Victoria Moul

Marcus Aurelius’s Ambiguities | Portico Marcus Aurelius, the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors, ruled the Roman empire between a.d. 161 and 180. In the final decade of his reign, he spent much of…

I'm pleased to have a review of Aaron Poochigian's new translation of Marcus Aurelius in a brand new literary magazine, "Portico". porticoquarterly.com/book/marcus-...

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 10 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

This week in the poetry blogs with @wendypratt.bsky.social @kimmoorepoet.bsky.social @billymills.bsky.social @kent-nj.bsky.social @angelatopping.bsky.social @robin-gow-poet.bsky.social @victoriamoul.bsky.social @alinaetc.bsky.social @clareshawpoet.bsky.social
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The saddest of all kings: reading Lionel Johnson Last week we were away for five days, and just before leaving I picked up a few books to take with me, almost at random, including Margaret Drabble’s The Middle Years (very enjoyable) and C.

This week I have written about the poetry of Lionel Johnson, who died aged 35 in 1902.

Don't forget the cork walls.

I see what you mean. Maybe for internal correspondence only then.

I think you should probably have it as an auto-reply!

Proofs! Very exciting.

@victoriamoul.bsky.social

Pre-order the real thing: www.headlesspoet.com/shop/p/poems...

Spoiling a lot of takes but begging a large number of other questions... "Worsening graduate fortunes, it turns out, are a particularly British problem"

www.ft.com/content/649d...

Dying is a difficult enterprise The tradition of unflinching elegy

Slightly austere piece today on the poetry of dying. What can I say, I wrote it on Ash Wednesday.

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 7 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

This week in the poetry blogs with @alinaetc.bsky.social @emmalee1.bsky.social @wendypratt.bsky.social @pearlpoet.bsky.social @billymills.bsky.social @beckyltuch.bsky.social @salenagodden.bsky.social @robin-gow-poet.bsky.social @victoriamoul.bsky.social
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With hope into the lists: Cowley on the eve of civil war Featuring a previously unpublished poem probably by Abraham Cowley

This week I’ve written about lists in manuscripts and a previously unpublished poem from 1642 which is probably by Abraham Cowley. A full draft edition of this poem is available in a linked post for paid subscribers, with extracts for all in the main essay.

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 6 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

This week in the poetry blogs with @victoriamoul.bsky.social @robmclennan.bsky.social @emmalee1.bsky.social @jwikeley.bsky.social @kimmoorepoet.bsky.social @billymills.bsky.social @beckyltuch.bsky.social @kathrynanna.bsky.social @robin-gow-poet.bsky.social 1/3
www.vianegativa.us/2026/02/poet...

This week is our birthday! 🎂

Come celebrate with us in person or online.

Poems Beautiful & Useful — HEADLESS POET A choice of popular EARLY MODERN VERSE made by VICTORIA MOUL with an introduction and notes PRE-ORDERS OPEN How we should react to the vagaries of love and desire; the allure of power or fam...

I'm delighted to have edited the first publication for a new press. "Poems Beautiful and Useful" is a pamphlet of verse from the 16th and 17th century -- a taste of the kind of thing that was most read at the time, some in print for the first time. www.headlesspoet.com/shop/p/poems...

Yes you're right. For most people who have (typically) read mainly Virgil and Ovid while learning Latin, the "Satires" are quite hard. I remember finding that too. I think if you'd had a more Renaissance-style Latin education and read e.g. a lot of Roman comedy early on it would prob be easier.

Thanks Dean! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes it's odd how those two almost simultaneous collections tend to sit quite far apart in people's mental maps of Latin poetry. But I think reading them together is very helpful for trying to think yourself back into that pre-Georgics, pre-Horatian lyric moment.

How come, Maecenas? Today’s post is mostly about Horace — with some Wyatt and Jonson at the end.

Today I have written about Horace’s first satire. (Honestly, mostly about the first two words of Horace’s first satire — but you do get some Wyatt and Jonson as well.)

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 5 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

This week in the poetry blogs with @alinaetc.bsky.social @robmclennan.bsky.social @emmalee1.bsky.social @wendypratt.bsky.social @pearlpoet.bsky.social @robin-gow-poet.bsky.social @victoriamoul.bsky.social @suefinch.bsky.social @myheadtheforest.bsky.social
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It's very enjoyable to read and refreshing to see A Position. I don't agree with it exactly but I don't think it's complete nonsense either. I think you're (or rather, you were) right about the politics.

Fantastic review, wherever you stand on Hill. (Wherever on the Hill you stand.)

Love and compasses Featuring Jonson, Bacon, John Borough, his wife and their twin sons

Today I’ve written about poetry and compasses c. 1620. Featuring Jonson, Bacon, John Borough, his wife and their twin sons.

Yes. Often decent Greek too if they did the final couple of years, but Sh. almost certainly didn't. He will have been able to speak, read and write Latin though, including Latin verse.

Almost certainly very similar. (I have looked probably at more actual Elizabethan schoolwork than anyone else.) Shakespeare's range of ref is in fact pretty much exactly what you'd expect for someone who'd done c. 3 years of grammar school. Obviously what he does with it isn't.

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 4 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

Falling snow, a broken country, and more with
@victoriamoul.bsky.social @saudaminideo.bsky.social @suefinch.bsky.social @alinaetc.bsky.social @jntod.bsky.social @myheadtheforest.bsky.social @dharmabam.bsky.social 2/4 www.vianegativa.us/2026/01/poet...

Thanks Graeme.

Gift us with long cloaks & adrenaline: on reading and its consolations With unexpected bonus content courtesy of Cardinal Rinuccini

Today I have written about Berryman, Cardinal Rinuccini and the consolations of reading.

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 3 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

This week in the poetry blogs with @victoriamoul.bsky.social @emmalee1.bsky.social @jwikeley.bsky.social @pearlpoet.bsky.social @billymills.bsky.social @kent-nj.bsky.social @salenagodden.bsky.social @robin-gow-poet.bsky.social @linarvitvideopoet.bsky.social
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Ah yes, thanks Danielle, it's a very good poem. And it does stay with you I've found.

On improvisation and the poetic occasion Featuring Souleymane Diamanka, Daniel Heinsius and our old friend Adrian Schoell

Today I have written about improvised poetry — featuring Souleymane Diamanka, Daniel Heinsius and our old friend Adrian Schoell.

Poetry Blog Digest 2026, Week 2 A personal selection of posts from the Poetry Blogging Network and beyond.

Reacting to a poet's murder & more w/ @victoriamoul.bsky.social @suefinch.bsky.social @alinaetc.bsky.social @myheadtheforest.bsky.social @lisabrockwell.bsky.social @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social @velveteenrabbi.bsky.social @rmhaines.bsky.social
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