Penelope J. Corfield is a historian, lecturer and education consultant. She currently serves as the President of the International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ISECS).
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MONTHLY BLOG 178, THINKING THROUGH TIME AT ARTHUR’S STONE IN HEREFORDSHIRE
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldGreat rings of giant standing stones, dating from primeval times – such as England’s Stonehenge and Brittany’s Carnac Stones – are wonderful prompts to sweeping thoughts about the length of Time and History. Yet small ancient monuments can be just as striking in their own way…
MONTHLY BLOG 177, SONGS ABOUT TIME
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldWhile there are very few good jokes about Great Time, there are songs a-plenty. Songs unfold in Time. They mark Time. They muse over its characteristics. My favourite is ‘Time, Time, Time is on my side/ Yes it is!’ as sung by Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. It’s very cheering and reassuring, especially when the hours and minutes seem to be rushing by with headlong speed…
MONTHLY BLOG 176, CAN WE FIND A GREAT STATUE TO A FEMALE GOD OF TIME?
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldThinking about Time is as endless and as fascinating a process as is unfolding Time itself. And it is a real challenge to depict such a universal cosmic power, Often Temporality is depicted in male form, as in the case of Old Father Time. He can be kindly or menacing or both. And he appears on countless weather-vanes, heralding either good weather or bad…
MONTHLY BLOG 175, TIME IN ART: IS THERE ANY ALTERNATIVE TO ‘OLD FATHER TIME’?
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. Corfield‘Old Father Time’ appears on many weathercocks. He is venerable, stooped, and bearded. He carries an hour-glass to track the minutes in its trickling sands, as he walks the long, long, endless line of Time. He also shoulders a scythe, because eventually he brings death to all living creatures…
MONTHLY BLOG 174, HOW DOES INCREASING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FUTURE TIMES IMPACT UPON THE ART OF PROPHECY?1
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldHumans learn from the past – and, sometimes, they gain immediate and urgent knowledge in the present too. But they cannot learn directly from the future that has not yet unfolded. That reality has not, however, prevented people from trying hard to look ahead. . .
MONTHLY BLOG 172, CAN YOU NAME FIVE STRIKING POEMS ABOUT TIME??
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldIn contrast to the dearth of good jokes about Time, there are very many great poems on that theme. Here, however, I’ve chosen just five. Firstly, Andrew Marvell’s appeal to ‘To His Coy Mistress’ (published posthumously in 1681)2 is a magnificent example of the human awareness of life in ever-fleeting Time…
MONTHLY BLOG 171, WHY ARE THERE NO GREAT JOKES ABOUT TIME??
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldWell, why are there no great jokes about Time? There are quite a few jokes about clocks and watches. They are not particularly funny … but they are certainly worth a gentle smile … like the following: What kind of bugs live in clocks? Answer: Ticks! Or how about this one…
MONTHLY BLOG 170, WHY THINK ABOUT TIME-SPACE, NOT SPACE-TIME??
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldWhy think about Time-Space, instead of Space-Time? This BLOG, the second in my 2025 Time series, presents my answer. The first significant point to note is that rethinking Space-Time as Time-Space does NOT entail refuting Einstein’s theory of relativity, formulated and elaborated in the years 1905-17…
MONTHLY BLOG 169, GREAT CLOCKS OF THE WORLD
/in Monthly Blog, Time/by Penelope J. CorfieldMy theme for 2025 is Time – the universal subject. So to kick-start the year, here are seven great clocks of the world – my personal selection out of the myriad of possible candidates. These are all on public display (there are countless more in museums) – and drawn from all quarters of the globe.