The Alexandrine from which this blog takes its title graces the fourth act of the tragédie lyrique, Hippolyte et Aricie (1733) by Jean-Philippe Rameau, in which a chorus of mourners joins Phèdre in exclaiming, Ô remords superflus, Hippolyte n’est plus. The music that accompanies this moment is especially beautiful. Less extraordinary are those moments every few days when I turn to my dissertation in progress and lament the fact that a large part of it is little more to the world than a superfluity. This blog is where I try to do some related writing on the side to convince myself otherwise.
