Linden and Stein by Raph Koster

Linden and Stein by Raph KosterLinden and Stein are two of the most famous essays in the English language, and while they're often attributed to Poe, they were written by another great author, Sir Francis Bacon. In fact, Sir Francis wrote several similar poems that were reprinted after Linden and Stein's death and while they do have their differences, they still have some common themes throughout the work and so many of the essay samples include Linden and Stein in them.While Linden and Stein are both poetic descriptions of their experiences with characters from a book they wrote, Linden's Book of Rites is a dramatic portrait of the author's journey as a poet to the character of himself as a writer. The characters from the book are a blend of humans and beasts who provide the author with an opportunity to tell us a story through the eyes of his characters. His prose is reminiscent of that of Edgar Allan Poe and it has been said that Linden's Book of Rites is one of the greatest poems ever written.Similarly, the book is about being a writer and what happens when the protagonist's friends do not do what they are expected to. This describes the classic dilemma of being a writer, as these days in this fast paced world it seems no one ever has the time to write or to get something published, but being a good writer will always give you a voice, even if it is just for yourself. It is unfortunate that we are moving away from the idea of authors becoming real people and we still need to see it as a good thing that there are writers like Linden and Stein in existence.Linden is characterized by an inwardness that we can easily identify with and he writes in the third person. The third person is an autobiographical narration and so it should be used with caution as a stylistic choice. It may cause you to become attached to the character, but as a result, it loses some of its authenticity. It is more of a way to maintain a certain style.The characters are a blend of people and animals and while the description is sometimes a bit difficult to follow, it does provide some insight into what it is like to be human beings. In an essay like this, readers are encouraged to apply that insight and put themselves in the shoes of the characters to better understand them. Much of the story is told through descriptions of places, objects, and actions of the characters that provide insight as to how they came to be in the situation they are in. This allows the essay to be more immersive as the reader tries to absorb the character as he or she peruses the essay.The main difference between Linden and Stein is that Linden uses alliteration and similes, whereas Stein does not and thus Linden has a stronger voice that is more clearly articulated. Both poets were famous in their day for the unusual way they chose to present their own voices. Both are very much an example of being true to the voice of the poet.It may seem odd to place these poems in an essay about a book written by another author, but that is the kind of person I am. So while I enjoyed Linden's book of rites a great deal, I also enjoy the fact that I still found myself identifying with the narrator in Stein's book of rites and felt empathy for the protagonist through Linden's self-reflective writing.In both books, the author is very much himself and the characters embody his humanity, which creates resonance with the reader as well. The themes of discovering who you are as a person and being true to your own voice are explored here and this makes bothof these essays stand out among the many essay samples.