An Examination of Coincidences In History and Literature Introducing an Anthology of Essays and Works In Various Genres With a Final Apologia

The concept of strange coincidences is a relatively recent development, historically speaking. Before the "age of reason" all things were thought to be in concert with the will of God, Fate or Providence. Poetic language, which relies so heavily on the accidental features of words, entered a period of crisis. This examination is concerned with the interrelationship between the world of real events and the imaginary world in an artist's mind.