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Showing posts from February, 2011

A Critical Analysis of the Title of William Shakespeare’s Play "As You Like It"

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    “ As You Like It is a light-hearted comedy which appeals to the readers at all stages and all in lighter moods. It pleases some by its idyllic romance, others by its optimistic philosophy of simple goodness, and yet others by its cynical ironies. Indeed you can take this as you like it.” G. B. Harrison {ed. Shakespeare : The Complete Works. New York: Harcourt, 1952 (Page 776).}

Indo European family of languages

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Languages, which show some common features and some shared properties, are said to belong to one family. It is assumed that such systematic similarities cannot be accidental; these similarities are there because the concerned languages have ‘descended’ from a common ‘parent’. That is, at some point of time, there was a language spoken all over a given geographical area which over a period of time broke up, fragmented, into a number of ‘sibling’ varieties. With the passage of time these varieties become sufficiently different from each other to be considered as separate languages.

Porter Scene Act II, SCENE III.in "Macbeth" By William Shakespeare

Macbeth By William Shakespeare Significance of ‘Porter Scene’ in Macbeth Act II, SCENE III. Court of Macbeth's castle.(porter Scene) Knocking within. Enter a Porter Porter Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. Knocking within Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for't. Knocking within Knock, knock! Who's there, in the other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator. Knocking within

GENERAL RULES OF ACCENTUATION

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1.         Generally all the monosyllabic words are unaccented; but in metrical composition such words are often accented. The monosyllabic words having a diphthong such as “power”, “flower”, “our”, “shower”, are always accented. 2.         In metrical composition, monosyllabic ‘content’ words are almost always accented. On the other hand, the ‘structural’ words almost always remain unaccented. 3.         Each and every disyllabic word must have only one accent, on either the first or the second syllable. 4.         But the disyllabic words like “any”, “many”, and “very” sometimes may remain unaccented, whereas the monosyllabic words like “yet”, “still” and “all” are accented very often. 5.         In a long polysyllabic word, we may have one or more accents. In general case, either the first or the second syllable must have the accent. Very few exceptional words like “returnee” have the first two syllables unaccented, followed by the accent on the third (re-turn-'ee). In fac

KEY TO SYLLABIFICATION

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  1. In matters of syllabifying, there are no concrete rules, no invariable guidelines or no supreme authorities. So, it is often seen that a word can be syllabified in two ways. But the number of syllables is always the same in a word, in spite of its different kinds of syllabification . Examples follow – * Even = e–ven / ev – en: * Passive= pass-ive / pas-sive: * Familiar = fa-mi-liar / fam-I-liar [In each case, both the ways of syllabification are valid.] 2. As the vowel sound is the heart of a syllable, we, whenever to syllabify a word, must be guided by pronunciation, by the sound of the word but never by etymology or the letters or the spelling of the word. Examples follow- * Peruse = pe-ruse (but ‘per-use’ not acceptable); * Running = run-ning (but ‘run-ing’ or ‘runn-ing’ not correct); * Island = is-land (but ‘isl-and’ not acceptable); * Iron = iron (but ‘I-ron’ or ‘ir-on’ incorrect. ‘Iron’ is monosyllabic);

"THE SUPERANNUATED MAN" by CHARLES LAMB---The Feeling of Charles Lamb Before and After His Retirement

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"It is now six and thirty years since I took my seat at the desk in Mincing-lane. For the first day or two I felt stunned, overwhelmed. I could only apprehend my felicity; I was too confused to taste it sincerely. I wandered about, thinking I was happy, and knowing that I was not." --- The Superannuated Man Charles Lamb in “The Superannuated Man” has given an account of his feeling before and after his retirement. Lamb served as a clerk for long thirty-six years and then retired. Lamb’s life as a clerk was tedious and boring. He, however, had a respite from work on a Sunday every week.

Critical Appreciation of Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Pied Beauty": The Devotional Element / Sensuousness and Religiousness/ The Religious and Spiritual Characteristics

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(The Devotional Element--- Sensuousness and Religiousness --  The Religious and Spiritual Characteristics )   Nineteenth-century English poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins is admired for the highly original use of rhythm in his poetry, a quality that can be seen in the following poems, “The Windhover,” “Pied Beauty,” and “Hurrahing in Harvest.” A windhover, also known as a kestrel, is a small type of falcon. These three poems express Hopkins’s devotion to the Catholic faith, as well as his fascination with the natural world. Like most of Hopkins’s poetry , the poems were first published in 1918, nearly 20 years after his death.  In a note on the religious life of Hopkins (1840-1889) Humphrey House expresses the view that Hopkins was not a mystic and that there is nothing in the poem of Hopkins to show that he feels the immediate and personal presence of God. It is impossible to agree with Humphrey House in this matter, because reverse seems to be the case. Hopkins was by

T. S. Eliot's "The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock"--A Song of Frustration and Conflict, of Loneliness and Boredom

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   T. S. Eliot's J. Alfred  Prufrock is an embodiment of split personality – a separation of head and heart, a paralysis of the will and too much worry regarding a love proposal. The poem marks a complete break of the modern civilization with all its ugliness – the never ending streets, smoking chimneys, yellow fog, dirty drains and smell of female bodies. It is urban in its theme and setting. In a series of paragraphs the lover analysis the reason for a resolution and indecision and tries to justify his cowardice and lack of nerves. Behind this, mental state is a disease of modern routine – the aimless life of the city dwellers and the monotonous sound of social parties.                 Prufrock is one of the victims of modern civilization. He is between the two sites of his personality, which thereby highlights the nervousness and neurosis. His neurotic nature, his inability to face the problems of life is reflected in his delay and procrastination. He does not want to cli

How Did Language Originate?

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  No one knows exactly how language originated. And because of this, there is no dearth of speculations about the origins of human speech. Language is a ‘System of sounds, words, patterns, etc. used by humans to communicate thoughts and feelings’. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 1989).No one, however, knows exactly how language originated. And because of this, there is no dearth of speculations about the origins of human speech. Let us briefly consider some of these.

ORIGIN OF THE WORDS: PHILOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF 50 MORE WORDS

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  ADVICE - This word is an example of French loan word. The middle English 'avis' got this form  French . Due to renaissance influence 'ad' Latin 'advisum' was added as original prefix to 'avis' and we have the English word advice . Read More Philology                                                                                                                                                  ALMS - Old English 'aelmesse' is derived from Greek 'eleemosune' . Middle English from of the word was 'almesse' and plural was 'almesses' . In fact , 'alms' is singular as 's' belongs to the original word.   

Short Questions from Oliver Goldsmith's "She Stoops to Conquer"

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1. Is it a Laughing Comedy in protest of Sentimental Comedy? Ans:When the play was first produced, it was discussed as an example of the revival of laughing comedy over the sentimental comedy . Truly speaking it is a comic laughing comedy in celebration of fun, frolic and humour .The affectation of sentimentalism and moralization is altogether omitted here.                                          2 .How is She Stoops to Conquer a Comedy of Manners? Ans:The play can also be seen as a comedy of manners , where, set in a polite society, the comedy arises from the gap between the characters' attempts to preserve standards of polite behaviour that contrasts to their true behaviour. 3.How is She Stoops to Conquer A Romantic Comedy ? Ans:It also seen by some critics as a romantic comedy , which depicts how seriously young people take love, and how foolishly it makes them behave (similar to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream ); in She Stoops to

Model English Test -3 for PGT , TGT and Other Competitive Examinations

1. What do you trace ‘Myth making faculty’ in Shelley and Keats?  Substantiate your answer. 2. How do you know that Shelley’s Skylark is not a creature of ‘flesh and blood’? 3.   What does the bird specially know in Hardy’s poem? 4.   What was the last thought that was not in vain for the lover in The Last Ride Together? 5.       Why ‘the listeners’ in the Mare’s poem do not react? 6.       How do you explain the title strange Meeting? 7.       What historical period do you find as hints in The Lagoon? 8.       Why did Mrs. Thurlow remain unsympathetic towards her  husband? 9.       Ulysses provides an interesting study in contrast along with another poem of Tennyson’s The Lotos Eaters – discuss. 10.    “Drive my dead thoughts over the Universe like withered leaves to quicken a new birth” – explain the line with critical comment. 11.   Describe The Traveler in the poem The Listeners. 12.    “Della, being slender, had mastered the art” – What was the art that Della mastered? 13.  

History of English Literature-The Revival of Learning (1450-1550)

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From Chaucer to Spenser OR The Revival of Learning (1450-1550) History / Events Literature 1455-85 Wars of the Roses begin 1492 Columbus lands in West Indies 1535 Sir Thomas More, St John Fisher, Anne Boleyn, William Tyndale executed. 1549 Book of Common Prayer. 1476 Printing press started. 1412 Governail of Princes by Hoccleve. 1422 The Kingis Quair by James I 1470 Morte D' Arthur by Malory (1085) 1516 Utopia by More (Latin) 1551 Utopia by More (English) 1557 Tottel’s Miscellany by Wyatt.

History of English Literature--The Inter – War years (1918-39)

The Inter – War years (1918-39) Historical events Literature 1936 – :Allen Lane founded The Penguin Books, B B C        starts. 1939 –: World War II begins. 1922 –: Ulysses –- Joyce The Waste Land – -T. S. Eliot. Forsyte Saga – -Galsworthy. 1932 –: Brave New World- – Huxley. 1935 – Murder in The Cathedral – T. S. Eliot Rulers 1910-1936 George V 1936 Edward VIII Authors 1888-1965 T. S. Eliot 1903-1950 George Orwell 1904-1991 Graham Greene 1907-1973 W. H. Auden 1914-1953 Dylan Thomas Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brute Edward Thomas etc are war poets. 1906 Samuel Beckett 1.Name the important works published in 1922. Ans. In 1922 the famous poem entitled The Waste Land created by T. S. Eliot, and the celebrated novel named Ulysses worked by James Joyce. The novel Ulysses marks the beginning of ‘Stream of Consciousness’ technique in the

G. K. Chesterton Reveals the Beauty of Gothic Architecture in "The Architect of Spears"

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In the essay " The Architect of Spears ", Chesterton makes an imaginative exploration of the charm and beauty of the Gothic Architecture. He discovers the very soul of the stone that he finds in Lincoln cathedral. And every stone appears to him alive, dynamic and thought provoking, full of abounding energy and spontaneity, bearing ample marks of the very beauty of Gothic Architecture. But the striking feature of this essay is the clarity of Chesterton’s imaginative vision happily wedded to his wit. The mingling of the richness of wit and imagination makes Chesterton’s style somewhat paradoxical, and yet all the more lively and interesting. So, in "The Architect of Spears", are do not find a simple narrative or a logically developed idea. Instead, “The talent of Chesterton has succeeded in instilling new life into many truism”.

Analysis of the Title of J. M. Synge’s Play---Riders to the Sea

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  J. M. Synge’s one-act play on the life of the poor peasant and fisher folk of the Aran Island of the west –coast of Ireland has been named “Riders to the Sea” . Who are the riders and what past does the sea play in their life? The riders in the drama refer to those male members of the family of the poor peasant woman Maurya. They, one by one go on horse back to the sea-shore for boarding the ship along with horses, goats and sheep which they have reared up at home for selling in the neighboring market. The sea is the only link with the world outside. Hence these people have no choice of going by any other route. So in compelling circumstances, they are to journey across the turbulent sea staking their life.                 In “Riders to the Sea” because of the limited space of a one-act play, only the deaths of two riders – Michael and Bartley are enacted. But we are reported of the gruesome deaths of many other riders of the same family. It is the family of the old peasant w

Quick and Easy Reminder For Your Five Major Types of Comedy

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The main trends of English comedy can broadly be classified into Five groups, namely ‘romantic comedy’, ‘comedy of manners’, ‘comedy of humours’, ‘sentimental comedy’ and the ‘tragi-comedy’ or ‘dark comedy’. Romantic Comedy The term ‘romantic comedy’ is a somewhat vague appellation, which denotes a form of drama is which love is the main theme and love leads to a happy ending. The team ‘romantic comedy’ is generally applied to plays developed by Shakespeare and some of his Elizabethan contemporaries. These plays are generally concerned with love affairs that involve a beautiful and idealized heroine; the course of this love does not run smooth, but ultimately overcomes all difficulties to end in a happy union. In the Anatomy of Criticism (P.P 182-183) Northrop Frye points out that some of Shakespeare romantic comedies involve a movement from the normal world of conflict and trouble into the ‘green world’ – the idyllic, pastoral world of the Forest of Arden as in As You L

Different Techniques of Writing Novels

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T here is visibly a distinction between the scope of a dramatist and that of a novelist. A dramatist enjoys a very limited scope to unfold his purpose of vision of life. For, within two or three stage hours he must complete his dramatic design, complying with the principles of three unities the unity of time, place and action. But a novelist, on the other hand, can enjoy unlimited time and scope to build up the characters in his novel. And if he so wishes, he can also include long explanation in favour of his own philosophy. It is obvious, therefore, that a novelist can enjoy greater liberty and wider scope by adopting different technical devices in his novel, while the liberty of a dramatist is all too restricted. However, of the different narrative devices, mention may be made to the few important narrative models: omniscient view, the first person narrative, epistolary novel, dialogue in novel and stream of consciousness novel. Omniscient view : - The most usual kind of narr

W. B. Yeats' "No Second Troy" as a Love Poem

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W. B. Yeats is generally regarded as a link between the decadent aestheticism of the nineties and a new realism of the modern age. He is also one of the greatest love poets of the English language and the complexity! The lyric grace and authenticity of feeling of his love poems along with his intensity and his expression of the sense of loss resulting from failure in love all go into ranking him with the other great love poets in the World Literature. Such a typical poem is his No Second Troy. The whole poem is framed out into four rhetorical questions as a means of coming to terms with the reality of his unrequited love relationship with Maud Gonne.

Critical Appreciation of Philip Larkin’s "At Grass"

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          Philip Larkin’s ‘At Grass’ taken from ‘The Less Deceived’ is essentially a Movement Poem which depicts Larkin’s close scrutiny of life , its maturity and death.           The poem is about the race horses in their retirement. However, Larkin himself announced that he has never seen any race horse in the field of horse – racing, in which people stock money. Perhaps, he was inspired by a news-reel film on Brown Jack, the race horse in its retirement. The race horses that he describes are no more in their glory; these superannuated horses no longer participated in race. With case and comfort under the cool shade of trees they are grazing: “The eye can hardly pick them out From the cold shade they shelter in, Till wind distresses tail and mane; Then one crops grass, and moves about - The other seeming to look on - And stands anonymous again” These horses has now lost individual identity but once, fifteen years ago these race horses were famous, own dist

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