Robert Lynd Captures a Beautiful Atmosphere in the Essay “Seaside”


"Seaside" is an essay by Robert Lynd (1879–1949), one of the well known Irish essayists of the twentieth century. He provides a befitting description of French Sea Coast along with it's setting- the Sea and the Travelers. In fact, this is the personal essay of the author who has been staying in a holyday resort nearby the French Sea Coast. The essay captures the beauty of the sea, the sand, and the sky.

 Lynd's prose is rich in sensory details and he portrays the sea as a source of inspiration and wonder. The festivity and the mood of gala permeate and pervade the entire atmosphere for the sea side. Not only the beauty of the sea side is minutely expressed but also that visitor’s activities are minutely put into account. Account of the individuals both human and nature are presented here. But here and there a note of sadness is plotting in the atmosphere. It is seen fisher women working hard for their lively hood. There are another instance of the unhappy grey haired father struggling hard to make his child walk but unsuccessfully. Accept these two spots of sadness the entire sea beach is burst with fun and various walking gaiety.

Robert Lynd's essay "Seaside" is a vivid description of a day at the beach. The essay captures the beauty of the sea, the sand, and the sky. Lynd's prose is rich in sensory details and he portrays the sea as a source of inspiration and wonder.

Robert Lynd starts by painting a beautiful picture of the sandhills next to the sea, which are teeming with butterflies. He then goes on to talk about the lush vegetation that grows there, almost as if by magic.

Moving on, Lynd describes the bustling scene on the beach, with families and children dressed in vibrant colors, just like the butterflies and vegetation. He talks about how everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, without a care in the world, whether they're flying kites, birdwatching or playing cricket.

In fact, Lynd's essay is a celebration of the simple pleasures of seaside life and the beauty of nature. His descriptions of the beach and the people who visit it are vivid and engaging, making it easy to imagine oneself there, enjoying the sun, sand and sea. There are different types of tourists in this spot. The industry bands are flying kites. Children taking exercise interacts in the game. Few are having different game – cricket, golf, casino, football, tennis etc. few are swimming and bathing. All the tourists are busy with their pet occupations- of various types of game. Lynd finds a sense of restraint and control in the celebration of joy. On the beach Lynd also find souveteurs, the life savers who are dutifully spying on the behavior of the swimmers and concerned with the safety of the tourists.

Critical Commentary on A. G. Gardiner’s “On Shaking Hands”


A. G. Gardiner’s amusing subject On Shaking Hands is a beautifully curved piece of essay carrying out a discussion to pros and cons of shaking hands. Gardiner is of the view that hands shake is the most innocent and amiable custom of greeting. Even it is criticized on medical grounds. Taking the concept Gardiner rather carries out a thorough discussion On Shaking Hands. Gardiner then mentions few of the examples of salutation worldwide. In India we pay ‘Namaskar’ while the Japanese ‘kowtow’. Such examples can easily be multiplied.

Gardiner comparatively discusses hands shake along with the other mood of salutation kissing, practiced and excessively nourished in the 15th and 16th century during reign of Tudor kings. Gardiner thinks that along with the mood of kissing as a salutation there is a sense of sexual overtones.

The Character of Prospero in the Design of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”


Although The Tempest has been assessed as the full expression of Shakespeare’s mood in his final period and although the play has been praised for its observance of the classic unities, it requires no elaboration to establish that the play is lacking in essential dramatic elements. This is due to the preponderance of only one character, Prospero, besides whom other characters seem pale and even anemic. Indeed, Prospero occupies a more important place in The Tempest than does the Prince of Denmark in Hamlet.

Prospero is Providence personified, the omnipotent and omniscient destiny itself, manipulating and wire-pulling everything human, non-human or super-human in the enchanted island. Nothing happens in the play without Prospero wishing it to happen. The consequence is that the plot lacks an inner law of growth and the dramatic presentation is somewhat bloodless. Prospero is a strong man, a sweet man, a gracious man given to forgiveness. He is also a garrulous old man, pedantic and severe and with a high sense of his opinions. His powers of white magic know no limits. And that exactly makes limitations for the dramatic difficulties of the play. This limitation is nowhere more apparent than in Prospero’s narration of his past life to Miranda. Despite its telescoping, It is a long narration on the stage and clearly undramatic but Shakespeare has no other way of conveying this essential background of the play in the absence of a real antagonist. Where the protagonist is all, the play as the play inevitably suffers.

Isabella in William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure”: Paragon of Virtue or Despicable Pride?


At varying times Isabella in William Shakespeare’s "Measure for Measure" has been seen as a marvelous symbol of virginal purity, and an utterly distasteful and self-righteous prude. The problem is that while it is theologically correct for her to value her immortal soul more highly than her brother’s life, it is also distasteful, and an audience might prefer her to take a decision that was theologically and morally wrong, but more admirable in human terms, namely to sacrifice her body for her brother’s survival. 

William Shakespeare
Perhaps Shakespeare’s audience would have been more familiar than a modern audience with ‘the idea that no good can come out of evil, and Angelo confirms this when he says he will not release Claudia even if Isabella does submit to him, thus perhaps justifying Isabella’s early decision not to submit. A Jacobean audience would have had a more vivid concept of hellfire and damnation (which is what Isabella risks if she submits to Angelo), and would value the whole concept of honour more than a modern audience. However, it is dangerous to rely too heavily on assumptions about the Jacobean audience: being dead, they have the too-convenient attribute of not being able to argue with any features ascribed to them. Even if Isabella’s decision is the right one, the play suffers drastically if she alienates the audience’s sympathy.

Much of the problem can be resolved by the actress. If she plays the confrontation with Angelo in terms of icy certainty she is liable to lose the audience’s sympathy; if she plays it as a girl in a helpless and hopeless flight from defilement, someone convulsed by desperation, loneliness, and revulsion, then her decision not to give in to Angelo can be seen as springing from uncontrollable aversion, something for which an audience can feel sympathy, and which increases their desire to see an end to the tyranny of Angelo’s rule. Claudio and Isabella are essentially in the same position. Both are alone, helpless, threatened, and fearful, and in both this leads to selfishness. At the start of the play, part of Isabella’s apparent sanctity Is In fact selfishness, just as part of Angelo’s morality is hypocrisy. Both characters have to change and acquire self-knowledge, with more difficulty than the corresponding characters in the comedies, but without the death and destruction that accompanies the acquisition of self-knowledge in the tragedies.

One problem that is less easily answered is the change that appears to come over Isabella mid-way through the play, when she seems to hand responsibility for her actions over to the Duke and lose much of her individuality and at the end of the play when she rather surprisingly agrees to marry the Duke.

Ardhendu De

Analysing Deep and Profound Philosophy in Robert Browning’s "Rabi Ben Ezra"


Robert Browning’s Rabi Ben Ezra is a poem for young and old alike. It gives inspiration and courage to youth, and consolation and peace to old men. It is indeed a priceless “jewel of Browning’s poetry”. Robert Browning’s Rabi Ben Ezra is meant anew for those persons who consider that the aim of life is merely to live for the gratification of bodily needs. Browning gives a jolt to such thoroughgoing worshipers of the body, and awakens them from their mistaken conception of life. Those who read this poem attentively will realize the wisdom of living life as it reflects a philosophy of acceptance and gratitude for life's challenges and limitations.

"Rabi Ben Ezra" by Robert Browning is a poem consisting of 155 lines, divided into nine stanzas of varying lengths. Written in blank verse, the poem is structured as a conversation between the narrator and Rabi Ben Ezra, a medieval Jewish scholar. The first stanza sets the scene and introduces the main theme of the poem: the meaning of life and death. The subsequent stanzas delve deeper into this theme, exploring ideas such as the importance of wisdom, the value of adversity, and the nature of the soul. Thus, clearly Rabi Ben Ezra is a philosophic poem and embodies some of the finest philosophic thoughts of the poet. The philosophic ideas of this poem are deep and profound, and colored the main stream of thought in the poem. Various ideas are developed and presented with penetrating insight and philosophic vision by Robert Browning, and the poem, as a whole, cap be taken to be the quintessence of the poet’s philosophic thoughts.

Beauty of Capri as told in Maugham’s Short Story ‘The Lotus Eater’


Maugham’s short story ‘The Lotus Eater’ is set on the island of Capri. It is a place as the author has described is a modern lotusland for its scenic beauty and charm. Situated at the entrance to the Bay of Naples in Italy, Capri Island is famous for beaches, and mild climate, the picturesque measures. The protagonist of the short story Wilson, the lotus eater like the mythical mariners of Ulysses, settles down here to a life of utter indolence and ease bidding adieu to a life of toil and sweat as a Londoner. He looks in the sundry places of Capri forsaking the hardships of a Londoner.

Lists of Literary Clubs and Web links while Understanding English Literature


In the golden 50’s or 60’s there had been the glory of reading books and analysis in campus adda or Sahitya Sava. It is now renovated through Google Search with wide spectrum in literary clubs. But now a day, academically such a glorious part of discussions is restricted upon literary conferences and academic dissertation where a few of the research scholars and guest teaching remain present. There had been hardly any fresh air albeit the thesis submission and obtains the degree.

However, it is not the whole situation. A few of the college and university regularly publish journals and paper for research scholars .And few of them has literary clubs too. They promote young talents towards the domain of creativity. Participants also receive awards and cash prizes. But the real aspect of adda or gossip in pure fun frolic with a lot of literary buzz is gradually letting down. This guide is designed for people who love to read, whether it for personal enjoyment or within a reading group. It includes information on books in general as well as specifics for book groups. This guide will provide users with resources about finding books to read, starting a book group and journaling your reading.

I have thoroughly searched the net and crafted a dozen of literary clubs online:

Goodread Book Club Link: http://www.goodreads.com/group

Women's Lives Club Link: http://amysmartgirls.com/be-a-part-of-the-smartest-new-book-club-wlclub/

Online Book Club Link: http://onlinebookclub.org/

My Book Club Link: https://www.my-bookclub.com/

BookTalk.org Link: http://www.booktalk.org/

New York Times Books Forum Link: http://www.nytimes.com/books/forums/

Open Directory: Arts: Literature: Reading Groups List Link: http://dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Reading_Groups/

 BookReporter.com http://www.bookreporter.com/

The New York Times Book Section Link: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/

Bibliomania http://www.bibliomania.com/bibliomania-static/

Classic Bookshelf Electronic Library Link: http://www.classicbookshelf.com/library/

University of Pennsylvania Link: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/


All these clubs are online and digital exchange of words of mouth is done there. But their physical locations are not truly identified or of much use. More than that, these are run by literary enthusiast and a real complimentary to studies. Most of these sites promote quality books, good peoples and great conversations. Readers are invited to join in reading and discussing on variety of books. Online forums are found within a variety of subjects including feature discussions, author discussions, or even sometimes the monthly selected book discussion. This Reading Groups often contains links to many reading groups online. Readers of same interest or specialized audiences lead these discussions into further lighting up of the subject.

Many of the listed links of groups of clubs provide a variety of resources including book lists, reviews, awards, discussion and links to other book related sites. Luckily, most of these sites aim to thoughtful book reviews, compelling features, in-depth author profiles and interviews, plus excerpts of the hottest new releases, literary games and contests. A literature enthusiastic must use these sites to search book reviews, read about the latest releases, watch author video clips, and learn about upcoming book events.

Before you start discussions better start reading e-books online. Make Google Search for old classics or new releases @ 

Apart from these, there are dozens of Facebook pages and Google pages and communities list.

          From history books we have learned the Young Bengal, Kollol poets, Oxford movement, Edinburgh literary circle, but such scholarly literary enterprising is missing now a days. Exchange of views with the motto of learning and teaching can pave these ways. Any college or university or high school can set up such literacy circle on any national and international literary personage. We can set up a literary adda/group/committees/club in physical location by keeping in mind these follows instruction:

  • Fixation of Dates: weekly / monthly / Bi-annually
  • Crafting a board / body – including the members from interested different set of life
  • Recording the discussion / digitally and print version
  • Publication through journals of periodicals (commercially / non-profit). I can’t understand why ISSN should be on non-profit?Applying grant / donation etc

Ardhendu De

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