book/story titles

[yngvi]

I'm new here so apologies if this idea isn't.

How about people setting questions about the titles of stories/novels which are quotes or variations on quotes from literary sources. (might just be interesting). The next person could answer the question and then pose their own.

For example the Roger Zelazny's short story 'Home is the Hunter' is a quote for the poem 'Home is the Sailor' by A E Housman

Home is the Hunter from the Hill
Fast in the boundless snare
All flesh lies taken at his will
And every fowl of air.

This story is in the collection "My Name is Legion" - Which is from?

 

[chrispenycate]

Requiem - R.L.Stevenson

U[SIZE=-1]NDER[/SIZE] the wide and starry sky Dig the grave and let me lie:Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you 'grave for me:[SIZE=-2] 5[/SIZE] Here he lies where he long'd to be;Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.

Hence RA Heinlein story of the same name (though this quotes it, so can't be really said to conceal it)

The legion- Gospel of Matthew Gadarean swine?


Bester- Tiger, tiger?

 

[Bill Ward]

Fun idea.

The New Testament, a demon possessed man says to Jesus "My name is legion, for me are many." Couldn't tell you what gospel that is though.

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...Blake's 'the Tiger'


Speaking of Zelazny, his novel 'A Night in the Lonesome October' is a quote from a poem by a famous American....

 

[HoopyFrood]

My name is Legion -- That's from Mark, in the Bible, isn't it?

And Chrispy, is that Tiger, Tiger? Because that's most definitely from William Blake. Tiger, Tiger, burning bright, in the forest of the night, what immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry...I used to know that one off by heart.

I don't know about the one in Bill's post, though...

 

[j d worthington]

Fun idea.

The New Testament, a demon possessed man says to Jesus "My name is legion, for me are many." Couldn't tell you what gospel that is though.

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...Blake's 'the Tiger'


Speaking of Zelazny, his novel 'A Night in the Lonesome October' is a quote from a poem by a famous American....

It's from Poe's "Ulalume", though not an exact quote. The actual line of the poem goes "It was night in the lonesome October"....

Incidentally, the quote is from Mark 5:9: "And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying: My name is Legion: for we are many."

Okay... another one: F. Marion Crawford wrote an odd little vampire tale, titled "For the Blood is the Life"; what is this from?

One hint: It isn't as easy as you may think....

 

[yngvi]

Deuteronomy 12:20
"23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. "

Real wrath of god stuff (to quote Ray Stantz from Ghostbusters). I apologise but I had to Google it. In my defense I actually learned something.

But here's one I know off the top of my head (so not so tough)

Inconstant Moon - By Larry Niven

 

[The Ace]

I think Romeo banishes the inconstant moon at the rise of the sun (Juliet).

The balcony scene from Shakespeare's, 'Romeo and Juliet.' The exact quote escapes me, but something like;

'Arise fair sun and banish th' inconstant moon.'

If so, 'Worlds Enough and Time,' by Joe Haldeman.

 

[HoopyFrood]

That would to To His Coy Mistress by Marvell. I'll never forget that one after something my English teacher said during a one-to-one revision session. I won't repeat here.

A nice easy one: A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

 

[The Ace]

Smack on the nose, Hoopy. We had the same discussion after Peter S. Beagle's, 'A fine and Private Place.'

While beautiful, the poem isn't exactly subtle.

 

[yngvi]

Hoopyfrood, a slight foul there. Is Evelyn Waugh an SFF author?

Je crois que non! Do you want to try again?

 

[HoopyFrood]

Ah, I do apologise. Although this is, of course, a science fiction and fantasy board, I didn't realise the game was restricted to those only.

Someone else can take my go.

 

[j d worthington]

Actually, it doesn't restrict it to such on the original post (though such may have been your intention), so I'd say it's a legitimate entry. However, as the OP, it's your decision on this one....

 

[yngvi]

Okay then, let's go with the flow and say any genre of fiction. I'll start off again with an SF one from my youth.

Where did the title of 'An Alien Heat' by Michael Moorcock come from?

Clue: It's from a peom quoted in the frontespiece. (frontispiece?)

Duh!

 

[yngvi]

Throw the switch, Ygor

I'm attempting to breath life back into this thead using information gleaned from Vetch (another Cron). Thanks Vetch.

The title of 'An Alien Heat' comes from the following poem by Theodore Wratislaw.

Hothouse Flowers

The silver lips of lilies virginal
The full red bosom of the enchanted rose
Please less than flowers glass-hid from frosts and snows
For whom an alien heat makes festival.

Where does the title of Iain M Banks' 'Consider Phlebas' come from?