An Astrologer's Day

Class 11 New course

An Astrologer's Day 

by  R. k. Narayan 

An Astrologer’s Day

In an unnamed village, an astrologer laid his tool of trade, requirements for telling fortune of others. He had some cowries; shells obscure charts, a notebook and other such curios. They are the matter of the mysticism. He has painted his forehead with sacred ash (may be abeer) wrapped his head in a turban and seated under a big tree. He has set up himself in very busy market place among people fencing stolen goods, cheap food, and low quality fabric.  He makes his livelihood through making prophecies or selling cosmic insight to gullible villagers though he does not know cosmos or actual spiritual insight.

The astrologer always opened his business at midday. He used to sit under a tree on the Town Hall road. The road was crowded and he could allure his costumer. The groundnut vender also used to sit beside him. The gaslight of vender helped him to run his business in the evening. The astrologer used to analyze human nature and psychology.

He just made guesswork to satisfy his costumers. He left his village, as he did not want to continue the traditional occupation of his ancestor. He had never plan to return his native land.

One day the light of vendor blowout and astrologer started to pack up his stall. Then, he saw a man. The astrologer’s tongue watered, as he could be prospective customer. However, the man challenged his astrology. The man made a bet with him. He provided an anna to the astrologer and asked him to return with interest if he could not satisfy him. The astrologer denied and informed the man that he would take three pies for each question. He demanded five rupees for satisfactory answer. In negotiation, he agreed on eight anna. However, he would ask double if he did not get satisfied with his answer.

The astrologer happened to see the face and he denied the challenge/ and asked the man to let him go. But the man held him tightly. So, the astrologer accepted challenges unwillingly. He started using the same traditional pattern of  narrating astrology. But, the man informed him that he had only one question to be answered. The man asked him whether he would get the things that he was searching for. He promised to give him a rupee if he got satisfied with answer. Astrologer informed the man that he was stabbed and thrown into a well nearby to die.

The man informed him that a passerby saw and rescewed him. The man wanted to know about the culprit.

 

The astrologer informed man that culprit died four month ago in a far town. The man was disappointed hearing this. The astrologer even identified his name and addressed him as Guru Nayak. He also told the man that his house located in north side with two days journey. He warned him not to travel to south. He might get trouble if he stayed there. The man gave him handful coins. The astrologer went home.  The astrologer wife counted the money. She decided to buy jaggery and coconut for the children. However, astrologer looked worried and not happy. He was angry with Guru Nayak, who promised to give him  a rupee but he gave only twelve and half anna. After dinner he shared a secret of his life. He said a great burden of his life had gone away. He used to think that he had killed a man, Guru Nayak. In fact, he had a bad company with the man. He used to drink and gamble with him. 

Theme of Story

The story focuses on single day incident that has happened in the life an astrologer. The main theme of the story is to present darker side of human life with its hypocrisies, shrewdness, revengeful nature and selfishness.

The story presents hypocrisy of human. The narrator presents hypocrisy as he writes:

”… he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute.

It  presents astrologer as a hypocrite. He does not know about others’ idea. He can not have any idea about cosmos. However, he pretends he knows other’s fortune. He runs his business analyzing mankind’s trouble. The narrator further writes:

He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage, money and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes he understood what was wrong.

The astrologer has done a job analyzing different situation of  humankind. He has used different triangular situation of life. He observes common problems that human face like marriage, money and marriage. There is no any cosmic understanding. He simply listens others problems. The story presents how wisdom plays role in living. The astrologer uses his common sense to tell the people about cosmos and make a living. The way he deceives Guru Nayak presents his wisdom to tackle the situation. In fact, it was a danger in the life of Guru Nayak. It was for astrologer but he managed to assure Guur Nayak, and keep him away from him.

 

 

Irony in the story

The story has irony. The greatest irony of the text is that a drunkard or ill mannered man has started his life as  an astrologer. The people visit him to know about cosmic idea. The ironic expression is that human pretend to be export of the things that they do not have even a single idea about. In the same line, GuruNayak asked the astrologer whether he would find the person who stabbed him. In fact, the astrologer was the person who stabbed him. The greatest irony is that we call other to be superstitious but we ourselves do the same. Guru Nayak, at first, suspects the astrologer. He presents astrologer as a fraud. Soon after, he relies on him.

Point of view:

It depicts the tension between darkness and light of the life. Though the plot of the story is brief, it presents the inner core of human psychology, where people are longing to know about future. It  has ironical point of view that presents reality of the society. It turns on a most important human weakness, the desire to know the future.

 

Class 11 New course

Two Little Soldiers

by Guy de Maupassant

characters: 

Luc Le Ganidec: He was carefree and open minded

Jean Kerderen: He  was quiet and

The milkmaid 

Summary:   

Both of them used to spent their holiday away from barrack every Sunday. They used to go countryside. They used to go to little woods to spend their time as it used remind them about their homeland. They hardly talked with each other when they left the barrack.

They used to stop at Bezon’s bridge. They used to enjoy the river Seine. On the way, they would buy some things so that they could spend their days. As they were passing the time at the village side, they saw a young milkmaid. She used to go to the pastor to milk the cow. One day she opened conversation with them. She also gave them some milk. Frequently, they used to talk with other. They became good friends in short period of time. Jean Kerderen advised Luck Le Ganidec to buy some present for the girl. They bought some candy for her. However, they were shy to inform her about the present. Finally, Luc revealed about it. She was happpy to receive the present. Then after, she became a good friend with them.

After a while, Luc Le Ganidec started leaving the barracks. On Tuesday, he returned to barrack quite late. He again left the barrack on Friday. He borrowed the money but did not explain the reason for it. Next weekend, they went to the countryside to spend the time. The girl became delighted to see Luc. She kissed him. She did not pay attention to Jean. Both, they disappeared in the wood for a long time. Jean was alone. He was desperate. He failed to understand their relation. He came to know about Luc’s behavior. After returning from shed, she again kissed Luc. She did not give milk to Jean.

Jean was feeling quite upset. As they were returning back, Jean leaned over the bridge. He fell into the river. Luc Le Ganidec asked for help. Boatman took out his body.  Luc being nervous narrated the incidents in barracks.

Theme:

The theme of the story is incompatibility of friendship and romantic love. Betrayal of idyllic relationship is challenged which leads to destruction of life and friendship. The betrayal of love has devastating effect in characters life.   

Jack and Luc are good friends. They used to go together. They used to visit in countryside. They are in really friends. The line that presents about their friendship is They both answered together: "All right! How's everything with you? They replied together. Their reply presents their close relation. However, this relation does not last for long. In the same line, their relation has strong bond in the beginning. They did not have any conflict the time they met the girl. They discussed together to decide what to buy for her.  The narrator presents:

Luc was in favour of bringing her some chitterlings; but Jean, who had a sweet tooth, thought that candy would be the best thing. He won, and so they went to a grocery to buy two sous' worth, of red and white candies.

They have a good discussion between them what they need to buy for her. If they did not have good relation, they would not come into same stand point or idea. They agreed to buy her candies. However their relation does progress in the same pace. They slowly have splinters of relation as Luc started leaving barrack alone. The line of the text helps the reader think about their problems in the friendship. The line Jean, worried and racked his brain to account for his friend's having obtained leave presents the beginning line of splinters. Jean observes the changes in his behavior and suspected him. The writer writes:

When he started out with Jean on Sunday he seemed queer, disturbed, changed. Kerderen did not understand; he vaguely suspected something, but he could not guess what it might be.

The word suspect presents incompatibility of friendship. There is no any clear reason for Jean to suspect Luc. In a good friendship, there should not be doubt. He has observed the changes in his friends. He could have asked about it. Instead, he suspected him. Jean was ‘dazed’. Why Jean has to bewilder there? He should not be confused as she kissed his friend Luc. The narrator further writes, “The two little soldiers sat side by side, motionless as always, silent and quiet, their calm faces in no way betraying the trouble in their hearts.” They become motionless. Why do they need to be motionless? The word betraying presents incompatibility in the relation between them.

Jean commits suicide at the end of the story. It contributes the reader to guess inappropriate love by soldier the girl. Jean might have loved the girl inwardly. He has not expressed his love to the girl as well as his friend. As he sees his friend relation with the girl he considers it as a treachery of his friend. it can be taken as jealousy of friend in love affair.

Class 11 New course

Civil Peace

by Chinua Achebe

 

·     The central character Jonathan Iwegbu considers himself fortunate as he survives along with his family members.

·     He works hard in aftermath of the war as he starts a taxi service and opens the bar for soldiers.

·     He gets reward of 20 pounds 

 

 Summary

 Jonathan has survived the Nigerian Civil War along with his wife and three of his four children, and thus considers himself “extraordinarily lucky”. He also treasures his still-working bicycle, which he buried during the war to ensure it would not be stolen. Another apparent miracle is his still-standing home, which he repairs and reoccupies after returning home to the capital city of Enugu. To explain both his good and bad fortune to himself and others, he often repeats a phrase: “Nothing puzzles God.”

Jonathan works hard in the aftermath of the war, using his bicycle to start a taxi service and opening a bar for soldiers. His family mirrors his example, cooking food and picking fruit for sale. Since the coal mine where Jonathan worked before the war has not reopened, this resilience is crucial towards securing even their minor comfort.

One day, after turning over rebel currency, Jonathan is given an award of 20 pounds. He takes care not to be robbed, remembering a theft he observed several days earlier, in which a man broke down in public over the indignity.

That night, a group of thieves knocks on his door demanding money. Frightened, the family calls for the neighbors and police, but the heavy silence when they finish reminds them that nobody looks out for anyone but himself. The thieves then mock them, crying out even louder to indicate how helpless the family is.

The thief demands 100 pounds, promising not to hurt Jonathan or his family if he cooperates. Eventually, Jonathan realizes their lack of options, and gives the thieves the 20 pounds of reward money so they will leave the family unharmed. Some thieves insist they should search the house for more, but the thief leader believes this is all Jonathan has, and accepts it.

The next morning, Jonathan and the family are back at work as the neighbors arrive. Sensing their confusion over his ability to toss off the situation of the night before, Jonathan explains to his neighbors that the reward money cannot compare to what he lost in the war. He chooses to focus on his work in the present rather than regret what has happened, since “Nothing puzzles God.”

Theme:

The story presents post war trauma. It presents how people suffer in civil war time. It also presents the difficulties to maintain peace when there is civil war. The stake of the governance are corrupt. They give trouble to public. "Jonathan, suspecting he might be amenable to influence, rummaged in his raffia bag and produced the two pounds with which he had been going to buy firewood which his wife, Maria, retailed to camp officials for extra stock-fish and corn meal, and got his bicycle." It shows the authorities are corrupted. Jonathan has to bribe the soldiers to get his own bicycle. It presents tragic situation of governance in post war time. Similarly, the words 'extra-ordinarily lucky' 'Happy survival!' present people willingness to be alive in war. The common people very delighted if they are found to be alive in war. Jonathan considers extraordinarily lucky as he survives though he is asylum seeker. He has to leave his own land. He has to go somewhere else. However, he is happy to be alive.

The narrator presents the hardship of economic life in post war time. He narrates: 

            His children picked mangoes near the military                           cemetery and sold them to soldiers' wives for a few                pennies - real pennies this time - and his wife started                making breakfast akara balls for neighbors in a hurry                to start life again".

The Economic hardship of post war period can be seen in the story. The collection of mangoes for few pennies presents very ugly picture of the economic society during the war time. The real pennies of the time presents the harsh economic condition of people. 

The story also presents the fear of having no security in the society in post war time. It is expressed in the line:

        As soon as the pound notes were placed in his palm                Jonathan simply closed it tight over them and buried fist         and money inside his trouser pocket. He had to be extra            careful because he had seen a man a couple of days                earlier collapse into near-madness in an instant before            that oceanic crowd because no sooner had he got his                twenty pounds than some heartless ruffian picked it off            him.

Jonathan has closed his hand tightly. He is afraid that his money would be taken away by some one else. There are no peace and security anybody can be robbed at any time. He has to he very careful. The word extra careful for only twenty pounds presents the harsh reality of collapse of securit system in post war time. Similarly, the line 'Na tief-man and him people,' also presents the lack of security. The gang of thief dared to say who they are. The direct utterance as a thief clarifies there is no peace and security in the society. 

• The story has irony. The title of the story is Civil Peace. However, it presents the picture of traumatic situation of post war. Therefore, the story  questions on maintainance of peace in post war time and people suffering.

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Class 11 New course

Literature

Refund

One act play

Writer: Fritz Karinthy

Characters:

The Principal

The servant

Wasserkopf

The mathematics teacher

The physics teacher

The geography teacher

The history teacher

The staff

 

This is the story of a former student Wasserkopf, who demands that his tuition should be refunded because he feels his education was worthless. However, he loses his fight when the mathematics master tricks him.  The play “Refund” is full of humor, which deals with an extraordinarily absurd situation.

The servant informed the the head teacher that one man wants to meet him. The principal does not want to meet him as it is not the proper time. However, the servant informed him that he is with beard. As the principal has been sure that he is not a school inspector, the man with forty is called. He is Wasserkopf the one, who studied in the same school. He has been there to get the refund. The principal got shocked to hear this. The principal has asked him how he come to know that he is nothing worth of. The man informed him that people used to tell him he could do nothing. Even his friend Leaderer told him that he did not have any idea, as he did not understand about foreign exchange. Leaderer advised him to get refund of the money from school.

The principal requested the man to wait a while in the waiting room, as it is a serious matter. He has to talked with his staffs before the thing decided.

The staffs come with the conclusion that he should not be failed. If he fails, it will put them awkward position. Likewise, day by day, the number of the pupil will be increased, and there will be really problems.

They come to conclusion that they need to pass him any way. They need to unite to overcome the problems. The man calls them loafers when he enters. The mathematics teacher cunningly valorizes his greeting as a matter of patriarchal like medieval humanist. The man asks him to fail him and give him the money. He tells the history teacher numskull and asks him to put question. As the teacher asks how long did the thirty year war last he answers it lasted in seven days.

 

 

 

Wasserkopf wanted the refund of his tuition fees which were paid eighteen years ago because he was taught badly. When he asks for it, the principal is shocked. The principal is in a peculiar situation now and he calls for an urgent meeting with all other staff members. The masters realized that Wasserkopf’s real intention was to fail in the exam and claim the refund. Therefore, they decided to outsmart the old student by proving all his answers right. The Mathematics Master said that they had to be united and ought to help each other in implementing their plan. The exam was an oral one as Wasserkopf’s refusal to write. They decide that whatever answers he gives whether it is right or wrong they will prove him right.

 

The first question was from the History Master. The Master asked him how many years the ‘Thirty Years’ war lasted. The answer was in the question itself. But Wasserkopf, who was keen on giving wrong answers, said that the ‘Thirty Years war’, lasted seven metres. The History Master did not know how to prove this answer right. Fortunately for him, the Mathematics master aided him by proving that the answer was right on the basis of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. The Master argued that time and space are relative terms and therefore years can be represented in terms of meter. The war took place during half of each day, three hours a day to eat, hours given up to noon day, so totally seven years.  The actual time spent in fighting was seven years and it has been by Einstein’s equivalence of seven meters. Wasserkopf called the History Master a numskull.

 The Physics Master asked Wasserkopf whether clocks in church become smaller if one walks away from it or is it because of optical illusion.  He called The Physics master as an ass.  The master says that the answer is correct because ass does not have any illusion of vision. Therefore, Wasserkopf has given a metaphorical explanation. Wasserkopf called him a cannibal.

 

     The Geography Master asks Wasserkopf for the name of a city which has the same name as the capital of German Providence of Brunswick.  He replied as ‘Same’.  Master said it as the correct answer.  There was a legend that once as the emperor Barbarossa was riding in the city, he met a young peasant (farmer) girl, who was munching a bun mouthful.  He called out her God Bless you and asked her the name of the city, she answered same to you sir for his wishes, and Emperor mistaken the city name as ‘Same’.

 

One by one, each teacher justified his wrong answer to be correct one and they mark him excellent. Though Wasserkopf gives wrong answers and use abusive words to each teacher, they do not show their anger because they have to prove him as an excellent student.

 

At last, the mathematics master asks him a difficult question and an easy question. For the easy question he gives wrong answer and the master gets angry and says that he has failed in his examination so he should be given his tuition fees back. The master says that they have decided to give him his tuition fees back and asks for the exact amount which he has to get. Wasserkopf without knowing that he is going to fall into their trap gives them the list of exact amount. The mathematics master says that was his difficult question and he gave the right answer. Now he is proved excellent in the entire subject and they throw him out without allowing him to say anything further. It shows the ability of the teachers to manage the situation and how they tackle Wasserkopf without spoiling the reputation of their school.

 

Class 11 New course

Class 11 New course

Sagar's Diary: The Gift in Wartime

Sagar's Diary: The Gift in Wartime: Class 11 New course The Gift in Wartime by Tran Mong Tu   The poem presents the different thing a war victim should give up in wartime. The ...

Class 11 New course

Class 11 New course

The Gift in Wartime

by Tran Mong Tu

 

The poem presents the different thing a war victim should give up in wartime. The poem is a=ironical in the sense that there is use of positive diction ‘gift’ to present the catastrophe of the war. The verbal irony implies in the poem presents the contrary in its theme than the word used in the poem. The word gift stands not for positivity, but for grief and loss. The poem has implied different figurative language like anaphora, metaphor, and apostrophe.  It grieves the futility of war, employing the visual imagery of roses, clouds, and the body of a corpse.

 

    The speaker offers the beautiful roses. The speaker even offers the marriage gown until the grave covered with green grass. The offering of red rose denotes that a soldier can get respect and honor in their life.. It denotes the speaker offers his love and strength of life for the soldiers who gave up their life for the nation.

 

    The speaker addresses that the soldier has given her the medal that he got after he fought bravely in the wartime. The medal is with her after his death. It reminds her about him. However, the medal are not so important for her though it is like a signing star. The word ‘ unused and still signing refers that there is no utility of the medal. The word Silver Star stands that they are signing. It reflects his bravery in the war. He got recognition as he gets medal. However, it is not so useful in his physical absence.

 

    The speaker has offered her youth. She was in love with him. She desired to live with him throughout her life. She was delighted with him. She was happy. The sentence ‘ I offer you my youth’ presents her yearning for living together. It is her in-depth wish loaded in core of heart. She has not imagined her productivity of life in his absence. The line of the poem, ‘my youth died away when they told me the bad news’ presents her inner desire to be with him. She anticipates the productivity of life has connection with him. It also confirms the devastating effect of the war. The speaker views that her youth died away after she has heard the bad news. Probably, ‘the bad news’ refers to destruction of the war. A family gets motionless, speechless and completely broken when it gets the information of member being injured or dead. It explains the devastating effect of the war and catastrophe of the war.

 

    Ironically, the speaker opines that she has the smell of the blood. She smells the blood from uniform of her lover, who is a soldier. The smell of the blood presents the labor or sacrifice a warrior has to do for the nation in the battlefield. It also moves ahead to clarify the death of the soldiers in war. She comes closer and meditates. She finds it does contain the blood of enemy too. It goes in the line to explain the devastating effect of war. It tells that war is the game of losing. Everybody loses in the war. The line ‘your blood and your enemy’s so that I may be moved’ explains the deeper sense of understanding of war. It has negative impact on the both side. The speaker presents sympathy to both parties as there is use of the word ‘enemy’. The use of apostrophe in enemies presents absence of people in war.

 

    The speaker offers the cloud. It means she is here to offer different aspects or changes. She is here to offer her unwillingness  of sending her husband in war. She has hoped to get better life in days to come. She has to go through such tragic condition in between of her happy life. She expresses her dissatisfaction towards war.

 

    The speaker ironically presents the gift of the war. She gets her lover back from the war. The body has returned from the war. The lines of sixth stanza:  ‘lips without smile’, ‘arms without tenderness’, ‘eyes without sight’, ‘motionless body’ present the catastrophe of war. It presents the death of the warrior.  The life of the soldier has not returned in the same pace after he returns from war.

 

Finally, the speaker asks for apologies. She has promised that she would meet him in the next life. She would take scattered body of bomb as token that would help recognize each other the time they meet each other.

Considering this summary, it seems that Tran Mong Tu’s poem is mainly about all of the things that a victim of war is forced to give up. Perhaps the “you” in the poem is war itself. That might be why the “you” reacts to the speaker’s offerings with a mix of violence and indifference.

 

The poem begins with the normal doctrine of the seventeenth century doctrine that

CLass 11 new course

All The World's a Stage

The line taken from As you like it. The poem has presented real aspects of human life. The world and its people are presented metaphorically as a stage and players. The poem ahs presented the entre human life into seven different stages. It presents the beginning to end of the life a human life. The first stage of the life is infanthood. He plays in the arms of his nurse. He also vomits and cries in this stage. The second stage is boyhood. He is a school-going boy. Carrying his bag, he goes school unwillingly. The stage is stage of a lover. He composes ballads for his beloved. The fourth stage is as being a soldier. He becomes aggressive and ambitious with full of stage oaths. He seems like a leopard. He tries to get reputation in his deeds. The fifth stage is a stage of maturity and wisdom. In this stage, he becomes like a fair judge. He tries to provide fair judgment. The sixth stage is a stage of old. In this stage, his voice gets changed and become like childish. The final stage of human life is second childhood. In this stage, he loses the faculties of all sensory perception.

The poem has presented the idea of medieval philosophy. The first stanza deals the most important conceit. It depicts the universality of the life process as it has been compared with theatrical entrance and exists.

The poem begins with infancy and school days. It presents the beginning of with infancy to school going boy. The word unwilling refers to gradual denial of lose of freedom. It depicts the life move ahead denying the freedom of one’s life. Talking about such loss of freedom in one’s life, the poem further deals with another stage of life that is young lover. He falls ahead over in love and feeling. The hot passion of the man desperate with the use of image ‘furnace’, presents the way of life towards the revolution or or crating his own level of freedom. The fourth stage, the soldiers, presents the beginning of economic life. In this stage, a person wants to have his reputation.

The next stage of life is a path of judge. It refers to middle age. The word ‘fair and round belly’ presents good economic condition. It refers the strength of one’s economic condition in middle age.

The next stage refers to retired life. It slips into comfortable. The word pantaloon denotes the seeking of comfort in life. The final stage of life is to live like childhood and finally move to exist point.

Sagar's Diary: Who are you, little i ?by e e cummings The poem ...

Sagar's Diary: Who are you, little i ?by e e cummings   The poem ...: Who are you, little i ? by e e cummings      The poem ‘Who are you little I’ depicts a child looking out a window in the evening. It prese...

Who are you, little i ?

by e e cummings 

 

 The poem ‘Who are you little I’ depicts a child looking out a window in the evening. It presents about nature; and how it has impact to the speaker. It presents recalling childhood memories in relation to nature.  It presents the positive impact of nature in human life. The speaker is a boy of five or six years old who keeps peering through some high window at the beautiful golden sunset of November and pondering the wonderful transformation of the day into night in a very beautiful way.

The poem begins with a description of the boy who is standing at window to see outer world. He observes self within self. He observes the natural world so fascinating. He finds the twilight of the evening is so fascinating that he prefers to watch it. The word in parenthesis ‘five or six year child’ presents the natural world. As children do not have any artificiality, the speaker uses the word to give more emphasis. He has seen such world or twilight many times. However, he finds it more fascinating today simply because he is observing it from the perspective of a natural stage of life, childhood. He gets confused in such situation. He questions himself why it is so different today. The opening line of the poem ‘who are you, little i’, presents his dilemma. The way he questions himself presents inferiority complex.  He is observing from some high window. It refers he is far away from the reality. He has not in the ground of reality. His observance of sunset is really far from reality. The use of semicolon in the poem after window represents the a pause or changes in life.

The poem can be divided into two different parts. The first part refers to his mental state and second part presents his inferiority. The first part goes up line five. He remembers how he used to enjoy such a beauty when he used to be a little boy of five or six years. It is wonder that he still has youthful presence in himself. It helps him recognize the beauty of the evening. The second part moves ahead from the six lines to till the end of the poem. It presents his nostalgic mood.  The second part presents his desire of liberation. He wants to liberate from captive of adulthood or manhood. The line “if the day has to become the night that is a beautiful way” presents his inner heart he wants to come out; however, his maturity does not allow him to do so. The use of conditional sentence depicts that he wants to enjoy the beauty of the nature.  It implies that we can have the memories of the childhood with us. However, our responsibilities and pressure of so-called maturity exhume our naturalistic pleasure. The speaker puts adult worries and wants to enjoy the life.

 

 

Class 11 New course

Sagar's Diary: All The World's a Stage The line taken from As you...

Sagar's Diary: All The World's a Stage The line taken from As you...: All The World's a Stage The line taken from As you like it. The poem has presented real aspects of human life. The world and its people ...

Sagar's Diary: Sagar's Diary: A Red Red Rose ...

Sagar's Diary: Sagar's Diary: A Red Red Rose                     ...: Sagar's Diary: A Red Red Rose                        by Robert Bu... : A Red Red Rose                              by Robert Burns   A  ...

All The World's a Stage

The line taken from As you like it. The poem has presented real aspects of human life. The world and its people are presented metaphorically as a stage and players. The poem ahs presented the entre human life into seven different stages. It presents the beginning to end of the life a human life. The first stage of the life is infanthood. He plays in the arms of his nurse. He also vomits and cries in this stage. The second stage is boyhood. He is a school-going boy. Carrying his bag, he goes school unwillingly. The stage is stage of a lover. He composes ballads for his beloved. The fourth stage is as being a soldier. He becomes aggressive and ambitious with full of stage oaths. He seems like a leopard. He tries to get reputation in his deeds. The fifth stage is a stage of maturity and wisdom. In this stage, he becomes like a fair judge. He tries to provide fair judgment. The sixth stage is a stage of old. In this stage, his voice gets changed and become like childish. The final stage of human life is second childhood. In this stage, he loses the faculties of all sensory perception.

The poem has presented the idea of medieval philosophy. The first stanza deals the most important conceit. It depicts the universality of the life process as it has been compared with theatrical entrance and exists.

The poem begins with infancy and school days. It presents the beginning of with infancy to school going boy. The word unwilling refers to gradual denial of lose of freedom. It depicts the life move ahead denying the freedom of one’s life. Talking about such loss of freedom in one’s life, the poem further deals with another stage of life that is young lover. He falls ahead over in love and feeling. The hot passion of the man desperate with the use of image ‘furnace’, presents the way of life towards the revolution or or crating his own level of freedom. The fourth stage, the soldiers, presents the beginning of economic life. In this stage, a person wants to have his reputation.

The next stage of life is a path of judge. It refers to middle age. The word ‘fair and round belly’ presents good economic condition. It refers the strength of one’s economic condition in middle age.

The next stage refers to retired life. It slips into comfortable. The word pantaloon denotes the seeking of comfort in life. The final stage of life is to live like childhood and finally move to exist point.

Sagar's Diary: All the World's a stage by W. ShakespeareThe line...

Sagar's Diary: All the World's a stage by W. ShakespeareThe line...: All the World's a stage  by W. Shakespeare The line taken from As you like it. The poem has presented real aspects of human life. The wo...

Sagar's Diary: A Red Red Rose by Robert Bu...

Sagar's Diary: A Red Red Rose                        by Robert Bu...: A Red Red Rose                              by Robert Burns   A   Red Red Rose is a poem, written by Robert Burns, talks about love and sepa...

A Red Red Rose

                        by Robert Burns

 

A  Red Red Rose is a poem, written by Robert Burns, talks about love and separation. It functions as a lyrical poem that establishes the influences of love in lovers and beloved life.

The speaker presents his love towards his beloved. He presents his heartily love for his beloved. He compares his beloved with red rose of June and melodious tune. He opines that his beloved is so beautiful. He explains the physicality of the beloved and moves into inner aesthetics of love. He immortalizes his love and promises to love her forever.

The theme of the poems goes in the line of love and changes. The word red rose symbolizes his love. As he compares his love with red rose, the theme of the poem is hereby to express what love is. In the same line, the speaker tells ‘newly sprung in June’, means delicate love, fresh beginning of the love. The word ‘rose’ also refers delicate that can fade soon. It means there can be changes in the love. His comparison of love with ‘sweetly played tune’ presents the power of the love. The universality of the love can be found as it goes in the line of musicality. The music can attract any body. It has the power. The comparison of love with music presents the power of love.

The speaker explains the physical beauty. The line ‘as fair art thou, my bonny lass, explains the physical beauty. The writer has talked about beauty and youth. The youth and beauty can be the general stand point fot the beginning of the love. They can fade soon. However, the speaker valorizes the love and moves to immortality of the love. He acknowledges feelings that emerges from beauty and can go for longevity if one tries to get the factor for eternal beauty that is beyond physicality. The eternality of the love is presented as the images used in it like:  ‘the sea gang dry, the rock melts with sun; the sands of life shall run’. These images take love from impermanent to permanent.

He presents the realistic presentation of love. Though people love each other so dearly, they cannot stay together all the time. He has known about such bitterness of the life. He anticipates that they need to depart. However, he gives his word that he would return in her life. He assures his beloved about the unification as has infinite love.

 

Corona says

Sagar's Diary: Corona Says Corona Says is a poem written by Vi...

Sagar's Diary: Corona Says    Corona Says is a poem written by Vi...: Corona Says         Corona Says is a poem written by Vishnu S Rai. It satirizes on man conducts and attitude. It views Covid1...

Corona Says

 

 

 

 

Corona Says is a poem written by Vishnu S Rai. It satirizes on man conducts and attitude. It views Covid19 as by product of human’s treatment to nature.

The speaker corona tells human beings to be quite. They should not curse it. It says that it has not come to its own wish. It was not its desire to come to the earth. He was invited. It questions human beings that the death occurred by deed of humans. Human have forgotten their destruction to the life. They have killed many people.

The speaker has questioned the supremacy of human. Humans consider themselves as the supreme creatures of the world. They consider they are born to rule and all natural things are here to fulfill their desires. They haven’t given any importance to other creature of the earth. Humans are utilizing the entire creatures according to their own interest.  

Corona has compelled the people to see the nature from naturalistic perspective. It has arrived to renew the nature that has been contaminated by modern people’s reckless doing. It has realized people the feeling of caged animals.

The speaker mocks people and senses the mother earth. It has raised question to Mr. Know All, expertise in knowledge of humankind. Conforming its departure, it warns humankind and compels to rethink the action, as there are so many others that may come to raise question in existence of human kind.

 

 

 

  

Sagar's Diary: A Reading Meter in PoetryPoetry is associated with...

Sagar's Diary: A Reading Meter in PoetryPoetry is associated with...: A Reading Meter in Poetry Poetry is associated with music. As it has musicality, the rhythm matters a lot in the poetry. For the study of th...

A Reading Meter in Poetry

Poetry is associated with music. As it has musicality, the rhythm matters a lot in the poetry. For the study of the rhythm of the poetry, there is metrical study in the poem. In common word, it is called as meter. Rhythm structured in regular unity is called meter. There are four types of meter in English poetry. They are Accentual, Accentual syllabic, the syllabic and quantitative.

1.  Accentual Meter: A metrical system that is based only on stressed syllabus in the line of the poetry. The toal number of syllabus varies in the line of the poetry. It is generally used in German poetry and old English Poetry.

2.  Accentual syllabic Meter: A meter system in the verse, which is determined by the number of stress and unstressed syllabus.  The feet is very important component in accentual syllabic meter. It is an English version of classical metrical composition. It was quite popular in 14^th century. There are four types of accentual syllabic meter. They are:

a.   Iambic meter: An iamb is a literary device that can be defined as a foot containing unaccented and short syllables, followed by a long and accented syllable in a single line of a poem (unstressed/stressed syllables). It is most commonly used in blank verse and heroic couplet. The renaissance poets has used iambic meter as it produces the usual rhythm of natural speech. It is quite soft.

b.  Trochaic meter: The trochee, though, begins with a stressed syllable, followed by an unstressed, or weak, syllable. This makes it the mirror image of the iamb, which follows the pattern weak-stressed. Think of the word 'trouble. It  sounds forceful and more appealing or dominating.

c.   Anapestic meter: Anapest is a poetic device defined as a metrical foot in a line of a poem that contains three syllables wherein the first two syllables are short and unstressed, followed by a third syllable that is long and stressed. since anapest ends in a stressed syllable, it makes strong rhyming lines that create music in a poem. It plays a very important role in poetry, and the most common role in verse is that of a comic meter, which is, the foot used in the limerick for comical effects.

d.  Dactylic meter: Dactyl is a metrical foot, or a beat in a line, containing three syllables in which the first one is accented, followed by second and third unaccented syllablest gives the lines a jerky movement. The major purpose of dactylic rhythm is to create lilting movement and a break. 

These four metrical patterns are commonly used in English poetry. However, there are two other pattern in accentual syllabic meter. They are:

i.  Spondaic meter: A spondee is a unit of meter comprised of two stressed syllables. The spondee is an irregular metrical foot, unlike the trochee or iamb, and is not used to compose full lines of poetry

ii.  Pyrrhic meter: A metrical unit consisting of two unstressed syllables, in accentual-syllabic verse, or two short syllables,

3.  Syllabic Meter: The pattern of meter that is determined by the total number of syllables per line rather than the number of the stresses is called syllabic meter. It mainly advocates for same number of syllable in the line.

4.  Quantitative Meter: The dominant metrical system in Classical Greek and Italian poetry, in which the rhythm depends not on the number of stresses, but on the length of time it takes to utter a line.

 

 

 

Sagar's Dairy: Understanding DramaIn David Rush Point of View Dra...

Sagar's Dairy: Understanding DramaIn David Rush Point of View Dra...: Understanding Drama In David Rush Point of View  Drama is a theatric performance. It presents the world’s perspective as Shakespeare looks t...

Understanding Drama

In David Rush Point of View 

Drama is a theatric performance. It presents the world’s perspective as Shakespeare looks the world itself is a stage and the people are mere characters who play different role. David Rush,  in A Student Guide to Play Analysis has talked nine different strategies to be discussed for the analysis of the drama.

i.       The concerned of the author: A reader should try his best to understand the concern of the world while going through his drama. One has to know about the subject or idea the author is interested. An author/dramatist can have three different subject matters: social subject, how social forces affect our life; individual mind, the subject of human psychology, and spiritual subject, religion, inner peace or spirit.

ii.    The point of view of the author: A reader of the drama should understand the author’s point of view. It presents where the author is placing the audience. The author can presents the audience subjective objective. The author can place subjective audience as insider and objective audience as outsider.

iii. Comprehension of the world: A reader has to understand the author how he understands the world. It denotes that how a dramatist understands the world with the character he presents. Generally he looks the world as a comprehensible.

iv.  Construction of the plot: A plot is important to understand a drama. A reader has to analyze the construction of the plot. There are two types of construction of the plot linear and nonlinear. A reader has to examine the construction of the plot in analysis of the drama.

v.     The texture of the character:  The texture of the character refers to selection of the characters in the play. A dramatist can use two types of the characters. They are realistic as we are or personified of the abstract components. A reader has to judge a drama based on its characters. S/he should look the characters based on these two perspectives.

vi.  Setting: it refers the place where the action of the drama occurs. A reader should examine the setting of the play. The setting of the play helps to understand its different perspectives. A dramatist can use typically two different setting: imitated real setting and distorted setting.

vii.      Language: Language is the element through which a play’s events are communicated; hearing the characters talk to each other lets the audience perceive and understand the play’s meaning. A dramatist can use vernacular language, slang, colloquialism, body language, even some irrational words. A reader needs to examine these linguistic components for the analysis of a drama.

viii.   Forms:  lt refers the functional representation through dialogue. It denotes how the relationship between people on the stage and audience/

ix.  Writers’ definition of the world: A reader has to inspect the writer’s definition of the world.

A reader need to examine these different terms to analyze a drama. When a reader looks at these terms and inspects the drama, he can easily explore all aspects of the drama.

Analysis for realistic drama or drama written in realism

Realism is a movement that begins in 19^th century as a shift against the exotic and poetic writing of romanticism. It depicts what an art is, it is.  These aspects can be seen if we analyze a drama written in realism.

In realistic drama, the concern of the author depicts the by the issues. Especially, a dramatist is anxious to expose the issues and concentrate on facts. He can be either issues driven or character driven. If he gives more important to the fact then he is an issue driven. On the other hand if he shows concern to the people of the issue is character driven. In realistic drama a dramatist only concern for the issues only.

          The point of the view of realist dramatist is always objective. The audiences are kept outside to events they are made to watch it. The realistic plays become more objective. In the same line, the realistic play, conveys the idea that the world is completely comprehensible. The characters and events in realistic plays strike us that we can understand it though it can be unfamiliar.

          The plots, in the realistic plays, follow the laws of cause and effect. It directs from the linear path. The plots move in a direct chronology from one event to another. The characters in the realistic plays are meant to be three-dimensional. They operate from psychological motives and instincts just like ours. The key elements that realistic characters have are: goal, the line of achievements; at stake, vulnerability, strategies, the plan to embark upon in order to accomplish goal.

          The realistic play has great importance in setting. It examines the world as a scientific phenomenon.   It looks at the immediate surroundings, the larger society outside the particular location- a real setting.  The language depicts the lives of the audience. It would be be colloquial, informal, filled with slang where appropriate, and to generally display the rhythms of average speech.

          The form of the realistic play is representational. The audiences are unattached observers of specific demonstration in progress. It can have the combination of both representational and presentational. The realist dramatists define the world is a place that obeys the natural laws of cause and effect. It is comprehensible and therefore able to be studied and controlled. It is a place of logic, order and rationality.