AD's English Literature

V iewed purely as a  socio political novel ,  Tagore 's  The Home and the World  (Bengali  Ghare Baire)  seems to make a sharp distinction between two rival political impulses, Nikhilesh representing the pure passion for constructive work in  swadeshi  (nationalism), and Sandip its greed and destructive energy .Nikhilesh worships nothing but truth which is greater than the country, and which is alone all temporary crazes; for Sandip the success of the moment, no matter by whatever means it is the only thing that matters. For Nikhilesh, the Ideal is the principal ingredient in the Real; for Sandip the Ideal is tolerable only when it is a means to the attainment of the Real. Bimala, the central character of the novel, who has been given a large number of autobiographical narratives than the other two principal characters, is torn between these two contending forces which exercise a powerful fascination over her mind. Nikhilesh’s passion for absolute...

  M ehrotra is generally known for his surrealistic technique. His is the discovery of various modern, post-modernist and earlier avant-garde style and poetics . He likes to juxtapose bits and pieces of sensibility as represented by clichéd language, sentiments and situations. Surrealism , artistic and literary movement that explored and celebrated the realm of dreams and the unconscious mind through the creation of visual art, poetry, and motion pictures notably, the nostalgic moments and reminiscences of Allahabad can be seen in abundance in his poetry. Mehrotra's increasing pre-occupation with personal and local realities particularly Allahabadism can be seen in Songs of the Ganga . Songs of the Ganga is a saga of Indian life and myth, a typical of Hindu culture. Like that of Carl Sandburg’s Chicago , Songs of the Ganga looking lovingly, if not cynically, at its countryside. In fact, Ganga has been worshiped   because of its usefulness, beauty,...

S ome literary problems never seem to go away. In spite of various attempts to look at Rabindranath Tagore ’s English translation critically, there persists certain blindness to the possibility that his early poems in English did not uniformly merit the great affection they received. For example , after taking note of some critics who said that Tagore ’s poems were “too  thin and ethereal “ and that they “locked in intensity and passion”, Humayun Kabir ignored and begged the question by concluding , “Tagore’s standing as a poet is so unquestioned that it is not necessary even to discuss these aspersions of his critics.”  However, it cannot be denied that his Bengali works are much more effective in the original rather than being translated! 

  I n John Ervine’s one- act play “Progress” , we get two opposite views on war. One is held by Henry and the other by his sister, Mrs. Meldon. The drama is based on the conflict of these two views on war. Henry holds that war is inevitable because human beings are too pugnacious. Read More Drama The horrors of war do not affect him in the least. To him the purpose of war is killing, and so it is no use being sentimental about death and destruction caused by war. He claims to have invented a far deadlier weapon than anything ever used in wars. And he is firm in his belief that his invention is the result of a great progress of human knowledge and skill. According to him, man’s progress consists in the invention of devastating weapons to shorten the duration of war.

T here are several sub-themes in ' The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ,' relating to Christianity and the supernatural, and two primary themes. The first primary theme concerns the potential consequences of a single unthinking act. When the mariner shoots an albatross, he does it casually and without animosity. Yet this impulsive, destructive act is his undoing. Similar to other Romantics, Coleridge believed that the seeds of destruction and creation are contained each within the other. One cannot create something without destroying something else. Likewise, destruction leads to the creation of something new. The loss of the mariner's ship, shipmates, and his own former self ultimately leads to the regeneration of the mariner. The Ancient Mariner is a story of crime and punishment. It falls into seven sections, each telling of a new stage in the process. The first section tells of the actual crime. To us the shooting of the bird may seem a matter of little moment but Coleridge...

It is interesting to study how the women in A Man of the People ( Chinua Achebe) play an important role in Odili and Nanga’s strategies. Here we find two contrasting groups of people from a political and social aspect based in West Africa.  The groups are the old and the new generations of politics and two characters represent them.  Odili, the narrator, represents the new intellectual generation, while Chief Nanga, Odili’s former teacher, represents the old style of bush politicians.  The conflict between the old and new ways is portrayed through the two characters as they not only disagree and quarrel over political views but also women.  Achebe captures the inside reality of the lives of the contrasting characters as he demonstrates energy and brightness as well as violence and corruption.  

"Above all I am not concerned with Poetry. My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity." Wilfred Owen  (1893 - 1918) British poet. Poems ,  "Preface" Wilfred Owen is a soldier-poet without any romantic enthusiasm for war. While Rupert Brooke glorifies war, Owen sings of the pathos and tragedy of war alike Siegfried Sassoon , a poet and novelist whose grim antiwar works were in harmony with Owen 's concerns. Like his other war poems, “ The Send-off ” reveals the massacre of precious human lives that war involves. The poem “The Send-off” begins with a description of the coming of a band of soldiers to a railway station in the darkness of the evening. They were being sent to the battlefield. They came marching down narrow village paths. They were singing all the way, not in joy, but to keep their thoughts away from the impending death they were going to embrace in the battle-field. The train that was to carry the soldiers was waiting at...

African colonization by European settlers and the aftermath has wide, descriptive and analytical coverage in Chinua Achebe’s novels. Particularly there is an avid examination on the Nigerian sociopolitical and cultural aspects. More specifically, Achebe’s novels depict Igbo tribes either in south-East Nigeria or elsewhere in the world dating from pre-colonial era to the present. His novels cover the timeline of Nigerian history and like a prophet his writings are visionary of long desired Nigerian peace and prosperity. Reading thorough his novels it can also be determined how women is such a vital studies for lasting peace and prosperity in Nigeria. This research paper will interrogate, compare and contrast women’s different roles as they relate to Chinua Achebe’s fictionalization of female characters. It will examine women's roles in this fast changing tribal society as seen in Achebe’s novels illustrating specific examples from the same. Women in tri...

Even though the English teaching objectives for the L1and L2 groups are different, the gap is narrowing fast. And in the first quarter of 21 st century any book, intended for the students of vernacular in Indian subcontinent, should contain passages for the study of English as First language (L1) as well as Second language (L2) in no water tight compartment. While compiling any anthology   a number of tentative teaching objectives and selective pieces that might be used in realizing them are need to be meticulously chosen. There were complaints that for several years a number of students who are considered at risk of educational failure because of limited English proficiency have been finishing school with but little command of English. This confirms in the general finding, arrived at through an analysis of the students performance in the  examinations, that by far the largest majority- of the L2 group need a great deal more practice in comprehending and writing s...

Artistic Representation of Cleopatra In Antony and Cleopatra ,  Shakespeare  crafts Cleopatra as one of his most complex, multifaceted characters—a heroine full of contradictions that render her inscrutable and captivating. Cleopatra is layered with traits that seem to conflict yet define her richness as a character. She is, by turns, playful and proud, intelligent and sensual, calculating and vulnerable. Described with titles such as "lass unparalleled" and "royal wench," Cleopatra embodies a spectrum of qualities that defy singular categorization.  Cleopatra’s relationship with Antony begins with elements of enchantment and seduction, but as the play progresses, it reveals a profound depth. Shakespeare hints that her feelings evolve from superficial allure to a passionate commitment. She is also unpredictable—capable of wit and tenderness but also of explosive reactions, as seen in her violence toward the messenger, an outburst driven by jealousy and insecu...