Recently, I have been seeing a lot of content relating to the Dark Academia aesthetic online. If you have not heard of Dark Academia, allow me to provide a definition from Urban Dictionary- "An aesthetic that is inspired by old and classic literature/philosophy, as well as themes of existentialism and death (essentially a knowledgeable, vintage emo)". The more I saw it floating around, the more it intrigued me and the more I realised I had some common interests with it. I then stumbled across this tag online and I knew I had to complete it.
Taken from Google Images
1) What is your favourite dark academia book and movie?
I had a look on the Goodreads page for Dark Academia books and it turns out I've read a surprising amount of books on this list. However, the only I could consider to be a favourite is Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I remember adoring this book when I first read it in 2016. I had to be told to put it down as I was desperate to continue reading it. I have since lost interest in the series, but maybe a reread is required.
For movies, I did a quick google and one of the films that came up was the 2019 adaptation of Little Women. Greta Gerwig is my favourite writer-director and I will adore anything she releases. I have seen this film twice and each time I have loved it. This film has become one of my all time favourites.
2) What dead poet would you like to have a drink with?
Poetry is one of the areas in the dark academia aesthetic that I do not care for. I have too many traumatic memories from studying poems in school. However, I saw someone class Shakespeare as a poet and I would not say no to having a drink with him. I've been going to Shakespeare plays since the age of six and I have a great respect for his work. I would like to have a drink with him and ask why everyone has to die horrible deaths in his plays?
3) What is your favourite painting/or sculpture?
It's cliche, but I am a huge fan of Vincent van Gogh's work. I've been very fortunate to see a lot of his paintings over the years. I love Starry Night. It became particularly special to me after that episode of Doctor Who they did about Vincent. A close second for favourite painting has to be Monet's Waterlilies. They are breathtakingly beautiful. I would love to see them again at some point as I was ten years old when I saw them and I don't feel I fully appreciated them.
4) What is your favourite architectural marvel?
Again, my answer is cliche, but visiting the Palace of Versailles will stay with me forever. The Hall of Mirrors is astounding. Just the whole palace is amazing. If I was to go again, I would love to explore the gardens more as I spent a whole day in the Palace. Visiting the Palace of Versailles sparked my interest in the French Revolution and writing when I visited Paris when I was ten.
5) What Shakespeare play would you want to be the lead in?
I have seen many Shakespeare plays in my life and the only one I've been interested in playing is Hamlet. I have seen a couple of productions where they changed Hamlet to be played by a female actor and it worked really well. Hamlet has some of the most famous and interesting speeches. He also has the most fun and is a well layered character. I've lost track of how many versions of Hamlet I've seen at this point.
6) How many languages do you speak and which language would you most like to learn?
The only language I speak fluently is English. I used to be able to speak decent French as my school was bilingual, meaning I took some of my classes in French instead of English. I started to pick French up again during lockdown on English and I'm really enjoying refreshing my memory. If I had to learn another language, it would be a tie between Italian and Japanese. I've tried learning both in the past and it's been challenging. Maybe once I've graduated and I've got a bit more time on my hands, I would love to pick up another language alongside English and French.
7) What is your favourite quote from poetry, plays, prose etc?
A quote I really fell in love with a few years ago was an Oscar Wilde quote and it was "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars". I just fell in love with the imagery and how beautiful it was. Oscar Wilde is a writer I admire and need to read more of his works.
8) Which fictional character's death is your ideal way to go?
I've read a lot of books and I'm trying to think of a character that dies peacefully in their sleep. I can't. All the deaths I read are horrifying. They get murdered in various creative and brutal ways. I don't want to die like that. I would happily choose a mundane, boring, peaceful death over one I've read about.
9) Which university or college would you most like to attend?
I love my university and I can't believe I'm in my final year. However, the thing I don't like about my university is the campus itself. It's a very modern campus, with none of the charms of an old campus. A university I did look around but decided against applying to was Bath Spa. That campus was stunning. It was one of the prettiest campuses I visited when I was looking for places to attend university. It had this gorgeous woodland, and as I visited in autumn, it was stunning. Any classically pretty campus, I am super jealous of.
10) What is your murder weapon of choice?
I think this question says a lot about people and what they choose. I've seen a lot of people choose poison. Personally, I would love one of those tiny daggers that you don't see until you kill someone with it. I think that's really morbid but whenever I've read about them or seen them used in film, I find it really interesting. It also forces you to get up close with your victim. I'm not sure if I should be concerned if this is where my mind goes.
11) What mythology would you most like to be apart of?
Again, I'm fairly certain my answer is cliche, but I'd have to go with Greek mythology. I've read a lot about it and it's one I would still like to know more about. I need to learn more about mythology in general as there are so many interesting ones out there.
12) If you had to do a PhD what would you choose to do it on?
I would probably choose something to do with film studies. I want to go into film and tv after I graduate, so this is an area I would like to expand my knowledge on. I don't know much about film in general, so this would be a really useful avenue to explore.
13) What fictional character would you die for?
Honestly, none of them. They're all a bunch of muppets.
Rapid Fire Round
For this round I will be choosing my answer and then providing one sentence on why.
1) Leather bound or cloth bound books
Cloth bound books, leather bound ones are kinda gross when you think about it.
2) Dog earring pages or highlighting
Highlighting, it makes it easier to find passages when flicking through books.
3) Sculptures or paintings
Paintings, I just find them easier on the eye.
4) Films or theatre
How dare you make me choose? But if I had to, theatre. Nothing beats live performance.
5) Poetry or prose
Prose, I do not like poetry at all.
5) Museums or bookshops
Again, how dare you make me choose? Museums as some have bookshops inside and then it's two for the price of one.
6) Smell of books or coffee/tea
Smell of books, I don't like tea or coffee.
7) Fountain pen or typewriter
Typewriter, much easier to use and less messy.
8) New or old books
New books, I really like being the first owner of a book.
And that concludes my answers to the Dark Academia Book Tag!
Carenza :) x
