All entries for Tuesday 07 February 2006

Tuesday, 07 February

Managed about 500 words today. Still haven't quite put to bed the section that discusses Petrarch's fondness for the biographical allegory in the Eclogues — but I am on the verge of doing so. Current count is just about 3000 [inc. footnotes]

Progress continues to be agonisingly slow. I have this theory that having my desk in the corner of the room facing the wall is detrimental to my attention span; that the point of focus is about two feet in front of my nose means I can't lose myself in a far-off stare while I ponder over my latest writer's block. If I could face a tranquil window, I'd be tearing the thing to shreds. I'm certain of it.

My sister Caroline is staying till tomorrow morning. Should be able to scrape a further 5–700 words together in the afternoon, concluding all the business about allegory [including the ways in which Petrarch departs from Servius' reading]. Perhaps a little optimistic; though assuming things don't grind to an awful halt when I get into the hazier second half of the chapter, I should be able to meet my self-imposed 23 February deadline.

: 07 Feb 2006 17:16 |  Tags: Classics Ma Research |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem