Religion fervour and 'A Tale of Tub'

          Hello friends, I'm writing this blog as an assignment by the Department of English, MKBU. Here I'm trying to give my opinion about regressive rituals and progressive rational thoughts. I also try to connect Jonathan Swift's view about religion and try to connect shitla satam with Jonathan Swift's 'The tale of Tub'.

-> Regressive rituals and progressive rational thoughts.

        There have been many changes in the world since the creation of the world till today. The history of the world is something different and the present time is also something different. The world is divided into different parts and the religions also divided into many parts means every corner of the world has its own rituals. 

         If we look into our history, we realize that our world was a world run by religious rituals and these rituals were followed by man at any cost, and even in that, our country India leaves the whole world behind in this matter. India is a multi-religious country, so there are many types of religious rituals and superstitions. From birth to death there are vulgar superstitions without any scientific evidence, yet people follow them madly.

        In all such religious rituals mostly women have to suffer. Religious restrictions were placed on women in numerous ways and due to which women find it very difficult to live in the society. 

       Rituals related to women of that time in India:

સ્ત્રીભ્રૂણ હત્યા:

પડદા પ્રથા:

સતી પ્રથા:

દહેજ પ્રથા:

       The country was surrounded by many types of superstitions and rituals like this. There are some rituals that cannot be understood as to why they are performed. Humans are identified by their caste and religion rather than their work. Castes like Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas or Shudras were created, many superstitions such as ritualism, Bhuva, Mataji, and black magic etc were encouraged, Apart from this many rituals of marriage time, menstruation rituals and death rituals. Many such religious rituals were performed in our country. 

         But today is the era of science and technology, that's why if there is scientific proof of anything, then the thing is considered true. And because of this, today in society, such superstitions and religious rituals are seen to be destroyed and rational ideas are being developed. 

       People do what they think is right, superstition does not become a part of their life. Caste discrimination is removed, women become independent. People understand each other's pain and suffering and because of this, following superstitions and rituals is considered inappropriate by people in today's world.

        All these rituals are ignored nowadays. Religious neutrality has come to the country. A noble concept has developed that every person is an integral part of society. Today's humans are becoming global. They have come in contact with the world, thereby absorbing the good aspects of the world and eliminating the bad aspects. Old misconceptions are dispelled and new progressive ideas emerge. Science is preferred by hypocrites and due to this the country is progressing in every field.

-> Interpretation of such religious practices with Swift's work.

        'The Tale of Tub' is about three brothers, each representing one of the main branches of western Christianity. Martin, Peter and Jack represent the Catholic church, Anglican Church and Dissenters. He is trying to demonstrate the practices of the Catholics and Dissenting sects were false interpretations of the true world.

        Peter, the brother who represents the Catholic tradition, initiates most of the changes the three brothers make to their coats. His main doctrinal error, as presented by Swift, is his insistence that he can exercise a teaching authority on par with the Biblenthat his pronouncements can rival, modify, or even displace what is plainly stated in Scripture. For Catholics, sacred tradition supports some practices and doctrines not explicitly given in the Bible, but it authorizes nothing that actually clashes with Scripture.

         Swift writes more effectively about Martin, who represents Martin Luther and by extension the mainline Protestant tradition that Luther is credited with founding. The Bible is the only infallible authority by which Christian doctrines and practices can be justified. Tradition, in the Lutheran view, is strictly subordinate to the Bible, it is not a separate "pillar" of faith as it is in Catholic teaching. The Church retains a role as the interpreter of the Bible, but significant Catholic concepts such as purgatory are dismissed as having no basis in Scripture. 

        After Swift about the third brother Jack. His argues that there are limits to how much and how exclusively a Christian should rely on Scripture. He specifically mocks Jack for using his father's will not only as a guide to moral conduct and religious practices, but as a nightcap, an umbrella, a bandage, and even a kind of medicine. The point here seems to be that even the Bible has its limites. From the established Protestant point of view Swift writes from, the more aggressive reformers were taking sola scriptura too far, treating the Bible as a source of worldly advice like a cookbook or a medical treatise and cheapening God's word in the process. 

 

        Jonathan Swift, here satirizes the Bible and its changes over time. Similarly in India there are many customs which have different old concepts and today people have converted to those in superstitions. 

          Shitla satam is observed as a ritual today. A disease called shitla occurred on a large scale in which people died in large numbers and later people connected this with religion and established a Mataji called shitla. 

         Today people worship Mataji instead of taking the smallpox vaccine. According to people, smallpox is not caused by worshiping Shitla Mataji on the day of Shitla Satam, people's sufferings are removed. On this day, Mataji is worshiped in Kuler and Mataji's back is sprinkled with water i.e. water is poured behind the temple. People sprinkle salt on Mataji on this day, and are believed to walk or carry a fire-pit on their heads. 

          Not only this, there are many such religious customs in India which lead people to forget the real intention behind it and lead them down the path of degradation. 

          

History of Puritan and Restoration age

     Hello readers, I'm writing this blog as an assignment form the Department of English. Here, I'm trying to give information about the characteristics of Puritan age and Restoration age.

Characteristics of puritan age:

Influence

        Puritans held deep religious beliefs based on their own perspective of Christianity. The Bible played an important role in the daily lives of the Puritans. Families attended church regularly and read the Bible in their homes. Due to this influence, most Puritan writing is based on the styles of the Bible. Puritans compared their own lives to biblical narratives and events and compared themselves to biblical characters to illustrate points.

 Puritanism had a profound influence on English life and literature. The spirit he represented was good and noble but it was hard and stern. In his overzealous zeal to react against existing abuses, he condemned the good things in life, condemned science and art, neglected the appreciation of beauty which encouraged secular life. Puritanism destroyed human civilization and tried to confine human civilization within the circumscribed sphere of its own particular interests. It was fatal to both art and literature.

Biblical Influence  

        Throughout the 1670s and 1680s, New England clergy wrote sermons which drew directly from the Book of Jeremiah. This Old Testament book is one in which the prophet Jeremiah scolds the Hebrews for losing religious dedication and in turn, God's favor. This literary genre is a formulaic one, in which the writer first summarizes the joy and faith once held by the community, castigates them for current and recent sins, and then pleads for their repentance. Because Puritans at the time studied both Scripture and nature for signs of God's intentions, they became increasingly alarmed by earthquakes, explosions and fires, which they equated with God's anger.

Sense of unity

       Elizabethan literature was marked by a sense of unity, which resulted from the intense patriotism and nationalism of all classes and their devotion and loyalty to the Queen, who had a single mission to seek the welfare of the nation. During this period James I and Charles II were opposed to the interests of the people. The country was divided by the struggle for political and religious freedom; And literature was divided in sentiment just like the contending parties.

Dominance of Critical and Intellectual Spirit

         The critical and intellectual spirit, instead of the romantic spirit which prevailed in Elizabethan literature, dominates the literature of this period.In the literature of the Puritan period one looks in vain for romantic ardour. Even in the lyrics and love poems a critical, intellectual spirit takes its place, and whatever romance asserts itself is in form rather than in feeling, a fantastic and artificial adornment of speech rather than the natural utterance of a heart in which sentiment is so strong and true that poetry is its only expression.

Decay of Drama

        This period is remarkable for the decay of drama. The civil disturbances and the strong opposition of the Puritans was the main cause of the collapse of drama. The actual dramatic work of the period was small and unimportant. The closing of the theatres in 1642 gave a final jolt to the development of drama.

Plain Style

       Puritans lived a simple life based on the concepts of humility and simplicity. This influence comes from their religious beliefs and the Bible. Wearing elaborate clothing or having conceited thoughts offended Puritans. Puritan writing mimics these cultural values in its plain writing style. Puritans wrote directly to the point, and avoided much of the elaborate writing style that became popular in Europe. Simple sentences with common language allowed Puritans to communicate information without feeling like they were drawing attention to themselves.

Purpose

       Puritans wrote with specific purposes in mind. Even the letters they wrote to friends and family in Europe performed more of a purpose than simply communicating about their lives and keeping in touch. Puritans' religious beliefs affected their lives on all levels, and their writing illustrated their religion's values, such as the importance of the church and the influence of God in their lives. Writing often became instructive, teaching Christian values. The Puritans did not believe that literature was for entertainment; therefore, they frowned upon "entertainment" genres such as drama (plays) and fiction novels.

Characteristics of Restoration age:

Rise of Neo-classicism

       The Restoration marks a complete break with the past. For the writers of this age, both the prose and poetry, rules and literary conventions became more important than the depth and seriousness of the subject matter. They express superficial manners and customs of the aristocratic and urban society and did not pry into the mystery of the human mind and heart.

Comedy of manner

       The Restoration comedy is also known as the comedy of manners. Fashionable intrigues, sex, marriage and adultery were treated with cynicism, with worldly wit and a sense of the comedy of life. 

        William Congreve is the best and finest writer of the comedy of manners. His famous comedies are:

  -The Double dealer

 - Love for love

 - The way of the world 

Imitation of the Ancient masters

        The authors of the period were not endowed with exceptional literary talents. So they turned to the ancient writers. 

Realism and Formalism

     Restoration literature is realistic. It was very much concerned with life in London, with details of dress, fashion and manners. Dryden accepted the excellent rule for his prose and adopted the heroic couplet. It is largely due to Dryden that writers developed formalism of the style.

Moderation

      Restoration poetry is considered moderate in the way it emphasises precision or economical use of language and words.

Reason

       One of the Restoration poetry characteristics is the reason. Instead of focusing on Metaphysical ideas which most of the prior poetries had relied upon, it was inspired by many scientific developments of the time. These scientific developments encouraged people to use reason to solve problems.

      Thus, these characteristics made Restoration poetry’s style, also known as the classical school of poetry, dominate English Literature for more than a century.

Dryden - On dramatic poesy

     Hello friends, this blog is about the definition of tragedy by Aristotle and definition of play by Dryden. I also try to put my point of view about Modern literature.

-> Aristotle's Definition of tragedy and Dryden's definition of play:

  The theory of the drama concept is based mainly on Aristotle, which is the fundament of all tragedy and comedy and especially for John Dryden’s concept. Dryden used the theory of Aristotle very strictly.

Aristotle's Definition:

Aristotle defines tragedy is “the imitation of an action that is elevated, complete and magnitude; in language embellished by distinct forms in its sections; employing the mode of enactment; not narrative; and through pity and fear accomplishing the catharsis of such emotions.”

     According to Aristotle the noble hero goes from good fortune to bad. For Aristotle, the tragic hero can’t be totally evil or purely good, but instead, must be a character between these two extremes. whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty, also known as “hamartia,” that is, by a fatal flaw. 

    According to Aristotle the story of a good tragedy should be great and the audience should be able to remember it. That means that the story should be rather simple and comprehensive. Therefore the events in that story should follow a regular change from misfortune to fortune or from fortune to misfortune. These events, which must occur very often, should only happen to one single hero or heroine. 

   The basis of his concept includes the theory of mimesis. Mimesis describes the imitation of the behavior of human beings. He said that all people differ in their character. They might be either evil or good. The bad and good parts in a human character make them do good or bad things, which are the basis for a tragedy or comedy.

For futher information about Aristotle click here

Dryden's definition:

Dryden lived in the Restoration era, so his thinking and his works are shaped by this time. Therefore Dryden’s theory and concept of drama will be analysed in its historical context.

 “ A play ought to be a just and lively image of human nature, representing passion and humor, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind.”

        In definition, we find the word ‘just’. It means as itself, the exact and the word ‘lively’ means it involves the ‘lively’ nature of a person or in which we feel it’s real not a melodramatic type.

Comparison of definition:

        Dryden is taking an influence from Aristotle’s definition of tragedy and makes it his own. How he carried over the tradition. Dryden used the words ‘Just and Lively’ image, which means real life. When real life is presented in a play one must be involved in the play. The catharsis comes which is the last part of Aristotle’s definition of tragedy.

        In Aristotle ’s definition the line, ‘Tragedy, then is an imitation of an action’. Which says that tragedy is an imitation not an actual tragedy so it is copied. Where there in Dryden’ s definition. The line says ‘just and lively image’ here ‘just’ means exact. As it is real so the image is in mind but how you use it to give it a form of visual to others. So it becomes natural.

        The last line of Aristotle’s definition,

"Though pity and fear affect the proper purgation- catharsis of these and similar emotions."

        The last line of Dryden ’s definition,

"For the delight and instruction of mankind."

        Both are connected when at the end the purgation or catharsis happens in mankind, there will be delight in one’s heart.

   In short, we can say that Dryden's definition of play is an improved version of Aristotle' definition.

-> Would you be on the side of the Ancient or the Modern?

   Many people must be in favour of modern literature and many people who stand for ancient literature. But I'm on the side of modern literature. There are many reasons behind it:

   Modern authors are more experimenting where they take the risk to create something new and trendy. Their work is not limited to revolution or love. They have discussed that the surrounding, future, art, matter, love, sorrow, and a lot of things. They try to influence people with their work and creativity. It’s also about making people understand how to keep up with society. Modern literature is based on the foundation of classic literature which makes it more impactful.  

       In this both literature, we find the generation gap. Modern literature is all about what today's generation want. It is about current topics and issues. That's why people connect themselves with literature. 

      Modern literature includes believable stories with a base on reality. The characters are strong and believable, the setting is of the modern era. Stories in Modern literature are considered to be more character driven than plot driven.

        Thus, Based on all these reasons it can be said that I'm in favour of modern literature than Ancient literature.

Movie review: life of Pi

        We had movie screening session on 15 july 2022 in the department of English,MKBU. We watched the movie 'life of pi'. On behalf of that I'm writing this blog.

         'life of pi' is a 2012 adventure drama film directed and produced by Ang lee, and written by David Mangee. Based on Yann Martel's 2001novel 'life of pi'.  

          The film is about two survivors. The protagonist, Piscine Molitor "Pi" patel, a tamil boy from pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a boat in the pacific ocean with Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

 

Cast:

Suraj Sharma - Teenage Pi patel

Irrfan khan - Adult Pi Patel

Tabu - Gita Patel

Adil Hussain - Santosh patel

Gerard Depardieu - cook

Rafe spall - Writer 

Ayaan khan - Ravi patel 

           The story was starting with the amazing view of nature and animals. It shows us that the story is about nature.

           One young writer meets to Pi patel for writer about Pi's life story. Pi tells his life story.

           Pi's real name is Piscine Molitor Patel. Piscine Molitor is a famous swimming pool in France. Every students teasing him by his name. He got too much struggle by it. In pondicherry he get his nickname 'Pi'.

             Pi is from 'Hindu' family but at 12 years old, he is introduced to Christianity and Islam, then he decides to follow all three religions.

           Pi's family owns a zoo. Pi has interest in Bengal tiger named Richard Parker but his father forces him to witness the tiger killing a goat.

           Pi fell in love with one classic dancer named Anandi, but after some time, his father announces that they are leaving India and move to canada. The Family books passage with the animals on a Japanese freighter. They face a Strom during journey. Pi is on deck. Pi struggles to find his family, but a crewman throws him into a lifeboat. After the strom Pi awakens in the lifeboat with the Zebra and is joined by a resourceful orangutan . A spotted Hyena emerges from under a tarpaulin covering half of the lifeboat and snaps at Pi, forcing him to retreat to the Hyena kills the Zebra and later the orangutan. Richard Parker emerges from under the tarpaulin, killing the Hyena.

         Now there is the tiger and Pi are only in the boat. The tiger is very dangerous so Pi creats a small raft from fishing for Richard Parker. But by one whale he lost his raft and it's supplies, now he have to become non-vegetarian. Pi accept him in the boat. 

        

      He get one Island. This is full of trees, plants and meerkats. At night, Pi realise that this island is carnivorous after finding a human tooth embedded in a flower. They leave the island and eventually reaching the coats of maxico. Pi is saddened that Richard Parker does not acknowledge him before disappearing into the bought to a hospital.

         Insurance agents for the Japanese freighter company interview him but do not believe his story and ask what really happened. He tells a different story in which the animals are replaced by human survivors. His mother is for orangutan, an amiable sailor for Zebra, and the ship's bruttish cook is for Hyena. In this story, the cook kills the sailor and feed on his flesh. He also kill Pi's mother after which Pi kills him with the knife and uses his remains as food and fish bait. The insurance agents are dissatisfied with this story, but they leave without questioning Pi's further. 

   “Yes.The story with animals is the better story.” Pi Patel: “Thank you. And so it goes with God.”

       

The writer recognise the parallels between the two stories, noting that in the second version Pi is actually Richard Parker. Pi says that it doesn't matter which story is the truth because his family still died either way. He then ask which story the writer prefers, and the writer chooses the first, to which Pi replies "so it goes with God" Glancing at a copy of an official insurance report, the writer reads aloud that Pi survivad his great Adventure " In the company of an adult Bengal tiger". 

     

       Martel has said that " Life of Pi" can be summarized in three statements:

    1) Life is a story.

    2) You can choose your story.

    3) A story with God is the better story.

   "Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love but sometimes it was so hard to love."

      Pi thinks he did not always have an easy time maintaining his faith in God during his 277 days, despite never abandoning his religious practices. Pi sees his religious faith as an expression of love, and at sea, Pi suffers from powerful negative emotions: anger, despair, perhaps hatred for the Frenchman who tried to kill him. However, instead of dwelling on these challenges, Pi often chooses to focus on experiences that reaffirm his faith, such as the appearance of a school of fish or the arrival of a storm.

      Every character, even the smallest thing is symbolically significant in this movie. Let's see a little overview about symbols.

 

Mathematical Pi:

   Pi is a mathematical constant, 3.14, and its digits repeat endlessly. Mathematical Pi matches the character Pi's interest in the infinite and unexplainable.Pi is used to find the ratio of a circle's circumference. Circles reoccur Pi feels at the center of a circle when he has religious experiences and later when he is lost at sea.

Richard Parker:

Pi

     Richard Parker symbolizes Pi's most terrifying nature. Pi had to perform many actions to stay alive on the lifeboat. Which was unimaginable to him in his normal life. A pure vegetarian, he had to kill fish and eat their flesh. As time goes on, he becomes more ruthless about it all. In his second story to Japanese investigators, Pi is Richard Parker, After Richard Parker humiliates a blind Frenchman, Pie uses the man's flesh for bait and even eats some of it, becoming a cannibal in his insatiable hunger. He kills his mother's killer. Parker is a version of himself, something the PI does to make his story more interesting, both for himself and his audience. The brutality of his mother's death and his own shocking act of revenge are very difficult for PI to cope with, and he finds it easier to imagine the tiger as the killer than himself in his role.

       To sum up, we can say that 'Life of Pi' is the story of not giving up even in the toughest situation. Don't forget that there is always a ray of hope. Don't lose hope, work hard, fight with the situation. Have faith in God.

        

        

      

Post truth

        Hello readers, I'm writing this blog as an assignment from the Department of English, MKBU. Here, I'm trying to give definition of post truth and some examples of it.      

 "The truth is rarely pure and never simple"

       -Oscar Wilde (The Importance of being Earnest)

Definition of post truth:

      Post truth means, denoting circumstances in which people are more likely to accept an argument based on their emotions and beliefs rather than one based on facts.

       This definition indicate that post-truths are created from people’s perceptions of the world and what they believe to be true is derived from personal beliefs perhaps influenced by others and emotional instincts rather than facts. This way and creating ‘alternative facts’ means that almost anything can become true – whether it is correct or not.

      Alternative facts are not a new concept, they have been part of journalism and politics for centuries. However, in this age of digital advancement and social media, the enhancement of readily available information and round the clock accessibility fuels the blurred lines between what’s true and what isn’t, also the influx and volume of information available makes it harder to distinguish between ‘facts’ and ‘alternative facts’. In the post-truth era perception of information is just as important, if not more important than if the information is true or false

 

      Post-truth in a media context can often be seen as a way to influence or wrongfully educate people with ‘fake news’. Whilst I have presented ways in which post-truth does have a presence in market research, in this context it does not attempt to present or use alternative facts intentionally or wrongfully but inevitably they play a part in both participant feedback and insight creation.

Examples:

        If it is said that "Mughals never ruled over India", this statement is contrary to the statement like "Mughals ruled India from 1526 to 1857". Both statements cannot be true and in order to ascertain the truth, we need to find out about the Mughal rule in India. Once we determine the fact, the statement contrary to it is either wrong or a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth/fact by someone who should know better or is simply lying to manipulate the audience.

Other examples are:

Sometimes people are disagree with some rules and regulations. That's why they comments on this condition. They shares their disagreement with another person. And slowly slowly they creates a large group. And finally it becomes large movement.

Most of the time there are many big things. And as stated, the work is not done. When politicians need votes they talks about bringing bigger reforms. But after winning, the reality is something different.They forgets their promises.

In this fiction is more and fact is less. When politicians need their behaviour is different and after work is done their behaviour is different and they avoids people's situation. There is a big difference in both the situations.

The Rape of the Lock

                 The Rape of the Lock

Hello readers, I'm writing this blog as an assignment form the Department of English, MKBU. Here, I'm trying to give some questions-answers given by Vaidehi ma'am.

1) According to you, who is the protagonist of the poem, Clarissa or Belinda? Why? Give your answer with logical reasons.

      According to me Belinda is the protagonist of the poem 'The rape of the lock. Belinda is a wealthy and beautiful young woman who travels to Hampton Court for a day of socializing and leisure. Her remarkable beauty attracts the attention of the Baron, who snips off a lock of her hair in his infatuation. At the beginning of the narrative, Ariel explains to Belinda through the medium of a dream that as she is both beautiful and a virgin, it is his task to watch over her and protect her virtue though as the poem unfolds, it’s unclear if Belinda is really as virtuous as she seems. Despite the fact that Belinda is Pope’s protagonist, she’s actually a bit of a slippery character to come to terms with, as the reader is provided with relatively little access to her inner thoughts, and her actions are often governed by supernatural forces.

        For instance, it is unclear how much influence Ariel, a sylph, is able to exert over her, and there is some suggestion that he actively toys with her morality. He claims it is her virginity which makes her worthy of guarding but sends her a dream of a handsome young man, “A youth more glitt'ring than a birthnight beau,” tempting her sexuality. Similarly, at the end of the poem, Umbriel, throws over her and Thalestris a bag of “Sighs, sobs and passions” and also empties a vial of “sorrows” over her too, meaning the rage she flies into is not entirely of her own volition. Fundamentally, as her name suggests with its literal meaning of “beautiful”, all readers can really know about Belinda is that she is attractive. The poem states that “If to her share some female errors fall, Look on her face, and you'll forget 'em all” in other words, she is so beautiful that those around her consider her basically exempt from any moral judgement, allowing Pope to satirize the idea Ariel suggests at the opening of the poem: that beauty and virtue always go hand in hand. 

     Belinda is based on the real-life figure of Arabella Fermor, who also had a lock of her hair cut off by a suitor. In short we can say that Belinda is the protagonist of this poem.

2)What is beauty? Write your views about it.

   

      The word "beauty" is often used as a countable noun to describe a beautiful woman.[80][81]

     The characterization of a person as “beautiful”, whether on an individual basis or by community consensus, is often based on some combination of inner beauty, which includes psychological factors such as personality, intelligence, grace, politeness, charisma, integrity, congruence and elegance, and outer beauty, for example, physical attractiveness, which includes physical attributes which are valued on an aesthetic basis.

     

       When our countenance glows with inner peace and happiness, we radiate real beauty. Happiness comes from what we give of ourselves to others. It comes from the love we feel in relationships that are dear to us. We are most beautiful when we are reaching out to, lifting, helping, and thus, loving others.

Smile

     Happiness is one of the most attractive accessories anyone can have, and a smile is the most charming cosmetic. Well-applied makeup can enhance appearance, but no amount of eyeshadow, mascara, or lipstick could possibly compete with the natural attractiveness of an authentic smile. These kinds of smiles brighten a room and cheer up those that notice them. A warm smile communicates friendship, love, and optimism much more so than any product ever could. A kind smile puts others at ease and is welcoming. So, wear your most charming cosmetic today by sharing your beautiful smile.

3) Find out a research paper on "The Rape of the Lock". Give the details of the paper and write down in brief what it says about the Poem by Alexander Pope.

The rape of the lock

Stanley Edgar Hyman

The Hudson Review 13 (3), 406-412, 1960  

Research pepar

      The Rape of the Lock," 1712 and republished in a considerably revised version i a tiny scandal. Lord Petre had cut off a lock of Miss mor's hair and refused to return it, and the incident bad feeling between the two families. Pope's friend Car friendly with both families, Pope told Spence," desired a poem to make a jest of it, and laugh them together produced a poem of two cantos in iambic pentame within a fortnight, and it appears to have had the d Despite Addison's advice that the poem was" a del thing" as it stood and not to tamper with it, Pope felt be made more ambitious, and in 1714 he expanded it to with additional scenes and an elaborate mock-epic m Rosicrucian supernaturals that he got from a book Comte de Gabalis. In its final version," The Rape o first describes the elaborate toilet of Belinda, tended by ian sylph, Ariel, and other supernaturals. She and Clarissa, then have an epic combat at ombre with another gentleman, at which the baron cuts off one tresses. The gnome Umbriel journeys to the underw Spleen to return with a load of wild female emotions a furious Homeric battle between men and women, in which the lock disappears, to reappear in the sky as a hairy tail, writing Belinda's name immortal. The principal effect the poem gives at every point and control. Its action, described in a resounding epic, is always tiny. The baron's madness comes from the mi toxicants:

4)Write your views about the significance of hair. Is it symbolic?

       Belinda’s lock of hair comes to symbolize the absurdity of the importance afforded to female beauty in society. Pope offers a hyperbolically metaphorical description of the two locks in Canto II, humorously framing the locks as alluring enough to virtually incapacitate any man who looks at them. 

        The locks are “labyrinths” in which Love “detains” “his slaves” by binding their hears with “slender chains,” thus poking fun at the idea that Belinda’s beauty is truly powerful enough to make such a deep impact. 

         This absurdity only grows as the poem progresses and after the Baron has snipped Belinda's lock. Under the influence of Umbriel, Thalestris laments the loss of the lock as the symbolic loss of Belinda’s reputation in society, exclaiming, “Methinks already I your tears survey, Already hear the horrid things they say.” 

      In Pope’s day, the respectability of a woman in society depended upon her having a spotless reputation and being perfectly virtuous, and, in particular, sexually pure. Thalestris then is essentially saying that the loss of Belinda’s lock is a rupture which damages all of the rest of her beauty, and the Baron’s having taken it in so intimate a fashion compromises the idea that she is chaste, and that people will think she in some way allowed him to violate her body. 

       This makes very little sense, allowing Pope to satirize the idea that beauty and virtue are so closely related. The lock’s final ascension into the heavens is the most absurd part of the whole thing, and Pope’s choice to cap off the whole poem with the transparently silly idea that the lock is too precious to remain on earth, that no mortal deserves to be so “blest” as to possess it, emphasizes the ridiculous amount of emphasis placed on female beauty in society.

     

Wordsworth's preface

        I'm writing this blog as an assignment by the Department of English, MKBU.  This is about wordsworth's preface.        

                  Wordsworth's Preface

About William Wordsworth(Click here)

1)What is the basic difference between the poetic creed of 'Classicism' and 'Romanticism'? 

             Classicism and Romanticism are literary movements. The term Classicism refers to the admiration and imitation of Greek and Roman literature, art, and architecture. Order, maturity, harmony, balance and moderation are important qualities of Classicism. Romanticism might best be described as anti-Classicism. This movement stressed human emotion and thoughts and emphasized the individual, the imaginative, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. Popular romantic authors include people like Burke, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake, Keats, Byron, Gordon, Burns, Southey, Cowper, Shelley, Scott, Goethe, Lamb, De Quincey, Carlyle, Bronte sisters and Jane Austen.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASSICISM AND ROMANTICISM

 

         Toward the end of the eighteenth-century, Romanticism emerged as a response to Classicism. While the Classicists thought of the world as having a rigid and stern structure, the romanticists thought of the world as a place to express their ideas and beliefs. Classicists and Romanticists differed in their views of nature. Classicism was based on the idea that nature and human nature could be understood by reason and thought. On the other hand, Romanticists viewed nature as mysterious and ever changing.

        Classicist and Romanticists also differed on their approaches towards reason and imagination. Classicism attached much more importance to reason than imagination because imagination could not be explained by their laws. The Romanticists, however, emphasized that reason was not the only path to truth. To the Romantic writers, imagination was ultimately superior to reason. Classicists thought that it was literature’s function to show the everyday values of humanity and the laws of human existence. The Romantics stressed the human potential for social progress and spiritual growth.

        To conclude, we can say that both the movements played significant role in the development of literature. The classicism showed its strong effect in the field of writing in the Augustan period. This ideal was followed by Dryden, Pope, Johnson and Swift. The term Romantic as a designation for a school of literature opposed to the Classic was first used by the German critic Schlegel at the beginning of the 19th century. From Germany, this meaning was carried to England and France. Wordsworth and other literary figures of the 19th century strengthened Romanticism in England.

2)Why does Wordsworth say 'what' is poet rather than 'who' is poet?

      According to Wordsworth, "A poet is a man speaking to men, endowed with more lively sensibility" and he also say that the poet is such a human being who is overall in degree a far better human being than ordinary human being.

In other words:

• He has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than one supposed to be common among mankind.

• He is a man pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the going-on of the universe, and habitually compelled to create them where he does not find them.

• Man speaking to men.

• More lively sensibility.

• Greater imagination.

• Greater zest for life.

•Greater power of expression and communication.

3)What is poetic diction? Which sort of poetic diction is suggested by wordsworth in his preface?

       William Wordsworth, a poet of the romantic age has a unique type of diction with major distinct features as compared to his contemporaries. As he was a revolutionary poet the style, diction, themes, the subject matter was totally different from the previous writers.

         Wordsworth’s Poetic Diction theory is a revolution against neoclassical diction. His revolt against pseudo-classical diction is based on finding suitable language, a language that totally has a new style and form.

           He wants to write poetry that can be understandable to all. By all, I mean, those who are illiterate but can taste the essence of poetry. His aim was to produce literature that has essence and joy, but the primary priority was on the simplest diction. The preface to the lyrical ballad is a masterpiece of work from which we will analyze Words Worth’s Poetic Diction in detail. In the theory of poetic diction he explains in detail his aim of poetic diction;

Simple language

Low and rustic life

Common man

Nature

Emotions

4) What is poetry?

         As 'Poetry' is the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”, it takes its origins from emotion recollected in tranquillity". In this definition of poetry there are two apparent contradictions. The “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” and “emotion reflected in tranquillity” on the other side are apparently two contradictory statements.  

          Wordsworth uses his poetry to look at the relationship between nature and human life. For him poetry is the talk of man to man and it should be in simple language. His experience and attitude are reflected not only in his poetry, but also in letters and prose work. Wordsworth’s poetry remained consistent throughout. Even the language and imagery he used to embody those themes remained remarkably consistent. They remained consistent to the canons Wordsworth had set out the Preface to Lyrical Ballads.

    According to Wordsworth, 'poetry' 'is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge, the impassioned expression that is in the countenance of all science'. Poetry seeks to ennoble and edify. It is like morning star which throws its radiance through the gloom and darkness of life.

'Poetry' is the instrument for the propagation of moral thoughts.

‘Poetry sheds no tears, such as angels weep, but natural and human tears’.

       Wordsworth's opinion on poetry is that “poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” Poetry has its origin in the internal feelings of the poet. It is a matter of passion, mood and temperament. Poetry cannot be produced by strictly adhering to the rules laid down by the Classicists. It must flow out naturally and smoothly from the soul of the poet. But it must be noted that good poetry, according to Wordsworth, is never an immediate expression of such powerful emotions. A good poet must ponder over them long and deeply. In the words of Wordsworth, “poetry has its origin in emotions recollected in tranquility.”

5) Discuss 'Daffodils - I wandered lonely as a cloud' with reference to Wordsworth's poetic creed.

     William Wordsworth’s literary classic, ‘Daffodils,’ also known as ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,’ is one of the most popular poems in the English language. This poem features how the spontaneous emotions of the poet’s heart sparked by the energetic dance of daffodils help him pen down this sweet little piece. Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy came across a host of daffodils around Glencoyne Bay in the Lake District. This event was the inspiration behind the composition of Wordsworth’s lyric poem.

        ‘Daffodils’ or ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ has been dissected methodically for illustrating the poet’s mood, the surrounding location, the allegorical meanings, and the beauty of nature in full motion. The poet’s love and proximity with nature have inspired and moved generations after generations of poetry lovers and young minds.