domination Literature, Theory, and History

47 views - 4 months ago

Lukacs on Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche

Lukacs on Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche Literature, Theory, and History

200 views - 4 months ago

The Angry Irish Peasant Poetry of Patrick Kavanagh

The Angry Irish Peasant Poetry of Patrick Kavanagh Literature, Theory, and History

45 views - 4 months ago

The Piano Concerto: A (Vulgar?) Marxist Interpretation

The Piano Concerto: A (Vulgar?) Marxist Interpretation Literature, Theory, and History

65 views - 4 months ago

Re/De/Construction: Three Approaches to 'Doing History'

Re/De/Construction: Three Approaches to 'Doing History' Literature, Theory, and History

38 views - 4 months ago

Marxist Linguistics: Voloshinov/Bakhtin

Marxist Linguistics: Voloshinov/Bakhtin Literature, Theory, and History

52 views - 4 months ago

Ted Hughes: Mother Goddesses, Puritanism, and a Return to Romanticism

Ted Hughes: Mother Goddesses, Puritanism, and a Return to Romanticism Literature, Theory, and History

26 views - 5 months ago

Gojira, RATM, SOAD... and Walter Benjamin

Gojira, RATM, SOAD... and Walter Benjamin Literature, Theory, and History

31 views - 5 months ago

What Makes Life Worth Living?: Thoughts on Anti-Natalism

What Makes Life Worth Living?: Thoughts on Anti-Natalism Literature, Theory, and History

215 views - 5 months ago

mewithoutYou: Post-Structuralist Post-Hardcore?

mewithoutYou: Post-Structuralist Post-Hardcore? Literature, Theory, and History

1.1K views - 5 months ago

Camille Paglia - 'Sex and Violence, or Nature and Art'

Camille Paglia - 'Sex and Violence, or Nature and Art' Literature, Theory, and History

64 views - 5 months ago

Philip Rieff - The Triumph of the Therapeutic

Philip Rieff - The Triumph of the Therapeutic Literature, Theory, and History

226 views - 5 months ago

Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke: A Brief Comparison

Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke: A Brief Comparison Literature, Theory, and History

32 views - 5 months ago

What Do I Really Think About Shakespeare?

What Do I Really Think About Shakespeare? Literature, Theory, and History

222 views - 5 months ago

The Ecological Thought of John Fowles

The Ecological Thought of John Fowles Literature, Theory, and History

27 views - 5 months ago

Pierre Bourdieu: Distinction and The Field of Cultural Production

Pierre Bourdieu: Distinction and The Field of Cultural Production Literature, Theory, and History

133 views - 5 months ago

Philip Larkin: Overrated?

Philip Larkin: Overrated? Literature, Theory, and History

34 views - 5 months ago