"The Listeners" by Walter De La Mare as A Supernatural Poem


"The Listeners" by Walter De La Mare: Echoes from the Haunted House

The Listeners: An Enigmatic Journey into Supernatural Realms


"The Listeners" 
by Walter De La Mare is a fine supernatural poem. It is, as T S Eliot called it, an 'inexplicable mystery'. It is a poem of haunting and the subtle way in which the poet binds the world of the supernatural is really worth praising. It is superb not only from the standpoint of artistic beauty with pretty words in a rhythm or rhyme, but also from that of the presentation of details and arrangement of incidents of the two worlds – the worlds of the humans and world of phantoms, a glimpse of something deep, another world created by words - never merge in the poem. The closed door nicely symbolizes the eternal gap between these worlds.

Unanswered Echoes: The Mysterious Encounter at the Moonlit Door

A Traveller comes to the deserted house outside at night in a forest on skittish horseback and knocks on the on the moonlit door. He asks if there is anybody in the house. There is no response. There is deep silence all round. The Traveller’s horse champs the grasses of the forest’s ferny ground. A bird flies out of the small tower on the roof of the house. It flies above the head of the Traveller’s head. The Traveller knocks again a second time and asks if there is anybody inside the house. This time also nobody responds to his call; nor does anybody descend to open the door. No head leans over the leaf-fringed sill and looks into the grey eyes of the Traveller. Here the expression “the leaf-fringed sill” suggests that the house has long been uninhabited. So weeds have overgrown the windows and doors of the house. The Traveller becomes confused when his second call also goes unheeded. He grows increasingly more impatient and frightened. He cannot account for the loneliness that prevails in the house. So he stands “perplexed and still”.

The Listeners: A Haunting Encounter with Ghostly Silence

Only a host of phantom listeners that dwell in the lone house stand listening to the voice coming from the world of the living. In other words those who listen to the voice of the Traveller are all ghosts. The house is a haunted one and the ghosts fell curious about human voice. They stand crowded on the dark stair in the quit of the faint moonlight. The air in the deserted house, inhabited by shadowy ghost, seems to be stirred and shaken by the sound of the Traveller’s call. The Traveller hears no human voice in response to his calls. Only but the stillness answers his calls. Thus a psychological communication is established between the Traveller and the phantoms. The poet’s horse moves, cropping the dark turf beneath the starred and leafy sky. The leaves cover the star- studded sky in such a way that the leaves and the stars seem to be interspersed in the sky, “equally far and equally near”.

The Listeners: A Haunting Departure into Silence

The Traveller again knocks on the door, louder than before. He lifts his head and says, “Tell them I came and kept my word.” This time also there is no response. The phantom listeners make no movement. They stand perfectly still. The words uttered by the Traveller resound in the empty house. The world of the phantoms is shadowy and faint, but there is moonlight in the world of men. The moonlit door is contrasted with the showiness prevailing inside the haunted house. “The one man left awake” refers to the Traveller because he is the only man living in the region of the dead. The Traveller mounts his horse, placing his feet upon the stirrup. He departs, leaving us alone in the house with the phantoms, who now seem very real, who heard everything, who are listening with us to the noise slowly fade away. The phantom listeners hear the clatter of the horse’s hoofs on the stony path as he rides away. The sound of the horse’s hoofs fades and dies away in the distance. And, then, deep silence reigns supreme in the world of the dead. The expression “silence surged softly backward” means that after the departure of the Traveller silence rolls back in the place like the waves of the sea.   

Conclusion

"The Listeners" captures a sense of the supernatural by depicting an encounter between the living and the spectral. The poem's vivid imagery and evocative language create an atmosphere of mystery and anticipation, leaving the nature of the listeners and their purpose open to interpretation.
References

The listeners, and other poems : Walter De la Mare : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/listenersandoth00maregoog

Full text of “Walter De La Mare A Study Of His Poetry.” (n.d.). Full Text of “Walter De La Mare a Study of His Poetry.” https://archive.org/stream/dli.ernet.503822/503822-Walter%20De%20La%20Mare%20A%20Study%20Of%20His%20Poetry_djvu.txt

Let’s Answer These Questions:                                                   
  • Do you find the Traveller outside at night more impatient and frightened?
  • Has the Traveller come here in desolated jungle to fulfill a duty?
  • What is the Traveller actually searching for?
  • Describe The Traveller in the poem The Listernes. 
  • What does the ‘staircase’ signify in The Listeners?                                                                                                     

The Superiority of Women over Men: John Ruskin (1819-1900), English writer, art critic, and reformer’s Observations in Sesame and Lilies. Lecture II.—Lilies: Of Queens’ Gardens


Examining John Ruskin's Observations on the Superiority of Women in "Sesame and Lilies: Of Queens' Gardens"

John Ruskin's Perspective on the Dignified Place of Women in Society

According to John Ruskin (1819 - 1900), the place of women in society is much more dignified than even that of men. Ruskin hates the idea of treating women as mere shadow and attendant image of their lord.i.e. men. Really there is no difference between man and women. According to him, a woman is a dignified creature. He corroborates his opinion with the testimony of the great authors regarding the true dignity of women.

Shakespeare's Heroines as Paragons of Virtue and the Role of Women in Shaping Shakespearean Tragedies

In his lecture Of Queens’ Gardens he first takes Shakespeare, “Shakespeare has no heroes; he has only heroines”. Ruskin says, there is no one entirely heroic figure in all his plays, except the slight sketch of Henry the 5th. In his laboured and perfect plays, there is virtually no hero. All the heroes of these plays are glomourless before the shining characters of the heroines. But Othello is the only example approximation to the heroic type. On the other hand, there is hardly a play that has not a perfect woman in it.

Farther Ruskin argues that the catastrophe of every play is caused always by the folly or fault of a man. The redemption, if there be any, is by the wisdom and virtue of a woman, and failing that, there is none.

In Shakespeare’s play women like Desdemona, Isabella, Hermione, queen Catharine, Sylvia, Viola, Rosalind , Helena and last, perhaps the loveliest, Virgilia are faultless, effortless and conceived in the highest heroic type of humanity.   

Examining the Representation of Women in Shakespeare's Plays: A Balance of Strength and Weakness

Image Courtesy:
John Ruskin
However, it may be noticed that in Shakespeare’s plays there is only one weak woman: Ophelia; and it is because she fails Hamlet to study at a critical moment. Finally though there are three wicked women among the principal figures: Lady Macbeth, Regan and Goneril. They are felt at once to be frightful exceptions to the ordinary laws of life; fatal in their influence also, in proportion to the power for good which they have abandoned.

Illustrating the Superiority of Women in Virtue and Literary Representation

Hence, Ruskin testifies the superiority of women over men. So far their virtues are concerned, represents them as infallibly faithful and wise counselor, incorruptibly just and pure examples. Ruskin also draws from other poets to justify his views. Chaucer has depicted the marvelous character of a good woman in the poem, The Legend of Good Woman. Similarly, Spenser draws the character of his women figures in noble and dignified terms. Even in ancient literature, the best virtues are seen to have personified as women. In Egypt, people gave to wisdom the form of a woman.

The Guiding Power and Essence of Women: John Ruskin's Perspective in "Sesame and Lilies: Of Queens' Gardens"

Thus, Lilies is a sermon for women. The  Queens’ Gardens represents Ruskin’s view of the true function and sphere of women. His aim is to demonstrate from the teachings of the world’s sage minds that such function is a guiding and not determining one, and that the domain of women is within her ambit of argument where she is the centre of order, the balm of distress, and the mirror of beauty. Women’s power is for rule , not for battle; and her intellect is not for invention but for sweet order, arrangement and decision. And whenever the true wife comes, the home is always round her. The stars only may be over the head , the glowworm in the night-cold grass may be the only fire at her foot; but home is yet wherever she is ; and for a noble  woman it stretches fair round her; better than sealed with cedar, with or painted with vermilion. Ruskin argues that, The relations of the womanly to the manly 
nature, their different capacities of intellect or of virtue, seem never to have been yet measured with entire consent."

Women as Moral Educators,  Emotional, Intelligent, Influencer

Ruskin first draws a ballanced argument: "We are foolish, and without excuse foolish, in speaking of  the "superiority" of one sex to the other, as if they could be  compared in similar things. Each has what the other has  not: each completes the other, and is completed by the  other: they are in nothing alike, and the happiness and perfection of both depend on each asking and receiving from the other what the other only can give." Then, Ruskin argues that women have a natural inclination towards nurturing and moral education. He emphasizes their role in shaping the moral character of society by focusing on the upbringing of children and the establishment of a virtuous domestic environment. He highlights women's ability to preserve and transmit culture through their influence in the home. He believes that women's refined sensibilities and attention to detail enable them to create an environment that fosters intellectual growth, artistic appreciation, and the preservation of traditions. 

According to Ruskin, women also possess a higher degree of emotional intelligence compared to men. He suggests that their innate empathy, sensitivity, and intuitive understanding allow them to connect with others on a deeper level, leading to more harmonious relationships and social interactions. Ruskin asserts that women have a powerful influence on men, both as mothers and as companions. He argues that men's character and achievements are often shaped by the guidance and inspiration they receive from women, whether in the form of maternal love or intellectual companionship.

Women's Role in Promoting Social Progress

 Ruskin believes that the advancement of society depends on the moral and intellectual progress of women. He argues that when women are provided with equal opportunities for education and intellectual growth, they can contribute significantly to the betterment of society, influencing social norms and fostering positive change.

Conclusion

Overall, Ruskin's observations in "Sesame and Lilies: Of Queens' Gardens" suggest that women possess inherent qualities and abilities that make them superior in certain aspects, particularly in moral education, cultural preservation, emotional intelligence, influencing men, and promoting social progress.
References

Ruskin’s Sesame and lilies; three lectures: 1. Of kings’ treasuries, 2. Of queens’ gardens, 3. The mystery of life : Ruskin, John, 1819-1900 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/ruskinssesamelil00rusk

Analysis of Christopher Marlowe’s "Edward II" as a Historical Play


Man’s eternal quest is to know the unknown, to see the unseen and is to discover the undiscovered things. That’s the very spirit of the Elizabethan age. They have the nostalgia to sink into the historical past and fetch the pearl of spirit undaunted. Thus, Christopher Marlowe, the excellent Elizabethan writer squares the juice of historical background and unlocked them in full-throated ease in his play Edward II. He just poured the ‘new wine into old bottles’ and stimulates the dozing spectators into frenzied drunkards. So if anyone raises the question ‘Edward II – as a historical play’, we must not hesitate to apt for other answers.

Originality , Technique , Tradition , Convention , Dramatic Elements and Style of Shakespearean Sonnets


"From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die."
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Exploring the Essence of Shakespearean Sonnets: Unveiling Originality, Technique, Tradition, Convention, Dramatic Elements, and Style

Shakespearean Sonnets: Redefining Tradition and Embracing Unconventional Originality

The ‘suger’d sonnets of Shakespeare’, as Francis Meres lovingly called them, is and yet is not, in the tradition petrarchan or even Elizabethan sonneteering. Shakespeare’s involvement in techniques, structures, and themes that recurs the sonnets of his predecessors – in Petrarch, Spenser, and Sidney, for example – invariably bring Shakespeare’s uniqueness into relief. Shakespeare is seen to define himself in opposition to the conventional medium he ploys. Thus Shakespeare can be appreciated as a poet is deviates from, rather than conforms to, the norms imitate and modify: ‘when he is most Elizabethan he least Shakespearean’, declares Leishman (“Themes and reactions in Shakespeare’s Sonnets”). Shakespeare’s variations from the lyrical, ideational, semantic, and structural norms provide a measure of his art. The other poets participated in the sonnet tradition by imitating and adopting its conventions, Shakespeare set himself at a singular distance from which he alone roiled the characteristic tropes, modes and stances of sonneteers. Attempts to place Shakespeare within an invention, in other words, do precisely the opposite: they attribute to establishing his unconventional originality, uniqueness as creator.

The Evolution and Artistry of Shakespearean Sonnets: Technical Complexity, Varied Structures, and Unique Expressions

Shakespeare also developed his own sonnet form, the Shakespearean sonnet (sequence of 154 sonnets written between 1595 and 1599 ; in book form by the printer Thomas Thorpe, who registered them on May 20, 1609, with the title Shake-speares Sonnets; Neuer before Imprinted) form, with which Thomas Wyatt and Howard Surrey had experimented earlier in the century. Almost all the Shakespeare’s sonnets are divided three quatrains, each with alternately rhyming lines, lowed by a concluding couplet. This form is technically complex than the stalian pattern, in which the first eight lines are built around two rhymes, rather in four. 

The technical requirements of the two forms termined to a degree their organization. The Italian sonnet generally breaks down into two sections, with the abetment of a problem in the octave and its solution in sestet, while the form used by Shakespeare itself to a tripartite exposition followed by a brief conclusion in the couplet. Shakespeare was, however, capable of varying his development of his subject in many different ways; a thought may run through twelve lines with a surprise conclusion or shift of emphasis in the couplet; it may break into the eight line, six line division of the Italian sonnet; or it may follow one of many other patterns.

Shakespearean Sonnets: Subverting Conventions and Embracing Controversial Love

The typical lovesick sonneteer, imitating the Italian Petrarch, idealized his fair lady in highly wrought, artificial language featuring metaphor and oxymoron. Shakespeare not only poked fun at this conventional language but also declared his love for a younger man and a rather sluttish “Dark Lady”. The anti Petrarchan tendency is most clearly brought out in “Sonnet 130” where he asserts that his mistress’ eyes are ‘nothing like the wun’, that black wires grow on her head, that she reeks foul Odour, and that her voice is far from musical. But what is even worse is that he professes love for a male beloved with a homocrotic angle inconceivable in Petrarchan poetry. The sexual innuendos often reach explicit levels, as in the ‘stand and fall’ sonnet or Sonnet 16 on the different kinds of lines. As F.T. Prince points out in “Elizabethan Poetry”, ‘the old moral order which had inspired Dante and Petrarch had receded into the past; the travails of the new moral order are registered in poetry for the first time by Shakespeare, not only in his dramas, but also in his sonnets’.

Unveiling Shakespearean Sonnets: Love, Ambiguity, and Societal Reflections

 Indeed, his sonnets reveal an ambiguity of approach and attitude, of love and hate, of proximity and remoteness that is entirely lacking in any preceding sonneteer. His love causes him both happiness as in the sonnets ‘when in disgrace with fortune and Men’s eyes’ and ‘when to the sessions of sweet silent thought’, and unhappiness as in “Farewell, thou art too dear for my possession” and “some glory in their birth, some in their skill”. The central reality of Shakespeare’s love cannot be circumscribing within any convention, and the concluding couplet of Sonnet 88 bears his awareness of this: ‘Such is my love, to thee I so belong, / that for thy right myself will bear all wrong’. Further, though many sonneteers qualify conventional admiration of ladies by denouncing their particular ladies for run or another real or fancied fault, love, no sonneteers settles down to love his lady, growing that she has played him false and doubtless will so again.

 Merely in the development of his psychological story, Shakespeare has managed to make important statements about the relation of a literary love-ode to specific experiences of loving. As in his other works which deal with love, Shakespeare investigates that difficult, involving, threatening, fulfilling experience, examines both its mores – its customs and its morality its rhetoric. Rather than the usual private meditation on the effects of love or praise for the love one, such sonnets taps a societal, altogether worldly dimension in which contracts are made and broken and courts of common law pass judgment in property cases. Shakespeare’s inclusion of an altogether worldly dimension of meaning in a large number of sonnets is but one indication of the notable repetition – with difference that marks his relationship to the sonnet tradition as it had developed from Petrarch’s day to his own.

Dramatic Personae and Intriguing Plot: Unveiling the Unique Dynamics of Shakespeare's Sonnets

Critics of Shakespeare’s sonnets consistently remarks in the dramatic quality of the sequence, and compared with other great Renaissance sonnet sequences, English and continental, the marked quality of Shakespeare’s sonnets is, certainly, that dramatization into personality of Renaissance sonnet personae and conventions. Whatever the order of composition or the poet’s ‘intent’, the arrangement of the poems manifests the poet’s awareness of a loose but nonetheless involved and involving ‘plot’. Unlike Petrarch, Shakespeare was not averse to directly addressing his friend or mistress. In fact, the word ‘thou’ occupies a prominent place in Shakespeare’s lexicon, opening the sequence to an entirely new imaginative dimension. 

But Hermann notes in “Dramatic Metaphor: The Shakespearean Sonnet”, ‘this dialogical reasoning cannot alone account for the level of drama that Shakespeare achieves’. The dramatic arrangement of the characters into two triangles – poet-friend-mistress; poet-friend-rival poet – is unparallel in Renaissance sonneteering, although there are adumbrations of both relationships in sonnet literature. Two friends’ love for the same lady is by no means unknown in romance and comedy; literary theory and practice sanctions sonnet commentary on stylistic subject.

Shakespeare’s sonnets work with the conventions of the literary genre in a remarkable way, possibly most boldly in this triangulation of personalities, by which the poet turns tradition upside down and inside out to examine the ‘real’ implications of conventional utterance, poetical as well as psychological. Rosalie L. Colie is compelled to ask, “what other Renaissance poet praises his cult-friend in terms normally reserved for the sonnet mistress and devotes considerable sonnet time to a mistress as well – a mistress who is herself notably atypical in the genre?” (“Criticism and the Analysis of Craft: The Sonnets”).

Conclusion

Thus in his sonnets Shakespeare experiments with materials repeatedly used in the sonnet genre and alters these materials so that his series, though perfectly traditional in shape and in topic, almost leaps from the official limitations altogether. 


Reference

Shakespeare’s dramatic art. : History and character of Shakespeare’s plays : Ulrici, Hermann, 1806-1884 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/shakespearesdram01ulri

William Shakespeare : the poems : Prince, F. T. (Frank Templeton), 1912- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/williamshakespea0000prin

Full text of “Shakespeare And His Critics.” (n.d.). Full Text of “Shakespeare and His Critics.” https://archive.org/stream/shakespeareandhi030042mbp/shakespeareandhi030042mbp_djvu.txt

Themes and variations in Shakespeare’s sonnets : Leishman, J. B. (James Blair), 1902-1963 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/themesvariations0000leis

Shakespeare’s living art : Colie, Rosalie Littell : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/shakespeareslivi0000coli

Shakespeare’s Sonnets : Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/Shakespearessonn01shak_201303

Analysis of the Character of Natraj in R. K. Narayan's "Man Eater of Malgudi"


Exploring Tradition and Progress: The Character of Natraj in R. K. Narayan's "Man-Eater of Malgudi"

Tradition, Nostalgia, and the Conflict of Progress: Exploring the Character of Natraj in R. K. Narayan's "Man-Eater of Malgudi"


It is generally seen that the heroes of
R. K. Narayan (1906-2001) are broad, reflective and going back to the past, grown nostalgic. In the "Man Eater of Malgudi" (1961)the central character Natraj similarly broods, reflects and grows nostalgic. S. R. Ramteke regards Natraj a timid cowardly person – “he is portrayed as cowardly submissive and good for nothing fellow”.
 Natraj plays a significant role in the narrative. Natraj is the central character and owner of the printing press in the fictional town of Malgudi. Through Natraj's experiences, the author explores themes of tradition, modernity, and the conflict between progress and preservation.

Natraj's Journey: Confronting the Clash of Tradition and Modernity in R.K. Narayan's "Man-Eater of Malgudi"

Natraj is portrayed as an ordinary and unassuming man who is content with his life and work. He takes pride in his printing press, which serves as a hub of information and communication in Malgudi. As a character, Natraj represents the traditional values and customs of the town. He is deeply rooted in the past and resists change, preferring to maintain the status quo. Natraj is a prosperous seasoned printer of Malgudi. He has a small, cosy, warm world which there is his loving wife, his pretty son Babu, his dear friends, the poet sen and his sincere assistant, Sastri, a semi-scholar. He is some what timid hen pecked, religious, simple, gentle, modest, sensitive and intelligent. He is a simple, gentleman and the world in which he lives seemed to be gay and innocent. However, Natraj's world is disrupted when Vasu, a taxidermist and the titular "man-eater," arrives in Malgudi. Vasu's arrogant and domineering nature clashes with Natraj's peaceful and harmonious existence. This conflict between the old and the new, between tradition and progress, forms the crux of Natraj's character development. It is when he faces with Vasu, he realizes the raw realities of life. Natraj is temperamentally somewhat becomes timid to Vasu because he has developed  a fear phobia for him (Vasu). He has the weakness and so he always take his wife into confidence. It is his weakness which tortures him the most. His fear of Vasu remains until Vasu dies. His timidness admits his weakness.

Natraj: The Gentle Soul in the Face of Adversity and Celebration

Natraj is unworldly, he is blessed with touch of spiritualism. Though he is cheated by the lawyer and Vasu, Natraj is so gentle that he does not demand money from them. He does not find any difference between the employer and the employee and he works together with them -naturally very co-cooperatively. He helps Mathu in finding out a veterinary doctor for the treatment of Kumar. He has to undergo many hardships and hurdles. how amply he neglects his pressure business to celebrate the marriage of Radha and Krishna based on poem composed by the poet!

Natraj's Unwavering Love: Protecting Kumar and Safeguarding Family in R.K. Narayan's "Man-Eater of Malgudi"

Image:http://www.freewebs.com/
Natraj’s love for Kumar knows no bound when he learns that Vasu plots to murder the elephants, he is consciously concerned. He lives no stone unturned in saving the life of Kumar. He is even prepared to neglect his business. The thought of murdering Kumar by Vasu never remain aloof from him. He thinks various plans and finally he risks his life when he enters in the attic of Vasu for checking him. He picks up the gun of Vasu so that he may not shoot Kumar. His love for his wife and son is very much tender and true. He is loveable husband and affectionate father. He always wants to clear all the ills from the path of his family life.

Unveiling the Struggle Within: Natraj's Journey in Balancing Tradition and Progress

 As the story progresses, Natraj finds himself caught between his loyalty to his friend, Sastri, and his growing unease with Vasu's behavior. He is torn between preserving the peace and order of Malgudi and confronting the threat posed by Vasu. Natraj's inner conflict is symbolic of the larger struggle faced by society in the face of changing times. Throughout the novel, Natraj's character undergoes a transformation. He evolves from a passive observer to an active participant in the events unfolding around him. As he confronts Vasu, Natraj becomes more assertive and learns to stand up for what he believes is right. His journey represents the individual's struggle to adapt and find a balance between tradition and progress. Natraj's character also serves as a critique of blind adherence to tradition. Narayan presents a nuanced perspective, highlighting the importance of preserving cultural heritage while acknowledging the need for adaptation and growth. Natraj's internal conflict and eventual resolution reflect the author's exploration of these themes.

The Dualities of Natraj: Religious and Philosophical Reflections in R.K. Narayan's "Man-Eater of Malgudi"

In spite of his all businesses, he is a religious, spiritual minded. He takes keen interest in the mythological discussion with Sastri. He arranges a procession with pomp and fanfare for celebrating Radha-Krishna marriage. His philosophical outlook is noticed when he utters besides the dead body of Vasu – “Where is all your bragging …………. How, and all your pushing and pulling and argument? Are you in heaven or hell? Where ever you are, are you still ordering people around”. Natraj’s sympathy for Vasu is well pronounced when he says – “I was depressed to think that a man who had twisted and burst three inch panel doors with his first was going to do nothing more than lie still and wait for the doctor to cut him and examines his insides to find out what had caused his death”.

Conclusion and Critical Comment

P.S. Sundaram regards Natraj as a benevolent person who fears the ruthlessness and believes in fatalism. To the critics, Natraj thinks that – “What is faled must be endured and that the good nuist prevail in the end”. To him again …. “Natraj’s character is all of a piece”.

Natraj’s character appears prominent if we contrast him with that of Vasu. William Walsh contrasts the “Passivity of Natraj with the violence of taxidermist hunter, Vasu who is not only a character but also an oppressive and destructive force”. Natraj is brought up in a family where he is taught never to kill animal, to feet the ants with sugar, to share his food with the crows and the sparrows, and to allow the squirrel and the sparrows deplete the granary. But, after Vasu’s coming Natraj’s establishment is turned into a charnel house. 


References

1. Ramtake, S. (1998, June 30). R. K. Narayan and His Social Perspectives.

2. Readings in Commonwealth literature : Walsh, William, 1916-1996 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/readingsincommon0000wals

3. R.K. Narayan as a Novelist , P. S. Sundaram , B.R. Publishing Corporation, 1988

4. MAN EATER OF MALGUDI - ENGLISH - R. K. NARAYAN : R. K. NARAYAN : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/ManEaterOfMalgudi-English-R.K.Narayan

Related posts on this Novel:

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 1



The York and the Lancaster group in the classroom: The Yorks and the Lanceasters were the opponents in the famous War of the Roses (1445 – 1485) – The symbol of York group was a white rose while that of the Lancaster group was a red rose. Here the class has been intentionally divided into two groups to stimulate competitiveness between the students. Stephen was the leader of the York group while Jack Hawton was the leader of the Lancasters.

In Father Arnall’s class the competition was to solve a difficult sum. But Stephen was defeated.

Book of Sir Walter Scott FASCINATES Stephen: The Bride of hammer moor.

Pernobilis et pervetusta familia :An illustrious and old family tradition.

“darkness falls from the air” and “brightness falls from the air":These lines are taken from Nash.

Stephen’s mother's Wish :Stephen’s mother wishes him to perform his easter duty. Stephen refuses by saying ‘I will not serve’ imitating Satan’s infamous ‘non serviam’.

How many children: Although Stephen is not certain, he feels that his mother must have given birth nine or ten children of whom some had dies.




Pascal, Gonzalo: Pascal is mentioned because he would not let even his mother kiss him from fear of contact with her sex and Gonzalo is mentioned because he was of the same opinion.

 ‘whited sepulcher’ : Jesus is here called a white sepulcher by Cranly. Jesus had himself called the Jews of his time whited sepulcher in the sense of conscious hypocrites. [Mathew (23:27)]

Mulier contat: A woman is singing.

‘still harping my daughter: The phrase is taken from Polonius’s utterance in Hamlet. [‘Still harping my daughter.]

Stephen speak of the spiritual heroic refrigerating apparatus of Dante A Alighieri: Stephen makes such comment about Dante because he objects to the denial of the body in live as in the Platonic love celebrated in Dante’s love for Beatrice in La Vita Nuova. 


Stephen into a ditch: Wells pushed Stephen into a ditch full of cold water because he refused to exchange his snuff box for Well’s seasoned lacking chestnut. It was a common game to break chestnut by striking one against the another. The seasoned hacking chestnut is one which has remained unbroken in spite of its breaking many other.
            The result is that Stephen fells sick.

The tram journey: While returning from the party Stephen finds that he is on the upper step while Emma is on the lower. He feels that passion and love well up for her and longs to touch her but being still a timid character he dares not to do. But this longing remains with him and affects his entire life.

Four Questions From Four Beautiful Poems: "Kubla Khan", "The Rime of The Ancient Mariner", "The Waste Land" and "The Prelude"




Q. Do you find Kubla Khan a broken dream unfinished?

Ans. Written in 1798, Kubla Khan was like Christabel unfinished and it also remained unpublished until 1816. It is the echo of a dream the shadow of a shadow. Coleridge avers that he dreams the lines, awoke in a fever of inspiration, threw words on paper, but before the fit was over was distracted from the composition, so that the glory of the dream never returned and Kubla Khan, remained unfinished. The poem, beginning with a description of the stately pleasure dome built by Kubla Khan in Yanadu, soon becomes a dream like series of dissolving views, each expressed in the most magical of verbal music, but it collapses in mid-career.  

A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 17




a. An epic has been generally described as a long narrative poem, on a grand scale about the deeds of warriors and heroes, kings and gods. It is a polygonal heroic story incorporating myth, legend, folktale and history. Epics are mostly of national significance, since that they embody the history and aspirations of nations in a lofty or grandeur manner. An epic is a culture mirror with a fixed ideological stance, often reflecting the best noblest principles of nation’s ethos.
b. T.S. Eliot in The Waste land and Thomas Mauve in The Magic Mountain have both told the death knell of heroism, divinity, love and all nobler virtues in the post war modern world which portrayed, rightly enough, as a fragmented, hellish insubstantial circle of spiritual vacuity and ideals .
 c. Old and Middle English alliterative poems are commonly written in form of four-stress lines. Of these poems, William Langland’s The Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman, better known as Piers Plowman, is the most significant. 

A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 16




 A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers ( Victorian Novel)

a. Charles Dickens was the most genuine story-teller of the complex life of London of his time, the greatest romancer of the life of the streets, workshops, and slums of which he had a direct personal knowledge.


b. The most impressive in Charles Dickens’ works is humour blended with pathos. Crime and villainy play a large part in his novels for he had a peculiar weakness for the ugly and eccentric characters.

c. Thackeray recaptures the Addisonian style, full of typical homely humour and light burlesque.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 6




The fragment of Shelley Stephen would recall repeatedly at the beginning of his adolescence:
            Art thou pale for weariness
            Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth
            Wandering companionless …….. ? [To the Moon]
A great Fisher of souls: St. Ignatius Loyola.

The three forms of beauty mentioned by Stephen from Aquinas:           Wholeness (integritas), harmony (consonantia), radiance (claritas).

Arnall delivers his lecture on theology: Father Arnall lectures on theology in the Belvedere Chapel on the occasion of the annual retreat preceding the feast day in honour of St. Xavier, the ‘apostle of the Indies’ and the patron saint of the college.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 7




Record Stephen’s prayer to his old father, the cunning artifice: The entry on April 27.

Entry  refers to Stephen’s meeting with Emma: The entry on April 15.

 Stephen’s motto: ‘Non – serviam’, the motto of Satan.
            ‘I will not serve’.

The significance of the name Stephen Dedalus: The name Stephen Dedalus conjoins the first Christian martyr St. Stephen, stoned to death outside Jerusalem in 34 A.D. and the great pagan artificer – artist hero, Dedalus. Like St. Stephen, the hero of the novel is or atleast sees himself as, a martyr, a person whose potential spiritual dedication is thwarted by Ireland. His surname, however reminds us of the cunning artificer Daedalus who built for himself wings of wax and escaped from the labyrinth of crete. Stephen will also emancipate himself from the prison which Ireland has become to him. And he will do this not literally by going abroad but also spiritually soaring on the wings of art into the air (which is the medium of intellect and inspiration). While the reference of St. Stephen relates the martyr like condition of Stephen, that of the fabulous craftsman expresses his desire to release himself from the choking atmosphere of Ireland.

A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 15



A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers ( Victorian Novels)

a. Charles Dickens is easily the first of the Victorian novelists both in point of time and quantity. He made use of the novel as an instrument of social reforms; his novels are novels with a purpose.

 
c. David Copperfield is Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, - a fiction tinged with some autobiographical elements. 

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 5




Stephen’s University friends: Davin, Lynch, Cranly, Mc Cann.

The Jesuit school Stephen was admitted for the second time:Belvedere College.

Athy: Athy is Stephen’s companion in the infirmary at Clongowes. His father is a race horse owner.

The founder of the Jesuit Society: St. Ignatius Loyola.


Stephen travel to with his father : Stephen traveled to Cork with his father and found the word ‘Foetus’ etched on the desk of the college where his father had studied. He realized as a consequence that it was not he alone who was preoccupied with sexual themes.
sodality: A sodality is a devotional society in Roman Catholic Church. Stephen belonged to the sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was founded by St. Ignatius Loyola, who was the founder of the Jesuit society. Stephen was the leader of the sodality.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 4




The lines which Stephen found in Doctor Cornwell’s spelling Book:

            Wolsey died in Leicester Abbey
            Where the abbots buried him
            Canker is a disease of  plants
            Cancer one of animals.

Dante taught Stephen:  Stephen believed that Dante knew a lot of things. She had taught him where the Mozambique chanel was and what was the longest river in America and what was the name of the highest mountain in the moon.

The colours of Dante's two brushes: Dante’s two brushes had two colours. The brush with the maroon velvet back was for Michael Davitt and the brush with green velvet back was for Parnell.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 3



The images which symbolize liberation: The flight of birds, the voyage of sea-born clouds, the hawk like man flying sunward above the sea and the Holy Ghost.

The images which suggest bondage: The labyrinth of crete where Daedalus was confined the dark Corridors at Clongowes, the ‘maze of narrow and dirty Dublin streets, the net flung at the liberal spirits of Ireland.

‘confiteor’: ‘Confitear’, a Latin word, means ‘I confess’.

Francis Xavier: Saint Francis Xavier was one of the reputed preacher of Christianity. He was one of the first followers of St. Ignatius of Loyala whom he met at Paris and was greatly influenced by his preaching. Subsequently, he went to preach Christianity in Asia and other continents and converted almost ten thousand people in a month so he is called the Apostle of Indies. He was also the patron saint of Belvedere College, Stephen’s second
alamanater. The three day retreat in the school was held in his honour.

"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" of James Joyce: MISCELLANEOUS objective questions Note 2




Ireland from which Stephen wants to escape:The labyrinth of create where Daedalus was confined, the old sow that eats her farrow are the images representing Ireland from which Stephen wants to escape.

Images which pull Stephen toward his vocation as an artist: The hawk like man flying sunward above the sea, the wonder girl standing alone in the midstream are the images which pull Stephen toward his vocation as an artist.

Stephen and Emma: With the beginning of his adolescence Stephen in the evenings would pore over Alexander Dumas’ Novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The story being very interesting to him he would compare himself with Edmond Dantes, the hero of the book and Emma with Marcedes, the heroine.

Catholic philosophers influenced Stephen’s thinking: Saint Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scoties, saint Ignatius of Loyala.

The women in many guises: Joyce has used women in three guises – mother, mistress and temptress. Mrs. Dedalus, Emma and the prostitute respectively are the representatives of the guises. The women in many guises stand as a block in the way of the free growth of Stephen’s vocation.

A TO Z Literary Principles from History of English Literature: Note 14



A Set of 26 Objective Questions & Answers

a. English philosopher and statesman Thomas More pens Utopia, satirizing British life in a story of a mythical, perfect society. More’s moral beliefs later cost him his life; after failing to support King Henry VIII’s break from Rome, More is executed.

b. James I of England commissions a revision of the English Bible, a 14th-century translation by John Wycliffe. The King James Version OR Authorised Version of the Bible, as it is called, is completed in 1611.
 
c. John Milton’s “Areopagita” is an essay espousing freedom of the press. Milton writes the piece in response to the censorship that is rampant in England at the time.

William Hazlitt’s Style : Reference to "On Gusto"


William Hazlitt's Writing Style: An Analysis of 'On Gusto'

Introduction

William Hazlitt has a sharp, idiomatic, familiar style. His is the pure diction and aphorism. Consciousness and propriety of words and phrases is a great characteristic of him. Its true’s to say in the least possible space. There is always in the style of Hazlitt a certain amount of refine taste which becomes his most marked characteristic. In whatever that Hazlitt did he had an enthusiasm and a courageous spirit. It was this that enabled him to say things with a conviction and spirited. He was keen to keep in his memory certain experiences that he had come across-books that he had read’, plays which he had seen; pictures that he had admired, actually, the fact was that he liked to say something’s he liked and to say them in his own way critically. In his present essay "On Gusto," while defining artistic sensibility in the piece of art, he is fearlessly expressing an honest and individual opinion. He has his own enjoyment and his own gift for evoking unnoticed beauties. Here his judgments’ are based on his emotional relations rather than an objectively applied principle.

Exploring Hazlitt's Contrast: Vigor, Simplicity

In style Hazlitt in fact strongly contrasts with the elaborate or chest ration of the complex sentence and the magic of the delicate word tracery which we have seen in de quinsy. His brief, abrupt sentences have the vigor and directness which his views demand. His lectures are mainly of simplicity and something of the looseness of organization which is typical of good conversation. For example ,
“learning is in too many cases, but a foil to common sense; a substitute for true knowledge”.

“The faculties of mind, when not exerted, or when not exerted, or when cramped by custom and authority, becomes listless, torpid, and unfit for the purposes of thought or action”.
                        "On the ignorance of the learned" 

 “There is gusto in the coloring of Titian. Not only do his heads seem to think – his bodies seem to feel”.
                         
“The infinite quantity of dramatic invention in Shakespeare takes from his gusto. The power he delights to show is not intense, but discursive”. ––"On Gusto".

Parallel Constructions and Contrasts: Hazlitt's Artistic Analysis in "On Gusto"

Still another great characteristic of Hazlitt’s style is his use of parallel constructions and contrast. He liked to rein his subjects in praise e.g.-cant and Hypocrisy; wit and humors, ‘past and future genius and commonsense; thought and action. In On Gusto while defining the gusto or overexert   influence of artistry he comparatively parallels several visual painters. He contrasts an compares them to elucidate their qualities or distinctiveness’ For Example, he analyses Tiziano Vecelli, Irancesco Albani, Rubens, Sir Anthony Vandyke, Benjamin West, Michael Angelo etc. collectively and comparatively. Further, while shifting his analysis to the field of literature, he is truthfully defining the gusto or uniqueness in Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Dryden, Prior, Boccaccio and Rabelais. It is here better to quote few memorable lines from the text: - “Rubens makes his flesh color like flowers: albano is like ivory; Tilian’s is likes flesh and like nothing else”. “The infinite quantity of dramatic invention in Shakespeare takes from his gusto. The power he delights to show is not intense, but discursive. He never insists on anything as much as he might, except a quibble. Milton has great gusto. He repeats his blows twice; grapples with and exhaust his subject”.   –––"On Gusto"

Hazlitt's Expressive Language

Hazlitt's writing style is characterized by his masterful use of language to convey vivid imagery and evoke emotional responses in his readers. He employed a rich vocabulary, incorporating metaphors, similes, and descriptive phrases to paint a vibrant picture of his subject matter. In "On Gusto," Hazlitt's language bursts with energy as he explores the concept of gusto in art, emphasizing the importance of passion and intensity.

Personal Engagement and Subjectivity

One remarkable aspect of Hazlitt's writing style is his unabashed subjectivity and personal engagement with the topics he discusses. Rather than presenting a detached analysis, Hazlitt infused his essays with his own opinions, experiences, and emotions. This subjective approach adds authenticity and allows readers to connect with the author on a deeper level. In "On Gusto," Hazlitt's personal reflections on the nature of artistic expression shine through, offering readers a glimpse into his own passions and beliefs.

Depth of Thought and Intellectual Rigor

Hazlitt was known for his intellectual rigor and profound insights, which he showcased in his essays. His writing style exhibits a keen intellect and a capacity for deep reflection. In "On Gusto," he delves into the complexities of art, exploring the interplay between passion, skill, and imagination. Hazlitt's rigorous examination of the subject matter stimulates readers' minds and encourages contemplation of the broader implications of artistic expression.

Engaging and Persuasive Arguments

Hazlitt's writing style is persuasive and engaging, employing effective rhetorical techniques to captivate his audience. He presents compelling arguments and supports them with evidence and examples, making his essays convincing and thought-provoking. In "On Gusto," Hazlitt argues for the significance of passion and emotion in art, skillfully weaving together anecdotes and references to renowned artists to strengthen his case. His ability to engage readers and win them over with his arguments is a testament to his persuasive writing style.

William Hazlitt's Critical Style: Strengths and Weaknesses

People, who have been nourished on the Victorian model and have grown priggish, murmur at the lack of amoral purpose in Hazlitt. It is no doubt a fact that in Hazlitt one does not discover any of such moral purpose; a theory or a principle as one finds in Ruskin, Carlyle and Arnold, neither is there the shallowness and railing of a pessimist. He has an abiding faith in human nature, a devotion to beauty and a belief and honesty –all these things being clearly exhibited in a clear and courageous style that he possessed.

The somewhat discursive manner of his writings is a strong point with him as well as a weakness. His style is forcible and spontaneous; it progresses by means of successive traits which issue from one and the same central act of perception; subjected to the continuous light of consciousness and examined in turn under all its aspects. Such a device ensures movements, sincerity and a telling force of style. But this discontinuity in an order which is wholly organic is not entirely happy. It gives no safety against repetition and prolixity at times it wearies that mind that cannot readily perceive the logical sequence of thought, the point of departure or the goal. At bottom, extremely English and national, Hazlitt’s critical method finds, in the sufficiency of composition, the defect of its quality. Our present essay "On Gusto" is no exception in this manner.

Conclusion

William Hazlitt's writing style, exemplified by his essay "On Gusto," stands as a testament to his literary prowess and intellectual depth. Through his expressive language, personal engagement, intellectual rigor, and persuasive arguments, Hazlitt created a unique and influential body of work that continues to inspire readers and scholars today. By exploring his writing style, we gain a deeper appreciation for Hazlitt's contributions to the world of literature and his enduring impact on the art of essay writing.

  Ardhendu De

 Ref:
1. William Hazlitt: a reference guide, James A Houck  ; Boston: G. K. Hall, 1977
2.The collected works of William Hazlitt : Hazlitt, William, 1778-1830 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/collectedworksw25henlgoog

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