AD's English Literature

Patriotic Echoes: Unveiling Ireland's Spirit in Lady Augusta Gregory's "The Rising of the Moon" Authentic Irish Voices: Gregory's Realism Portrait of Lady Gregory, 1903 THE RISING OF THE MOON is a beautiful one-act little play, written in 1904 by Lady Augusta Gregory who is best known for irish theme and lifelike  characterization. In fact, Her characters who are specialized in realistic depictions of their native land are not at all romanticized, but are very realistic--one of her great talents was being able to catch the vocabulary, speech mannerisms and  rhythms of the Irish people, which she studied as she traveled throughout Ireland, seeking its rich oral tradition. In THE RISING OF THE MOON , one sees the deep conflict between the hearts of the Irish people, even those hired as policemen (who also longed secretly, in their heart of hearts, for freedom, as often as not), and their duty to maintain the status quo, with all the English gold and power and ...

Introduction: Old English , a variant of West Germanic, was spoken by certain Germanic peoples (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) of the regions comprising present-day southern Denmark and northern Germany who invaded Britain in the 5th century ad .  They gradually settle in England and regional dialects developed. Old English major dialects had four divisions– Northumbrain, dialect of  Northumberland, Mercian, subdivisions of the dialects spoken by the Angles, West Saxons , a branch of the dialect spoken by the Saxons ; and Kentish, originally the dialect spoken by the Jutes;. West Saxon gradually gained ascendancy and the documents, which enable us to study Old English , are documents of West Saxon. By the 9th century, partly through the influence of Alfred, king of the West Saxons and the first ruler of all England, West Saxons became prevalent in prose literature. A Mercian mixed dialect, however, was primarily used for the greatest poetry, such as the anonymo...

A Critical Examination of Bernard Shaw's Play 'Arms and the Man' as a Subversive Anti-Romantic Comedy Satirical Deconstruction of Romanticism: Realism, Humor, and Anti-Idealism in 'Arms and the Man' George  Bernard Shaw calls " Arms and the Man ," set during a war in the Balkans between the Bulgarians and the Serbians, an anti-romantic comedy. The main purpose of the dramatist is to satirize the romantic conception of life. Shaw has no faith in emotion and sentiment. Throughout the drama he denounces the idealism and insists on realism. He does it through humor of character and humor of situation at the same time. Satirical Subversion: Shaw's Deconstruction of Romantic Ideals in 'Arms and the Man' Even the very title signs an anti romantic bearing. Bernard Shaw borrowed the title from the opening line of Virgil’s great epic "Aeneid," which reads as follows: “Arma virumque cano", meaning “Of arms and the man I sing”. Shaw’s obvi...

Break, Break, Break is a sea elegy written by Lord Tennyson on the death of his university friend Arthur Henry Hallum. Here, the ever-breaking sea, the fisherman's boy, the stately ships, etc. all show the permanence of the world around and yet they remain unaffected by the poet's personal grief. However, the thoughts contained in this elegy are not so elaborate and high as in In Memorium but the current of thoughts is not less pathetic.

Remembering "Adonais" by Percy Bysshe Shelley: A Pastoral Elegy for John Keats Adonais: A Poetic Lament and Tribute to a Valuable Life A  Pastoral Elegy is a song of grief in which the poet in the guise of a Shepherd mourns the death of some dear and near ones who are also presented as a Shepherd. As it is already stated, pastoral elegists mourn a subject by representing the mourner and the subject as shepherds in a pastoral setting. Representing all these conventions, Adonais is a Pastoral Elegy . It has been criticized on the ground that the expression of grief in it is not sincere, for one who sincerely mourns expresses his grief directly and does not run after metaphors or figurative expression (the dreams and fancies of Adonais as his mourners, to bring in the mountain shepherds, and to personify the power of nature may be good poetry but it is urbanely artificial) But as a matter of fact, Adonais is not an expression of personal sorrow. Shelley never claimed it to be s...

RabindranathTagore 's writing is highly imagistic, deeply religious and imbibed with his love of nature and his homeland. RabindranathTagore ’s poem, ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’ ,included in the volume called Naibedya , later published in English ‘Gitanjali’ is a prayer to a universal father-figure, presumably, God to elevate his country into a free land. Here Tagore defines Freedom as a fundamental system of reasoning of a sovereign state of mind, established or accepted as a guide for governing the man in a nutshell. A freedom fixes the limits and defines the relations of the moral, ethical and powers of the state of mind, thus setting up the basis for life.

Even a cursory reading of RabindranathTagore ’s Gitanjali (Songs Offerings) shows its deeply religious and devotional character. The one hundred and three songs in this celebrated book are written in prayers to God and were intended by Tagore as his personal tribute to his maker. Gitanjali has therefore to be valued and cherished as a book of religious poems which undoubtedly lift the reader spiritually and transport him to an altogether different world from the one in which he lives. In numerous occasions in his songs Rabindranath assures many a time that he is absolutely certain that he has been nothing but hollow bamboos, and God has been singing through him. He has been flutes, but the song is not his. It has flowed through them, but it comes from some unknown source. He has not hindered – that’s all he has done. But he has not created it. The paradox! And, in fact it is the power of supreme father.

‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ is one of the finest ballads of art in English poetry. This remarkable baI llad written by John Keats, narrates the fascinating story of a mortal’s love with fairy. It presents the strange way and manners of these enchantresses who use to make fool of men. I t is a sad tale of love betrayed; of a knight who was bewitched by her when he was asleep leaving him to wonder in the cold, crazed with love for her. It is thus a tale of melancholic yearnings and unfulfilled desire.  It captivates readers with its enchanting and mysterious narrative. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, Keats explores themes of love, illusion, and the destructive power of beauty. However, upon closer examination, one can uncover a darker undercurrent within the poem that challenges conventional romantic notions. The title word of the poem is in French which means ‘the beautiful woman without love and pity’. The title words are taken probably from a poem   writ...

T. S. Eliot’s Preludes , which is included in Prufrock and Other Observations, 1977 , a collection of poems ,is frankly satirical of modern society , and the love – theme, when it appears, receives an ironic treatment. The rottenness, the corruption and decadence of contemporary society is exposed with a rare poignancy here. It is not unfair to say that the author has miserably failed here to notice anything positive in life .This, however, does not in anyway reduce the significance of his poems, which are excellent poetic manifestations of the themes through their use of imagery.             As it is already stated, in his Preludes Eliot depicts starkly the meaningless society of the slums at nightfall and in the mornings, and he might have Boston city in his mind. Simply, it depicts urban landscape expresses disgust with the rootlessness of modern life. The poem presents us with city scenes which mostly depict ugliness and squalor. In fact, any modern...

  Wilfred Owen masters the group of war poets who have the first hand experienced of modern war fare. ‘Spring Offensive’ like other poems of Owen, is an eloquent protest against the cruelties and horror of war and it is drawn on Owen's own experience of the Anglo French offensive launched in April 1917 to attack the Germans who took shelter behind the river Somme in France.

Introduction: Lough Gill pic. by    Oliver Dixon- geograph.org.uk   W. B. Yeats was in London when he wrote " The Lake Isle of Innisfree" in 1890. The poem was prompted by a feeling of home sickness. Innisfree is a small island in Lough Gill, County Sligo, Ireland  where as a young man Yeats had dreamed of a smooth life close to nature. He was standing on an actual London pavement (the pavements grey) when a jet of Walter in a chemist shop set him dreaming of this island. A poem of escape: In a sense this is a poem of escape. The poet wants to go away from the weary world of stress and strain to the peaceful island of Innisfree. The poet wants to go instantly with a heartfelt hyperbolic desire. In there he would build a cottage of clay and wattles and plant the nine bean-rows .   He would also have a hive for honey-bees.   All these suggest a self-sustaining and harmonious life close to nature.  Peace and tranquility that he pines for will ...

Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem  " Tithonus "  explores the theme of immortality and its consequences. The poem tells the story of Tithonus, a figure from Greek mythology who was granted immortality by the gods. However, Tennyson portrays immortality as a curse rather than a blessing, emphasizing its destructive nature. Lord Alfred Tennyson Tennyson’s " Tithonus "  relates to the old Greek myth of Tithonus, a very handsome youth and the son of Laomendon, the king of Troy . The legend tells that Tithonus was loved by the dawn goddess, Eos, who bore him a son, the hero Memnon, king of Ethiopia .  As his beloved was beloved was immortal, he requested her for the gift of immortality, Eos requested Zeus, the king of Gods, to grant this boon to her lover. Though immortality was granted, perpetual youth was not bestowed upon him. Thus Tithonus in his old age withered away to a decrepit and shriveled old man. Thus gradually he became old, infirm and ugly so that he pleaded ...

Introduction :- Lawrence Durrell's "How to Buy a House" (1960) is a humorous essay from his book "Prospero's Cell: A Guide to the Landscape and Manners of the Island of Corcyra".   In Durrell’s story How to Buy a House Sabri Tahir appears as the central character with impressive characteristics. With the help of Sabri Tahir the author is able to purchase a house and it is the very story in a nutshell. It is Sabri whose practical ability as a businessman is a cardinal feature of his character and around him revolves the entire story . Now let us sum up his characteristics under the following heads. A Turkish Businessman :- He is a Turkish( Albanian ) businessman and carries out his business activities the capital city of the Island of Cyprus.  Sabri Tahir is a charismatic and cunning Albanian builder who helps Durrell purchase and renovate a house on the Greek island of Corcyra (Corfu). He is a valuer and estate elementary stage, his strong power of specul...

Virginia Woolf With Dorothy Richardson, James Joyce, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf also accepts the stream of consciousness technique in her writing. To record the flaw of consciousness this technique is brought into perfection by certain use of symbols and imagery where plots relegate into the second position. Her present essay The Mark on the Wall is well distinguished by a capacity for a deep and complex response to the experience of the moment, stressing the subtle to and fro activity of the mind.     The Mark on the Wall    is narrated using the stream of consciousness technique, which is a narrative style that attempts to depict the continuous flow of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of a character. In this story, Woolf delves into the mind of an unnamed narrator as they contemplate a mark on the wall of their room. The story unfolds through a series of associative and often fragmented thoughts, giving readers a glimpse into the inner workings of the nar...