English Literature- II B.a I Year

8/11/2019 English Literature- II B.a I Year

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Biyani's Think TankConcept based notes

English Literature II[B.A.-Part-I]

Anu BhatnagarLecturer

Deptt. of ArtsBiyani Girls College, Jaipur


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Published by :

Think TanksBiyani Group of Colleges

Concept & Copyright :

Biyani Shikshan SamitiSector-3, Vidhyadhar Nagar,Jaipur-302 023 (Rajasthan)Ph : 0141-2338371, 2338591-95 Fax : 0141-2338007E-mail : [email protected]

Website :www.gurukpo.com; www.biyanicolleges.org

Edition : 2011Price :

Leaser Type Setted by :Biyani College Printing Department

While every effort is taken to avoid errors or omissions in this Publication, any

mistake or omission that may have crept in is not intentional. It may be taken note ofthat neither the publisher nor the author will be responsible for any damage or loss of

any kind arising to anyone in any manner on account of such errors and omissions.


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English literature 3

Preface

I am glad to present this book, especially designed to serve the needsof the students. The book has been written keeping in mind the generalweakness in understanding the fundamental concepts of the topics. The

book is self-explanatory and adopts the Teach Yourself style. It is based onquestion-answer pattern. The language of book is quite easy and understandablebased on scientific approach.

Any further improvement in the contents of the book by making corrections,

omission and inclusion is keen to be achieved based on suggestions from thereaders for which the author shall be obliged.

I acknowledge special thanks to Mr. Rajeev Biyani, Chairman& Dr. SanjayBiyani, Director (Acad.) Biyani Group of Colleges, who are the backbones andmain concept provider and also have been constant source of motivationthroughout this Endeavour. They played an active role in coordinating the variousstages of this Endeavour and spearheaded the publishing work.

I look forward to receiving valuable suggestions from professors of variouseducational institutions, other faculty members and students for improvement ofthe quality of the book. The reader may feel free to send in their comments and

suggestions to the under mentioned address.Author


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Syllabus


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SECTION


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SHAKESPEARE - SHALL I COMPARE THEE

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Q1 Who is being compared to a summers day in the sonnet Shall Icompare thee to a summer's day? And by whom?

Ans The poets friend is being compared to a summers day. There is a doubtabout the identity of this friend-he may be William Herbert or HenryWriothesley or Third Earl of Southampton. Here the poet, Shakespearecompares his friend to a summers day.

Q2. Why is the friend more lovely and temperate than the summers day?Ans The summers day, which is the summer season is very short lived.

Sometimes the summers storms wither up the beautiful buds that bloomin May-the sun which is sometimes too hot is often overcast with the darkclouds. But the friends beauty is eternal and constant. So it is morefascinating than the summers season.


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Q3. List the poetic devices used in this sonnet?Ans Some types of poetic devices that are frequently used in this love poem

are meter, rhyme, assonance, consonance, repetition, end & internalrhyme and alliteration.

a.)Iambic Pentameter is essentially the meter or the basic rhythm ofShakespeares sonnets, as is in this one.

b.)Alliteration works by repeating one or more letters at the beginning of aword throughout a line. Words like shall summers, thee to, thoutemperate, art and, more more, do darling, and all a, summers short,sometime shines, too the, hot heaven, fair from fair, summer shall andtime thou are all examples of alliteration.

c.)Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. Words such as compare

summers, rough buds, sometime declines, in his, thou growst, breathe seeand lives his gives are all assonance.

d.)Consonance, which means that the final consonants agree, is also used inthis specific sonnet. Some consonance examples are compare more, windsbuds, is his, fair fair, eternal shall, that owst, when in, men can, and livesthis this are some good examples of consonance.

e.)We also have end rhyme used in this Shakespearean sonnet such as daymay, temperate date, shines declines, dimmed untrimmed, fade shade,owst growst, and see thee.

f.) Internal rhymes are also used such as: Lines 1 and 2, thee and lovely. We

also have lines 3 and 4, do and too. Another example of an internal rhymeis heaven and complexion and is his from lines 5 and 6.

g.)Repetition is very common in this sonnet. In line 2 we have more andmore, in lines 4 and 5 he also shows too and too. In lines 6 and 7 and and& fair fair. Towards the end of the sonnet, lines 10,11 and 12 show nor norand thou thou. The rhymed couplet has three repetitions which are solong, so long, can, can and this, this.

Although William Shakespeares Sonnet 18 is an extendedmetaphor, there are other examples of figurative language throughout thepoem. In this sonnet, we have figurative language such as metaphor,

conceit, personification, antithesis, synecdoche or they just remain selfexplanatory (literal).h.)The conceit, controlling idea, of this poem is in line one when Thee is

being compared to a summers day, which is also a metaphor.


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i.) Antithesis is shown in line 14 when Shakespeare says So long lives this,and this gives life to thee. This is the balancing of contrasting terms.

j.) An example of synecdoche is in line 12 when lines is referred to as thewhole poem.

k.)Examples of personification are seen in lines 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 and 14. In thethird line, Shakespeare says darling buds giving human attributes to aflower. In line 4, summer is given a life like quality to rent or to lease. Thesun in line 5 is referred to as the eye of heaven. The sun is being comparedto a face having a gold complexion in line 6. In line 11 Death is beingcompared to a braggart giving Death a human quality. In the last line ofthis sonnet, the poem itself is being compared to a living thing.

l.) lines 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 and 13 are all metaphors because throughoutthose lines, the beloveds beauty is being compared to the summer.

Q4. Explain the meaning of the following quatrains/couplet:

a.) Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Ans: Shall I compare you to a summer's day?You are more lovely and more constant:

Rough winds shake the beloved buds of MayAnd summer is far too short:

b.) Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd.

Ans: At times the sun is too hot,Or often goes behind the clouds;And everything beautiful sometime will lose its beauty,And everything beautiful sometime will lose its beauty,By misfortune or by nature's planned out course.

c.) But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;


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Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

Ans: But your youth shall not fade,Nor will you lose the beauty that you possess;

Nor will death claim you for his own,Because in my eternal verse you will live forever.

d.) So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Ans: So long as there are people on this earth,So long will this poem live on, making you immortal.

SHAKESPEARE - NOT MARBLE NOR THE GILDED MONUMENTS

Not marble, nor the gilded monumentsOf princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;But you shall shine more bright in these contentsThan unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time.

When wasteful war shall statues overturn,And broils root out the work of masonry,

Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burnThe living record of your memory.

'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmityShall you pace forth; your praise shall still find roomEven in the eyes of all posterityThat wear this world out to the ending doom.

So, till the judgment that yourself arise,You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.

Q1 Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments andstates erected in their memory?

Ans To show off their grandeur, kings and princes used to erect monumentsand statues in their memory. The motto of cobbling up those monuments


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and statues is to establish their memory for several centuries, defeatingthe unbeatable time.

Q2 Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.Ans The monuments and statues brave the ravages of time. But these are the

tiniest trifles in the cruel hand of time. These without doubt are subject todecay, decline and destruction following the most delicate system of theAlmighty they get ruined, disfigured and spoiled.

Q3 Why does the poet refer to Time as being sluttish?Ans Being materialistic entities statues and glided monuments are inevitable to

decline and destroy. Nothing in the world can escape the cruel hand of

time. So do the monuments and statues. The sluttish time discolours them,spoils them and destroys them overpowering the assay of beingimmortalized.

Q4 The poet says that neither forces of nature nor wars can destroy hispoetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will not have a devastatingeffect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is revealed through theselines?

Ans Shakespeare had a strong intuitive far seeing ability. There too hisgreatness, poetic art is immortal along with the natural things. An

individual poet dies but he keeps himself alive through his verse.Shakespeare is a person who made the extensive use of these ways ofimmortalization .It aptly showed his artistic quality through his sonnetwhich after hundreds of years has relevance within us.

Q5 How according to the poet will his beloved outlive monument andtime?

Ans According to the poet his beloved is captured in this sonnet and shalltherefore outlive the marble and the gilded monuments built by theprinces, because the monuments shall start decaying as time passes.

Q.6 How does the poet immortalize his beloved?

Ans The poet immortalizes his beloved by stating that his beloved shall liveforever in this sonnet and in the eyes of posterity. Also she will wear outthis world till judgment day and outlive it.


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Q7 What is the central theme of this poem?

Ans The central theme of this poem is that literary art is not affected by time,just as marble monuments are. They will be destroyed with time, but hisbeloved shall always live, through this sonnet. Time is shown as a greatleveler and destroyer here.

Q8 Explain the meaning of the following quatrains/ Couplets:

a) Not marble, nor the gilded monumentsOf princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;But you shall shine more bright in these contents

Than unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish timeAns: Not marble, nor the gold-plated shrines

Of princes shall outlive the power of poetry;You shall shine more bright in these versesThan on dust-covered gravestones, ravaged by time.

b) When wasteful war shall statues overturn,And broils root out the work of masonry,Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burnThe living record of your memory.

Ans: When devastating war shall overturn statues,And conflicts destroy the mason's handiwork,The cause of war (Mars) nor the effects of war (fire) shall destroyThe living record of your memory (this poem).

c) 'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmityShall you pace forth; your praise shall still find roomEven in the eyes of all posterityThat wear this world out to the ending doom.

Ans: Against death and destruction, which render people forgotten,Shall you push onward; praise of you will always find a place,Even in the eyes of future generationsThat survive until the end of humanity.

d) So, till the judgment that yourself arise,You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.


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Ans: So, until you arise on Judgment Day,You are immortalized in this poetry, and continue to live in lovers'eyes.

Multiple Choice Questions:

'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmityShall you pace forth; your praise shall still find roomEven in the eyes of all posterityThat wear this world out to the ending doom.

a.)What does the poet suggest here?

To become a heroTo forget deathTo forget all enmityTo wait till doomsday

b.)Posterity will come to know about the poets friends

By his recorded or written memory of lifeBy the poets powerful rhymeBy this sonnet onlyBy the monuments gilded by him

c.) Pace Forth means

Walk aheadCome aheadStrive forwardTo be in a race

d.)The Rhyme Scheme of this stanza is

aabbabababbaabbb


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Answers:a.) To forget all enmityb.) By his recorded or written memory of lifec.) Stride Forwardsd.) abab

So, till the judgment that yourself arise,You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.

a.) The poet is addressing

His fatherThe person he lovesPowerful rulersEveryone

b.)One should wait till

Ones deathOnes biography is writtenOne creates an example for posterityThe day of the last judgment

c.) These lines convey the message

One must act in order to be loved by all

One gets justice in the doomsdayEverything comes to an endPoetry immortalizes friend

Answers:a.) The person he lovesb.) The day of the last judgmentc.) Poetry immortalizes friend


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SHAKESPEARE - THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS

Let me not to the marriage of true mindsAdmit impediments. Love is not loveWhich alters when it alteration finds,Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;It is the star to every wandering bark,Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeksWithin his bending sickle's compass come;Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Q1.) Explain the meaning of the following quatrains:

a.) Let me not to the marriage of true mindsAdmit impediments. Love is not loveWhich alters when it alteration finds,Or bends with the remover to remove:

Ans: Let me not declare any reasons why twoTrue-minded people should not be married. Love is not loveWhich changes when it finds a change in circumstances,

Or bends from its firm stand even when a lover is unfaithful:

b.) O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,

That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;It is the star to every wandering bark,Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Ans: Oh no! it is a lighthouseThat sees storms but it never shaken;


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Love is the guiding north star to every lost ship,Whose value cannot be calculated, although its altitude can bemeasured.

c.) Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeksWithin his bending sickle's compass come;Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

Ans: Love is not at the mercy of Time, though physical beautyComes within the compass of his sickle.Love does not alter with hours and weeks,But, rather, it endures until the last day of life.

d.) If this be error and upon me proved,I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Ans: If I am proved wrong about these thoughts on loveThen I recant all that I have written, and no man has ever [truly]loved.

Q2 What is a Sonnet?Ans A sonnetis a fourteen-line lyric poem, traditionally written in iambic

pentameterthat is, in lines ten syllables long, with accents falling on

every second syllable. Two kinds of sonnets have been most common inEnglish poetry:

a.) The Petrarchan sonnet is divided into two main parts, calledthe octaveand the sestet.The octave is eight lines long, and typicallyfollows a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA, or ABBACDDC. The sestetoccupies the remaining six lines of the poem, and typically follows arhyme scheme of CDCDCD, or CDECDE.

b.) The Shakespearean sonnet, the form of sonnet utilized throughoutShakespeares sequence, is divided into four parts. The first three parts areeach four lines long, and are known as quatrains, rhymed ABAB; the

fourth part is called the couplet, and is rhymed CC.


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Q3 Give Examples of some of the Literary Devices used by Shakespeare inthe above Sonnet?

Ans

a.) Assonance - Admit impediments (Line 2)b.) Alliteration - Although HIS HEIGHT be taken(Line 8), Within

his bending sickles COMPASS COME(Line 10), BUT BEARS itout even to the edge of doom(Line 12), I never writ, NOR NOman ever loved.(Line 14)

c.) Repetition - Which alters when it alteration finds,Or bends with the remover to remove:

d.) Metaphor - O no! it is an ever-fixed mark (Line 5 Love iscompared to a light house), It is the star to ever wandering

bark(Line 7 Love is compared to a star)e.) Symbol - Rosy lips and cheeks(Line 9) symbolizes a girl whom

one might be in love withf.) Synecdoche wandering Bark refers to a shipg.) Personification - Loves not Times fool, though rosy lips and

cheeks Within his bending sickles compass come (Lines 9-10)

Q4 What is the theme of the Sonnet?Ans

The theme of this Sonnet is that love is constant and an unstoppable forceof nature.Shakespeare claims that love withstands every situation and is the onlyconstant in our world.Shakespeare views love optimistically in this sonnet, and conveys love astimeless, even in todays society.

MILTON ON HIS BLINDNESSWhen I consider how my light is spentEre half my days in this dark world and wide,And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bentTo serve therewith my Maker, and presentMy true account, lest he returning chide,"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent


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That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not needEither man's work or his own gifts: who bestBear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His stateIs kingly; thousands at his bidding speedAnd post o'er land and ocean without rest:They also serve who only stand and wait.

Short Questions:-Q1 When did Milton write his sonnet On His Blindness?Ans The sonnet On His Blindness was written around 1652.

Q2 What is the sonnet about?Ans The sonnet laments the blindness of Milton.

Q3 What type of sonnet is On His blindness?Ans On His Blindness is a Petrarchan or Italian type of sonnet with octave and

sestet.

Q4 What does Milton mean by era half of my days?

Ans Milton became blind in the middle of his life. He became totally blind in1652 at the age of about 44.

Q5 That one talent -What is the double meaning of talent? Is there anyallusion here?

Ans Here talent means gift (poetic gift given to him by God). Talent originallymeans o gold coin. It has the allusion to the Biblical story of one gold coingiven by a master to his servant and the servant did not use the talent.

Q6 Which is death to hide - What does Milton mean here?Ans It meant that to hide the gift or to keep it useless is death to him. It is

spiritual death.

Q7 What does Miltons soul wish?

Ans The soul of Milton wishes to serve God by writing great poetry.


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Q8 Lest the returning chide - How does the line allude to the Biblicalstory of talents?

Ans The master in the Parable of Talents rebukes the servant for keeping histalent (gold coin) useless.

Q9 Doth God exact day-labour - What is meant by day-labour?

Ans Day-labour mans labour done in the daylight-the full amount of his work.

Q10 But Patience, to prevent that murmur. -What is meant by Patience?How is it used?

Ans Patience means here patient thinking. Patience is personified here.

Q11 How does one serve God best?Ans One serves God best by submitting to the gentle control of God.

Q12 Who are the thousands at Gods bidding?

Ans Milton perhaps means the angels traveling over land and oceans. Godsministers (servants) are the sun, moon, stars, natural objects who worktheir allotted duties.

Q13 Who best bear His mild yoke -What is the mild yoke?

Ans Mild yoke means the gentle rule of God.

Q14 They also serve who only stand and wait. - What does Milton mean bystand and wait?

Ans Stand and wait means remain firm in faith and devotion to God.

Q15 What is the structure of the poem?

Ans It is a Petrachan Sonnet of 14 Lines, with an Octave and a Sestet. It hasalternating lines in Iambic Tetrameter and Iambic Pentameter,with therhyme scheme ABBA ABBA CDE CDE.

Long Questions:Q1 "Miltonis our only great poet in whom the ideals of the Renaissance

and of Puritanism are an equal passion." Elaborate and illustrate.Ans The Renaissance is a period of history that relates to a fundamental

change in the way that man began to think about the universe. It indicateda shift from more medieval ways of thinking about the world, with God


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being at the centre of everything and man adopting a fatalistic attitudetowards life, to placing man at the very centre of the universe andemphasising the way in which man could shape his own destiny anddiscover the secrets of the universe through reason. Puritanism, on theother hand, sought to restore the balance by placing a renewed focus onGod and man's relationship with him. Arguably, both of theseapproaches are clearly evident in the poetry of John Milton. Milton's scopeand ambition isnothing but breathtaking in its scope as he hopes to, in this work, "justifythe ways of God to men," yet at the same time he places all of hisambitions before the Holy Spirit, whose aid he invokes as he recognisesthat all of his ambitions need to be placed in a proper and fitting context.

Q2 What is the theme in "On His Blindness" byJohn Milton?Ans: Milton is asking himself what purpose he can have in life, now that he is

completely blind. He was a deeply religious man and believed that thepurpose of life was to serve God, which was what he had always tried todo. His way of serving God was to write poetry and essays on religioussubjects or at least to write nothing but what he considered to be thetruths that God would approve of. Milton's most famous work, ofcourse, is his epic poem Paradise Lost, in which he said he wished to justifythe ways of God to man. But being blind made it nearly

impossible for him to write. That was "the one talent" he possessed. In hissonnet "On His Blindness" he asks whether God expected him tocontribute anything to the world in spite of his severe handicap. Heconcludes by telling himself that God is all-powerful and does not needthe services of any human being. His state is kingly. Humans who arepatient and humble serve God best--those "who best bear His mild yoke."So Milton asssures himself that he is not sinning by failing to work fortruth, justice, and religious understanding. The final beautiful iambic

pentameter line of the sonnet summarizes the message of the wholepoem: "They also serve who only stand and wait."

Q3 Give a Line by Line explanation of the above sonnet?Ans: The analysis of the sonnet is as such:

Line 1


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The poem starts with the speaker who is the poet himself John Milton,reflecting upon his blindness and how God expects him to make full useof his ability as a writer, if he cannot even see the paper on which he writes.The talent of the poet is useless now that he is losing his sight The poetconsiders how his light is used up or wasted . light for this deeplyreligious poet it mean an inner light or spiritual capacity. So He uses theword "light" to refer to his blindness and also his inner light.

Line 2The poet assumes that his life is not yet over. The phrase in this darkworld and wide is a very honest image.

Line 3This line as I read refer to a story in the Bible .which speaks of a bad

servant who neglected his masters talent "a talent was a kind of coin"instead of using it. He is "cast into outer darkness.". It can also meanMiltons talent as a writer.

Lines 4-6"Lodged with me useless" means that his talent as a poet is useless

now that he is losing his sight. Line 5 expresses the speakers desireto serve God through his poetry, to use his talents for the glory of

God."Though my soul more bent/ to serve therewith my Maker" , herethe poet is saying that although my soul is even more inclined toserve God with that talent, I want to serve God with my writing , buthe feels that his talent will be wasted as he becomes blind. He wishes to"present his true account," or give a good account of himself and hisservice to God. The sixth line may refer to the second coming of prophetJesus peace be upon him "Lest he returning chide", as a Christian poet hedidn't wont to be blamed or rebuke when Jesus returns.

Lines 7-8Milton asked if God just wants lesser tasks since his blindness denies himfrom using his talents.Patience is capitalized in the eighth line andbecomes more clearly personified when answering Milton's question.

Line 9


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Patience speaks, to prevent that "murmur," Miltons questioning of Godswill in previous line.

Lines 10-14Patiences reply explains the nature of God. First of all God does not needmans work."Who best / bear his mild yoke" means the people who are mostrespectful to God's will. These people are the ones who serve God best.The image of the yoke is also Biblical. " yoke " was a kind of harness puton oxen but in other bible it is an image for God's will. God's greatness"His state is kingly" was explained here. At Gods bidding or will,

thousands of people "speed and post" all over the world all the time. Thisline mean that the whole world are servants to God. There is more thanone way to serve God, and patience is telling the poet that even hiswaiting caused by his blindness can be a kind of service

MILTON - ON HIS 23RDBIRTHDAYHOW soon hath time, the subtle thief of youth,Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year!

My hasting days fly on with full career,

But my late spring no bud or blossom sheweth.Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,That I to manhood am arrived so near,

And inward ripeness doth much less appearThat some more timely happy spirits indueth.

Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,It shall be still in strictest measure evenTo that same lot however mean or high,

Toward which time leads me and the will of heaven.All is, if I have grace to use it so,

As ever in my great taskmaster's eye.


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Long Questions:

Q1 Discuss the theme of the poem in detail?Ans The main theme of this sonnet is the way that the world looks on

achievement and expect visible signs of having achieved something ordone something with our lives, whereas actually this sonnet argues that"achievement" and "growth" can result from internal and intellectualpursuits.If we have a closer look at the wording of this sonnet, it begins witha recognition of how quickly time flies and how the speaker has alreadypassed his twenty-third year:

How soon hath time, the subtle thief of youth,Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year!

However, what concerns the speaker above all is the way in which in his"late spring" there is no evidence of having achieved or done somethingwith his life: "no bud nor blossom sheweth." Nevertheless, the speakerargues that he has achieved "inward ripeness"in spite of the lack of evidence that he can point towards to suggest that hehas been engaged in meaningful pursuits. The poem ends with astatement of belief in a God who has a perfect plan for each stage of our

lives and can see both the inner "ripeness" and the outer:

All is, if I have grace to use it so,As ever in my great taskmaster's eye.

Thus this poem is really about our lives and what we do with them.Whether we have accomplished tangible exploits that others can look to ornot, this poem argues that we must not neglect our own "inner" maturityand that we should have confidence in God's plan for our lives rather thanour own plan or the plans of others for us.

Q2 Is someone identified as the speaker? What assumptions can you makeabout the speaker? (e.g., age, gender, class, emotional state, etc.)

Ans


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The speaker of the poem is a young man on his birthday (line 3 my).The speaker does consider himself to be old looking (line 6 so near), buthe thinks the inside doesnt match the outside.The speaker is religious (L14 great Task-master).

Q3 What is the rhetorical occasion of the poem? Is it a memory, adescription, an observation, a valedictory, an argument, a diatribe, anelegy, a declaration, a critique, etc.?

The occasion is the 23rdbirthday or close to it. He might be thinkingabout it approaching. John Milton wrote a long time ago (he died in 1674).What was the life expectancy? What was the age of 23 equal to? (lifeexpectancy was 35).The occasion of his birthday is causing the speaker to

think about his life (perhaps, yet).

Q4 Does the speaker identify an audience? What assumptions can youmake about the intended audience? Is the speaker clearly addressingone person or the world?

Ans

Probably the speaker is talking or thinking to himself. If he is takingstock of his life he might be thinking about what he has or hasnt done.God might be part of the audience (last line), so maybe he is praying. Hesure wants God to know he has been considered.

Q5 What is the speaker's purpose? In what ways does the poet convey thismessage? What is the message? How does the speaker try to spark areaction in the audience? How is the poem supposed to make theaudience feel? What is its intended effect?

Ans

If the man is taking stock of his life at this turning point, he might bethinking about what he has left to do. Perhaps in line 4 he might bethinking about the children (no bud or blossom shewth) he doesnt have.This might be akin to a 55 year old man today looking back on his life.

Q6 What is the subject of the piece? How do you know this? How does thepoet present his/her subject? Does (s)he present it immediately or does(s)he delay its revelation?

Ans


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Growing old, looking back, having regret, but having hope. I think he isfrightened of the years flying by (line 3 my hasting days fly on). He feelsthat he may look like a man on the outside (L 5 my semblance mightdeceive the truth, but he still feels like a kid inside inward ripeness dothmuch less appear).

Q7 What is the author's attitude toward the subject? What emotional sensedo you take from the piece? How does the diction point to tone?

In the first 8 lines the speaker seems a little sad about growing oldbecause he never had kids and regrets it. He seems sad that his days areflying by, and lonely. But the tone of the second six lines show that herealizes that there isnt much he can do about his situation. By the end of

the poem he accepts the amount of time he has left ( L 9 be it less ormore, or soon or slow). His resignation is made eas ier knowing that hisGod is watching and judging him (last line eye).

JOHN DONNE THE SUNNE RISING

Busy old fool, unruly sun,Why dost thou thus,

Through windows, and through curtains call on us?

Must to thy motions lovers' seasons run?Saucy pedantic wretch, go chideLate school boys and sourprentices,

Go tell court huntsmen thatthe king will ride,Call country ants to harvest offices,

Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime,Nor hours, days, months, which are therags of time.

Thy beams, soreverend and strongWhy shouldst thou think?

I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink,But that I would not lose her sight so long;If her eyes have not blinded thine,Look, and tomorrow late, tell me,

Whetherboth th' Indias of spice and mine


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Be where thou leftst them, or lie here with me.Ask for those kings whom thou saw'st yesterday,

And thou shalt hear, All here in one bed lay.

She's all states, and all princes, I,Nothing else is.

Princes do but play us; compared to this,All honor's mimic, all wealthalchemy.

Thou, sun, art half as happy as we,In that the world's contracted thus.

Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties beTo warm the world, that's done in warming us.

Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;This bed thy center is, these walls, thy sphere.

1.) Write a brief summary of the poem The Sunne Rising?

Ans

Lying in bed with his lover, the speaker chides the rising sun, calling it abusy old fool, and asking why it must bother them through windows

and curtains. Love is not subject to season or to time, he says, and headmonishes the sunthe Saucy pedantic wretchto go and bother late

schoolboys and sour apprentices, to tell the court-huntsmen that the Kingwill ride, and to call the country ants to their harvesting.Why should the sun think that his beams are strong? The speaker saysthat he could eclipse them simply by closing his eyes, except that he doesnot want to lose sight of his beloved for even an instant. He asks the sun

if the suns eyes have not been blinded by his lovers eyesto tell him bylate tomorrow whether the treasures of India are in the same place theyoccupied yesterday or if they are now in bed with the speaker. He saysthat if the sun asks about the kings he shined on yesterday, he will learn

that they all lie in bed with the speaker.The speaker explains this claim by saying that his beloved is like everycountry in the world, and he is like every king; nothing else is real. Princessimply play at having countries; compared to what he has, all honor is


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mimicry and all wealth is alchemy. The sun, the speaker says, is half as

happy as he and his lover are, for the fact that the world is contracted intotheir bed makes the suns job much easierin its old age, it desires ease,and now all it has to do is shine on their bed and it shines on the wholeworld. This bed thy centre is, the speaker tells the sun, these walls, thy

sphere.

2.) Comment on the form and structure of the poem The Sunne Rising?

Ans

The poem is composed in the form of a dramatic monologue where thepoet lover reprimands the Sun and calls it names for disturbing lovemaking. The poem has a well-knit, logical structure. It has symmetryof design. It progresses with the progress and witty shifts in the poet arethought.It follows a complicated metrical pattern of stressed beats per line, buteach of the three verses follows it strictly. The easiest way to see it is tocount the number ofsyllables per line: 8, 4, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10. Thereare half the number of stresses per line than there are syllables. This is aunique pattern that Donne has invented for his poem.

The poem also follows a regular rhyme scheme in each verse, but again it isan unusual structure: ABBACDCDEE. Each of the three stanzas follows

the same pattern of beats and rhymes.

3.) Write a brief not on the language and imagery of the poem The Sunne

Rising?

Ans

Donne endows his speaker with language implying that what goes on inhis head is primary over the world outside it; for instance, in the secondstanza, the speaker tells the sun that it is not so powerful, since thespeaker can cause an eclipse simply by closing his eyes. This kind of

heedless, joyful arrogance is perfectly tuned to the consciousness of a newlover, and the speaker appropriately claims to have all the worlds richesin his bed (India, he says, is not where the sun left it; it is in bed with him).The speaker captures the essence of his feeling in the final stanza, when,
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after taking pity on the sun and deciding to ease the burdens of his old

age, he declares Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere. He uses a lotof apt imagery to effectively display his feelings & wit.ImageryThe mainconceit or metaphor of the poem is the personification of the suninto an old man a "busy old fool" whose business it is to get everyoneout of bed and on the way to work. The persona adopted by the poet seesfit to argue with the sun, and this creates a comic opening to the poem.This is extended when, in the second stanza, he claims that he is strongerthan the sun, because he can "eclipse and cloud" his beams just byblinking. This is of course true, but it does not really mean that the sun is

not "so reverend, and strong". At the end of the poem he treats the Sunmore gently: his "age asks ease" so they are in the position to help him,since he only has to warm the two of them, and he warms the wholeworld.The secondary conceit is the metaphor that the speakers lover is "allstates" she is all the treasures of the world. As a result, therefore, he is"all princes". Donne elevates the importance of the relationship using thishyperbole.Donne combines this hyperbole (the speaker has all the power in theworld) with litotes, in his deliberate reduction of the importance ofeverything else. Measurements of time, ie "hours, days, months", arelikened to "rags", all honour is "mimic" (ie fake), and wealth is "alchemy"(ie it isnt real). He sums it up with the statement "nothing else is". Thiscombination of the two techniques demonstrates how great their love is.Metaphorically, it is the only thing in the world and so their roombecomes the whole "sphere" for the sun.SoundAlliteration is used to complement the mood of the poem as it changes inthe stanzas. In the first stanza there are a lot of strong consonantal sounds,like the t and c combinations in "pedantic wretch, go chide", whichemphasises the tone of the telling off. In the last stanza, the alliterationfalls on softer sounds, like w, as is appropriate for the soppy ending ofthe poem.
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4.) Write a brief critical note on the central theme of the poem and the

poets tone?Ans

The poem begins with a comic, argumentative tone, but quickly switchesinto pride in his lover, and finally into a very romantic tone. Love iselevated and celebrated in this poem. It is shown as conquering all and asbeing the most important thing in the world, or even the only thing in theworld. It empowers the speaker to fight with the sun.The tone of the poem shows how much the speaker cherishes his lover:she is worth all the treasure in the world. He also refuses to close his eyes,because he doesnt want to lose the sight of her for as long as a blink.

Everything in the poem suggests that what is taking place inside thespeakers head is more important (and more real) than what is going onoutside it. The poem takes feelings (such as the idea that the sun isdisturbing you in the morning) and makes them into concrete realities.The poem is highlighting a universal truth that everyone feels that theworld revolves around them when they fall in love!

5.) What are the hyperbolic (exaggerated) assertions in the poem?

Ans

The Sun Rising is built around a few hyperbolic assertionsfirst, that

the sun is conscious and has the watchful personality of an old busybody;second, that love, as the speaker puts it, no season knows, nor clime, /

Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time; third, that the

speakers love affair is so important to the universe that kings and princes

simply copy it, that the world is literally contained within their bedroom.Of course, each of these assertions simply describes figuratively a state offeelingto the wakeful lover, the rising sun does seem like an intruder,irrelevant to the operations of love; to the man in love, the bedroom canseem to enclose all the matters in the world. The inspiration of this poem

is to pretend that each of these subjective states of feeling is an objectivetruth.


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6.) What are the different themes covered in the poem?

Ans While many discuss its main themes of Love, Time, Space, Measurement,Astrology, Astronomy, Age and Youth one must agree that The SunneRising is one of the poet's warmest brightest works about Love. Among

its various themes are:a.) Theme of Love Through his theme of Love, the poet wants to know why

the behaviour of two young lovers must be dictated by calendars andtime. He mainly wants to emphasise that the lovers live in a world of theirown, and it is sinful, on part of even nature to disturb the harmony and

warmth that exists between them. He asserts that love has no set season orschedule and that 'hours, days, months are the rags of time.'b.) Theme of Physical Love Donne uses the imagery of the sun as an old,

senile person who cannot understand the vigor and passion of younglovers. By drawing such a contrast, he is trying to prove to his lover thathe is a very passionate lover, and his impatience with the sun, whosepresence he sees as an intruding nuisance to love making, intensifies hisfeelings of lust for his lover.

c.) Theme of Light and Dark - Referring to the theme of Light and Dark,

Donne pours scorn on the strength of the sun and the brightness of itsrays, vowing that he would sooner eclipse them with ease (just byshutting his eyes) than lose sight of his dearly beloved for even so much asa 'wink' of time.

d.) Theme of the Exotic - To the idea of sauciness is then added the spicinessof images from the exotic Indias. Donne challenges the sun to say whethertheir charms equal those of the girl he loves.

e.) Theme of Royalty - Donne equates himself with the princes with whomthe sun is acquainted, in terms of the riches he has in his own princess,

and he seems to be aware of her generosity to other 'princes.' She has beenquite free with her favors, it seems. He seems philosophical about thishowever.


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f.) Theme of Age Towards the end of the poem Donne seems to reconcile

with the Sun suggesting that its only retirement task need be to keep thehappy couple sunlit and warm in their own little world.g.) Theme of Astrology - t the end of the poem, Donne returns again to one of

his key themes - astrology. In Donne's time this was considered as muchof a science as 'astronomy' - indeed the two were interlinked. 'This bed thycenter is, these walls thy sphere' reflect the controversial belief that theearth was the centre of the universe and that other heavenly bodiesorbited around it. In their bliss, the sweethearts are oblivious andeverything like planets or walls, revolves around them. Admiration of the

sun around this time was a risky business for Christians as it conflictedwith belief in God's power and verged on worship.

JOHN DONNE GO CATCHE A FALLING STAR

Go and catch a falling star,Get with child a mandrake root,

Tell me where all past years are,Or who cleft the devil's foot,

Teach me to hear mermaids singing,

Or to keep off envy's stinging,And findWhat wind

Serves to advance an honest mind.

If thou be'st born to strange sights,Things invisible to see,

Ride ten thousand days and nights,Till age snow white hairs on thee,

Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me,All strange wonders that befell thee,

And swear,No where

Lives a woman true, and fair.


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If thou find'st one, let me know,Such a pilgrimage were sweet;

Yet do not, I would not go,Though at next door we might meet;

Though she were true, when you met her,And last, till you write your letter,

Yet sheWill be

False, ere I come, to two, or three.

1.) Give a detailed summary of the poem Go and catche a falling star? Ans

This is a poem by John Donne in which he argues that it is impossibleto find a woman who is both attractive and faithful to the one man.

In the first stanza Donne states a number of impossible tasks. Hecompares finding an honest woman to these tasks. He cleverly states thatto find a woman who is honest in love is as difficult as it is to catc h afalling star. The impossible tasks also include conceiving a child with amandrake plant, gaining full knowledge of the past, solving the mysteryof the Devils cloven hoof and learning the knack of hearing mermaids

singing. In a sarcastic comment Donne says that finding an honest womanis as difficult as living without the pain of envy. Envy is the greed and lustof other people who would secretly long for his woman. He addssarcastically to the list of impossible tasks the task of finding the wind thatbrings prosperity to those who are of honest mind. He means that onlydishonest people do well, that to have an honest mind is to fail.In the second stanza the subject matter is an imaginary journey of tenthousand days. Donne imagines a seeker spending a lifetime, until he hasgrey hairs, looking for an honest woman. Donne believes that despite allthe strange sights the traveller will see, he wont come across an honest

woman.In the third stanza the thought changes to the more positive idea offinding an honest woman. If the traveller finds one, he is to report herimmediately. Donne says such a journey, pilgrimage, would be sweet.But then Donne changes his mind and says he wouldnt travel next door


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to meet her as by the time he arrives even that far she will have slept withtwo or three other men. He says a woman would only remain honest atmost for as long as it takes to write the letter saying you have found her.

2. What are the various themes in the poem Go catche a falling star?Ans

The various themes in the poem are:a.MythThe poet speaks about the root of the mandrake plant and the

belief that it can help conceive a child. He also speaks about thesong of the mythical creatures called mermaids who weresupposed to attract sailors and enchant the.

b. Impossibility of Certain Tasks Donne begins the poem by asking thereader to chase a falling star, and wishes one to say that it is practically

impossible to do so. On this note he sets to prove that similarly it isimpossible to find a beautiful woman who is honest and can be loyal toher partner.

c. Deceit The tone of the poem is one of retaliation by a rejected lover,who feels that the woman he loved has deceived him, by neglecting hisfeelings and going after someone else

d. Lust and Envy Both these are linked with human emotions. One who

lusts for a woman will definitely envy her lover, and it is difficult to tellhere whether John Donne is lusting after the woman who has chosensomeone else as her lover, or whether he is blaming another man forbeing envious of his beautiful lady love and stealing her.

e. Religion - Despite his carnal expression, Donne was deeply religious, andhis reference here to the Devils cloven foot, especially who could havesplit it (the rhetorical answer is God himself!), and to the sight of anhonest and virtuous woman as being similar to going on a holypilgrimage, prove that he had a deep connect with Religion.

2.) Comment on the different tones that the poet uses in the poem?Ans

Donne uses several types of tones to express his despair & inner turmoil.These can be seen as:


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a.) Sometimes the tone is magical: Go and catch a falling star.

b.) Sometimes the tone is harsh and cruel:Get with child a mandrakerootc.) Sometimes the tone is bitter: And swear, no where lives a woman

true, and faird.) Sometimes the tone is self-pitying: envy's stinging.e.) Sometimes the tone is petulant [bitchy]:I would not go, though at

next door we might meet.f.) Sometimes the tone is mocking: If thou be'st born to strange sights,

Things invisible to see

g.) Sometimes the tone is commanding: Go GetTellTeachh.) Sometimes the tone is hopeful and caring: If thou find'st one, let meknow, Such a pilgrimage were sweet.

i.) Sometimes the tone is resentful: I would not go, though at next doorwe might meet

j.) Finally the tone is sour: Yet she will be false, ere I come, to two, orthree.

3.) Write a brief note on the Imagery in the poem?Ans

Like a typical Metaphysical poet, Donne uses a lot of comparative andcontrasting imagery to create strong pictures in the minds of the readers.Some of the comparisons are - He compares an honest female woman tosomething impossible and magical like a falling star. He comparesfinding such a woman to hearing mermaids singing or to solvingimpossible mysteries like knowing the past or explaining the cause of thedevils hoof. His most seemingly apparent contrast is between a womantrue, and fair and a woman who Will be false, ere I come, t o two, orthree.Donnes images are very vivid and dramatic i.e.,Ride ten thousand

days and nights, Till age snow white hairs on thee. He also usesexaggeration as in Go and catch a falling star, and Though she weretrue, when you met her,Yet she will be false, ere I come, to two, orthree.


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Donnes poem is startling and dramatic and use of images likechasing and catching a falling star, begetting a child using a mandrakeroot, or solving the mystery of the devils cloven feet, or even mermaidssinging their songs immediately draw the attention of the reader and helpjuxtapose the unreality of these situations, with the hopelessness anddespair riding the poets mind.

4.) Comment on the Rhyme Scheme and the Structure of the poem?Ans

Donne's poem is very simple in form. All three stanzas would appearto follow the same rhyme scheme (ABAB CC DDD); however, one rhymesound crops up more than it would be expected to in the second stanza

(EFEF FF GGG) and appears again in the third (HIHI JJ FFF). Thisrepetition lends a sense of unity to the poem, and will also serve arhetorical purpose.

The rhyming has a regular pattern [The first and third lines rhyme, thesecond and fourth lines rhyme, the fifth and sixth lines rhyme as a coupletand the last three lines rhyme at the end of each stanza].

The end sounds in the first stanza are as follows:

ar, oot, are, oot, ing, ing, ind, ind, ind.

The end sounds in the second stanza are as follows:ights, see, ights, thee, me, thee, ear, ere, airThe end sounds in the third stanza are as follows:ow, eet. go, eet, er, er, she, be, ee

There is also use of Alliteration [the repetition of first letters]in the poem.Eg. Consonance - The repeated b and 's sounds in If thou be'st born tostrange sights.Assonance: The a' sounds in Go and catch a falling star.

5.) Give a detailed analysis of the first stanza of the poem?AnsThe speaker takes an imperative tone from the very beginning, biddingan addressee accomplish several impossible things and, along the way,find / What wind / Serves to advance an honest mind (1-9). The


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impossibility of this final task is thus implied. But, more than that, thepreceding imagery lends such a discovery an unnatural and even an evil character. The mandrake root (2) and Devils foot (4) both haveobvious negative connotations. To hear the mermaids singing would be adeath sentence (5n), and even the falling star could be associated withLucifer (1).

Even more interestingly, the verbs attached to these images are activeones, tending to involve the addressee in a dominating relationship withthem (to catch, to cleave, and to impregnate). To find the wind thatadvance[s] the honest mind (7-9) would therefore paradoxically require a perverse character to do the searching, a person who would bewilling to vitally enmesh himself with dire and occult knowledge.

6.) Give a detailed analysis of the second stanza of the poem?Ans

Following through on this thought, Donne calls upon one born tostrange sights, who would see even invisible things, to go on this quest(10-11). But for all this favorable disposition to seeing the rare and elusive,Donne assures us that the addressee could travel until he is elderly, andsee many strange things indeed, but not find a woman true, and fair(14-18).

Donne here reveals that this was the particular kind of honest mind

he was referring to in the first stanza, and so might imply that honest menare not so hard to find. Similarly, the grouping together of the wordstrue and fair suggests that one could find a true woman, the provisobeing that she is unattractive (and so privy to fewer opportunities forlicentiousness). In other words, any woman would be untrue if shecould; the natural state of woman is wantonness.

In these same lines, a repetition of the F rhyming sound (me,thee), where the reader would expect a new sound, underscoresDonnes argument in making the progression of thought feel closed,

claustrophobic: no matter where one roams in the world / stanza, onecomes upon the same kind of sound / woman.

7.) Give a detailed analysis of the third stanza of the poem?Ans


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Donne even provides for the unlikely event of the addresseefinding a true woman, and so having completed a sweet pilgrimage (20) as opposed to the demonic, dreadful journey described in the firststanza. Notable, here, is that womans faithfulness or unfaithfulness, inbeing equated with either unnaturalness or naturalness, actually hasthe power to shape the world that the addressee encounters.

That is, if the journey is sweet that ends with a faithful woman,then getting with child a mandrake root, and all the other odd thingsDonne listed at the beginning, could really turn out to be pleasantpastimes. Donnes reasoning in this poem is black and white: either hesright to believe ill of all women, or else all the accepted ideas about theDevil, and shrieking plants, and murderous mermaids, are incorrect.

In driving this point home, he reminds the addressee thattrue is a time-sensitive adjective that a woman who was true for aparticular time is likely, even guaranteed to be false should some timepass (23-27). Again a womans faithfulness is ascribed to a lack ofopportunity to act otherwise, since Donne is postulating that the womanin question has been false since the addressee left her (i.e., he is no longerthere to keep an eye on her).

JOHN DRYDEN A SONG FOR ST. CECILIAS DAY

From harmony,[1] from heavenly harmonyThis universal frame[2] began.When Nature underneath a heapOf jarring atoms lay,And could not heave her head, 5The tuneful voice was heard from high:"Arise, ye more than dead!"Then cold and hot and moist and dryIn order to their stations leap,And Music's power obey. 10

From harmony, from heavenly harmonyThis universal frame began;From harmony to harmonyThrough all the compass of the notes it ran,The diapason closing full in Man.[3] 15


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What passion cannot Music raise and quell?When Jubal[4] struck the corded shell,[5]His list'ning brethren stood around,And, wond'ring, on their faces fellTo worship that celestial sound, 20Less than a god they thought there could not dwellWithin the hollow of that shellThat spoke so sweetly and so well.What passion cannot Music raise and quell?

The trumpet's loud clangor 25

Excites us to arms,With shrill notes of angerAnd mortal alarms.[6]The double double double beatOf the thundering drum 30Cries, "Hark, the foes come!Charge, charge, 't is too late to retreat!"

The soft complaining fluteIn dying notes discovers[7]

The woes of hopeless lovers, 35Whose dirge is whispered by the warbling lute.

Sharp violins proclaimTheir jealous pangs and desperation,Fury, frantic indignation,Depth of pains and height of passion, 40For the fair disdainful dame.

But oh! what art can teach,

What human voice can reachThe sacred organ's praise?Notes inspiring holy love, 45Notes that wing their heavenly waysTo mend[8] the choirs above.


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Orpheus[9] could lead the savage race,And trees unrooted left their place,Sequacious of the lyre; 50But bright Cecilia raised the wonder higher:When to her organ vocal breath was given,An angel heard, and straight[10] appeared--Mistaking earth for heaven.

GRAND CHORUS

As from the power of sacred lays 55The spheres began to move,

And sung the great Creator's praiseTo all the blest above:So, when the last and dreadful hour[11]This crumbling pageant shall devour, 60The trumpet shall be heard on high,The dead shall live, the living die,And Music shall untune the sky.

Word Meanings:[1.] From harmony, etc. Some of the ancients believed that music

helped in the creation of the heavenly bodies, and that their motionswere accompanied by a harmony known as "the music of the spheres."

[2.] This universal frame, the visible universe.

[3.] The diapason, etc. The diapason means here the entire compassof tones. The idea is that in man, the highest of God's creatures,are included all the virtues and powers of the lower creation.

[4.] Jubal. It is said of Jubal: "He was the father of all such ashandle the harp and organ."--Genesis iv, 21.

[5.] The corded shell, i.e.the lyre. The first lyre was supposed tohave been formed by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

[6.] Mortal alarms, i.e.notes that rouse men to deadly conflict.


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[7.] Discovers, reveals.

[8.] Mend, amend, improve.

[9.] Orpheus is said to have been a Thracian poet who moved rocks andtrees and tamed wild beasts by playing upon his lyre.

[10.] Straight, straightway, immediately.

[11.] The last and dreadful hour, the Day of Judgment.

1.) What is the theme of the poem?

AnsThe theme of this poem is musics ability to play on human emotions:humans can be overwhelmed by various kinds of music. It depictsmusics influence and power. The poemspeaks about music as being veryimportant, and, in specific, music as instrumental during the creation ofthe world.

2.) How does Dryden explore the theme of Order through this poem?

The two ways in which Dryden typically explores the theme of order are(1) He imposes order upon disorder and (2) he shows that order in

man and in society is at one with an all- encompassing universalorder.Just as the king orders society in Drydens Absalom andAchitophel and the satirist imposes order upon false literarystandards in his Mac Flecknoe,so in A Song for St. CeciliasDay, music is said to bring order to the universe. Song itselffollows a specific time order moving from the Day of Creation to

the Day of Judgment. It begins with the creation of the universe instanza 1: From harmony, from heavenly harmony

/ This universal frame [the cosmos] began (1-2). The poem endswith the Day of Judgment or the end of time: So, when the last

and dreadful hour / This crumbling pagent shall devour/ . .And music shall untune the sky (59-63).

3.) Comment on the style of this poem?


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This poem is a grand but playful ode to music. The opening stanza seesmusic as an aspect or incarnation of divinity in self-begetting genesis. Thelater stanzas can be seen to carry this Biblical metaphor through Christianhistory until the Grand Chorus where music heralds the apocalypse.Intricate rhyme scheme and mirroring lines, together with varied linelengths create a frame and strive for a lyrical effect. Stanza structuresthroughout the poem are suggestive of the forms and frames of musicalinstruments. By celebrating arts power to affect us but also imposing amoral framework, this poem seeks to depict how music can be both aroute to heaven and a herald of destruction.

4.) Describe the structure of the poem?Ans

The poem has seven stanzas and a concluding Grand Chorus.

STANZA 1: As noted earlier, this stanza deals with the creation of theuniverse by God. .His tuneful voice put in order the heap / Of jarring atoms ofdisordered Nature. The Great Chain of Beingseen here as thediapason or the entire range of a musical instrument, from the highestnote to the lowestculminates in man,created last and therefore

completing the Chain.STANZA 2: The opening line of this stanza (repeated in its closing line)states the thesis of thepoem: What passion cannot music raise and quell!. Stanzas 3-6 willdevelop this thesis by listing types of musical instruments, each of whicharouses a different passion. This stanza celebrates Jubalour wordjubilant comes from his namewho, Genesis 4.21 states,discovered the first musical instrument, a shell.STANZA 3-6: Stanza 3 deals with two musical instruments, the trumpetand the drum, both of which arouse the passion of warlike courage.

Stanza 4 mentions that the flute and the Lute arethe instruments of lovers, since they capture the sorrow of unrequitedlove. Stanza 5 deals with the violin, an instrument which captures thepassionate pangs and fury of jealousy (38-39). Stanza 6 celebrates theOrgan which inspires holy love (45), the impulse to worship God.


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STANZA 7:In stanza 7, Dryden compares the musical power of St. Ceciliato that of the mythological figure Orpheus. St. Cecilia is shown to be thesuperior of the two. With the power of his lyre, Orpheus could leadangel the savage race (48), but upon hearing the organ of St. Cecilia,An heaven . . . [mistook] earth for Cecilia (53-54). Thus as a musician,Orpheus, a pagan terrestrial symbol, is no match for St. Cecilia, theChristian celestial symbol in thispoem.LAST STANZA: As mentioned earlier, this last stanza deals with the Dayof the Last judgment and thus contrasts with Stanza 1, which celebratesthe Day of Creation. This stanza uses themusical instrument of Stanza 3, the trumpet, since 1 Cor. 15.52 mentionsthe last trump,which will announce the Resurrection and the LastJudgment.

5.) What is the occasion for the song?

Ans

John Dryden wrote A Song for St. Cecilias Day to honor St. Cecilia, athird-century Christian martyr who became the patroness of music andreportedly invented the organ, by celebratingand glorifying music. Each of the poems seven stanzas furthers thispurpose. Not only was this poem written as an ode to the goddess of

music, but it was also composed to be musically performed on the22ndNovember of 1687 for the annual feast of a society that celebrated thepower of music.

6.) What musical instruments are used in the poem? What actually is the

harmony?

Ans

Stanza 1 claims that from harmony, from Heavnly harmony thisuniversal frame began. This stanza tells the reader two things: first, thatmusic is powerful, and second, that music is primeval. This knowledgeinforms the reader that, in general, music is very important, and, inspecific, music was instrumental during the creation of the world.Stanza 2 accomplishes a similar purpose. Dryden repeats the line Whatpassion cannot music raise and quell! two times. This line is designed to reinforce the earlier statement about musics power. However, Stanza 2


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goes farther than Stanza 1, declaring that music not only was powerful atthe beginning of time, but that it is currently powerful, that it is immanentand that it influences human emotions and actions in the present.Stanzas 3-6 expand on the messages of the first two stanzas by describingthe effects produced by specific instruments: trumpets, drums, flutes,lutes, violins, and organs. The seventh and last stanza praises St. Ceciliaherself: When to her [St. Cecilias] organ, vocalbreath was given/An angel heard and straight appeared/Mistaking earthfor Heavn. So, the poem concludes by saying that the beauty of earthlymusic competes with the beauty of Heaven.

7.) What effect can each instrument bring when played?

Ans

Stanza 3 is about drums and trumpets and how these instruments serve ascalls to war and expressions of human anger, violence, and justice. InStanza 4, the focus is on human sorrowas Dryden writes of the softcomplaining flute. The more tempestuous human emotions arediscussedin Stanza 5, as Dryden describes the sounds of violins. Finally, in Stanza6, Dryden describes the organ, and how it plays holy, religious music.The contrasts in these poems show the reader that music influenceshuman wars, human sorrow, human emotion, and human religion.

8.) In stanza 7 in order to reinforce how touching the music can be whatmythological figure does the poet use? What is the comparison of this

figure with St. Cecilia?

Ans

In the seventh stanza Dryden mentions a mythical figure, he refers toOrpheus who had convinced the god of the underworld to bring back hisEurydice just by playing a song on his lyre. The poet then makes anotherreference to the organ and its divine association, he does this to introducethe central figure of the poem: St. Cecilia. What Dryden is trying to sayhere is that according to him, St. Cecilia was much braver and hadperformed a much greater miracle by attracting an angel who mistookearth for heaven by listening to her music. She is in fact greater and moreamazing than Orpheus because she incites us to Christianity.


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SECTION B


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KABIRIT IS NEEDLESS TO ASK A SAINT TO WHICH CASTE HEBELONGS:

1.) Give a brief Summary of the poem?

Ans The renowned saint poet Kabir says that no one should ask a saint whatcaste or religion he belongs to. The only religion of a saint is Godlinessand his only duty is to Worship God. Indian Caste system divides thehindu people into four Varnas: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and

Shudras. Kabir says that all of the above believe in God and want hisgrace. He then says that barbers, washerwomen, carpenters all want todevote their lives to God, even though they are not born as Brahmins.Similarly, Saint Raidas was a leather worker and Rishi Swapacha was atanner by birth. But through the goodness of their hearts, their kind deeds,and their deep faith in God, they became spiritual gurus. Kabir ends thepoem by saying that not just Hindus but even muslims have realized theworth of true worship and their common respect for these holy menunites them.

2.) It is needless to ask of a saint the caste to which he belongs;

For the priest, the warrior, the tradesman, and all the thirty-six castes,

alike are seeking for God. It is but folly to ask what the caste of a saint

may be;

We should not ask a saint or a holy person what caste he belongs to, orwhat religion he follows.The Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, andShudras, all have a common goal, to find solace in God, and seek hisgrace. One who questions a holy person about his caste, is

foolish.

3.) The barber has sought God, the washer-woman, and the carpenter

Even Raidas was a seeker after God.

The Rishi Swapacha was a tanner by caste.


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Ans It is not just priests or those who are Brahmins by birth, who want to

devote themselves to God. Even people from low castes and differentprofessions like barbers, washer-woman, carpenter believe in the presenceof God, and want to serve him in some way or the other. Guru Ravidasand Rishi Swapacha , both belonged to low caste. But they gave up theirprofessions and gave their life to the devotion of God. Today, everyonerespects them as holy men.

4.) Explain the line Hindus and Moslems alike have achieved that End,

where remains no mark of distinction, with reference to the poet

Kabirs own background?Ans Little is known about Kabirs birth and parents. It is said that he was

found as an abandoned baby by a muslim weaver, in Benaras, who tookhim home. From early childhood Kabir was very religious. He studiedIslam and was impressed by the Sufis. However, he was also deeplyattracted to the Hindu philosophy. After much difficulty he became adisciple or shishya of Guru Ramananda.

Having studied about Hinduism and Islam together, and being deeply

attached to God, Kabir realized that the main purpose of all religions is tobe a good human being, and to serve God. So he feels that both thereligions may believe in different forms of Gods, but they are united intheir belief that one should be devoted to God. This is what he expressesin the last line of the above poem.

5.) What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans The poem has no definite rhyme scheme. It is written in free verse, and isa translation in hindi by Rabindra Nath Tagore.

WORD MEANINGS:

1.) Needless Not important, Useless2.) Alike In the same way3.) Seeking Trying to find


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4.) Folly Foolishness

5.) Sought Trying to Find (Past tense of Seek)6.) Barber A person who cuts, styles and shaves males hair7.) Carpenter A Person who makes furniture out of wood8.) Tanner a Person who makes footwear and other items from leather,

or dead animal skin9.) Distinction Difference

RABINDRANATH TAGORE WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUTFEAR

1.) Write a brief summary of the poem Where the mind is without Fear?

Ans

The poem is the dream of a poet for his nation. It is a prayer to God to givethe people of his nation a new strength so that they can live without thefear of being controlled by other people. Tagore dreams of a world whereeveryone feels free to think what is right and what is wrong, be truthful,and learn new things (gain knowledge freely). He wishes his countrymento leave all social differences behind and move into a world where one is

judged by only his actions. People should not lead dull, boring lives butreason, and find new solutions for the changing situations. Only whenthey live in such a free world or heaven, as he calls it, will they be able toprogress in life and achieve new things.

2.) Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Ans In these lines the poet expresses his dream of an ideal county. He says thatthe mind should be free from all fears of being controlled by others, orbeing burdened by expectations. We should all be able to walk withdignity, and now lower our heads in shame. Everyone should have theright to educate themselves, and have the means and equipment to learn


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more and more. Our traditional social views and customs, should notrestrict us, or divide the society on basis of caste and religion. Such is thechange he imagines for our country.

3.) Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Ans The poet wishes to live in a country where people always speak the truth.He says his country should be such that if we work consistently, and withfull dedication, then we should all be able to achieve perfection in ourwork. He compares thoughts and the human ability to reason, as beingstreams because, just like free flowing water, our creative thoughts keepflowing through our minds all the time. His dream of an ideal nation iswhere people are able to think new things and find new ways for theirsolutions, and do not become slaves of dull, boring daily routines. Hecompares such boring routines to dead habits or habits that areunproductive.

4.) Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Ans The poet prays to God to guide his country his countrymen to think ofnovel ideas that can inspire them to progress in life. Such a life, feels thepoet, will be truly progressive. The poet wishes God to lead his countyinto such a heaven of positivity and advancement.

5.) What is the theme of the poem?

Ans The theme of the poem is to free our minds from negative thoughts, andeducate ourselves so that we can keep progressing in life, and can live in

harmony with people from different cultures and religions.

6.) What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans There is no definite rhyme scheme in the poem. It is written in free verse.


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7.) What are the poetic devices used in the poem Where the Mind is

Without Fear?Ans The following poetic devices have been used in the poem:a.) Anaphora Repetition of the word Where at the beginning of

Lines 1-3, and 5-7. Also repetition of word Into at the beginning oflines 8,10,11.

b.)Consonance Repetition of Consonant sounds in Head is heldhigh (Line 1); Where words come... (Line 5); striving stretches(Line 6); desert sand of dead habit (Line 8)

c.) Visual Imagery images that can be visualized by the reader e.g..,

Broken up into fragments(Line 2); narrow domestic walls (Line3); stretches its arms (Line 6); clear stream (Line 7); Dreary

Desert Sand (Line 8); letawake (Line 11).d.)Tactile imagery Images that give the reader the sensation of touch

e.g., led forward by thee (Line 9); tireless striving (Line 6)e.) Metaphor A comparison between essentially unlike things

without comparative word such as like or as. e.g., dreary desertsand of dead habit (Line 8)

f.) Personification Giving inanimate objects or abstract qualities a

human form e.g., mind is led forward by thee into ever wideningthough and action (Lines 9-10); striving stretches its arms towardsperfection (Line 6)

WORD MEANINGS:

1.) Fragments Small pieces2.) Narrow Small, not to wide, old-fashioned3.) Domestic Internal, Within the same house/set of people4.) Depth Deep Inside, Seriousness

5.) Tireless Unending, Continuous6.) Striving Moving Ahead, Progressing7.) Dreary Dull, Boring, Monotonous8.) Ever- Widening Constantly expanding, evolving, progressing


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TORU DUTT THE LOTUS

Love came to Flora asking for a flowerThat would of flowers be undisputed queen,The lily and the rose, long, long had beenRivals for that high honour. Bards of powerHad sung their claims. "The rose can never towerLike the pale lily with her Juno mien"--"But is the lily lovelier?" Thus betweenFlower-factions rang the strife in Psyche's bower."Give me a flower delicious as the roseAnd stately as the lily in her pride"--

"But of what colour?"--"Rose-red," Love first chose,Then prayed,--"No, lily-white,--or, both provide;"And Flora gave the lotus, "rose-red" dyed,And "lily-white,"--the queenliest flower that blows.

Q1. Analyse the Poem The Lotus?Ans In this poem, Toru Dutt presents the idea that the Indian Lotus is the

most beautiful of all flowers. For a long time, Lily and Rose had beenfighting for the title 'Queen of flowers.' Each flower with its own support

from poets, claimed for the title. At this time, God of Love came toGoddess Flora asking for a flower, which would be the unchallengedqueen of flowers. She wanted for a flower, which was stately as the Lilyand as delicious as the Rose. Goddess Flora gave God of Love the LotusFlower and resolved the long standing quarrel between Lily and Rose.Great poets supported the flowers according to their wish, and some poetseven raised the doubt if the lily was more beautiful than the rose. Lotuscombines the redness of the rose with the paleness of the lily. GoddessFlora created Lotus, which was both rose red and lily white.

Another thing to note is that the lotus is a flower of significance both toIndian and the Hindu religion. We can understand Toru Dutt's affectionfor an Indian flower and also she wanted to establish the superiority ofHindu religion over other religions in the world. As Toru Dutt wasbrought up and educated abroad, she always turned to classical


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mythology to establish her stand. Fond of Hindu myth but raised aChristian, loving both France and India, she illustrates the influence thatcolonialism had on many writers seeking an audience as she expresses herlove for her home in English, which was not even her second language.

2.) Discuss "The Lotus" by Toru Dutt as a Petrarchan sonnet.Ans The poem, 'The Lotus' is a sonnet in the Petrarchan type. The sonnet is

divided into two divisions, the Octave and the Sestet. The octave consistsof eight lines and the sestet consists of six lines. A sonnet deals with asingle idea, the octave proposing and the sestet resolving. Within 14 linesof the sonnet, Toru Dutt raises a problem in the Octave and resolves it inthe sestet.

There is a turn in the logical progression of the subject at the line 9 volta.Here, the general discussion between "flower factions" in Psyche's gardenturns to direct dialogue between Love and Flora: "'Give me a flowerdelicious as the rose ....'" The sestet resolution to the problem betweenLove and Flora is presented as a surprise twist when Flora offers the lotus:

And Flora gave the lotus, "rose-red" dyed.And "lily-white,"--the queenliest flower that blows.

The rhyme scheme is abbaacca dedeed. There is no ending couplet thoughthere is an ee couplet in the sestet.

Petrarchan structure is similar though there are some variations.Petrarchan sonnets are fourteen lines written in an octave and sestet.There is a turn in the logic of the subject at the line 9 calledvolta.Petrachan resolution usually presents a paradoxical twist.Petrarchan rhyme scheme for the octave is an invariable abbaabba. Thesestet may be one of many combinations of cde endings including cddcdccdeced cdcedc.

"The Lotus" is like Petrarchan sonnets in that it has the octave-sestetstructure. It also has the turn in logic at the voltaand paradoxical twist


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resolution. The rhyme scheme of the octave varies from the Petrarchanabbaabba (with three couplets) scheme. This variation creates a deviationin the sestet rhyme scheme. Since /c/ is already in the octave, the sestetmust be structured around /d/: dedeed.

This abbaacca rhyme scheme was developed by William Wordsworth.Since Dutt (March 4, 1856) was born close to one hundred afterWordsworth (April 7, 1770), and since she attended lectures for women atCambridge in England, it is probable that she intentionally borrowedWordworth's variation for her own poetry. In summary, Dutt's sonnet hasmany features that adhere to Petrarchan sonnet form though she opts for

the Wordsworthian rhyme scheme thus varying and deviating from thePetrarchan scheme.

3.) Explain the meaning of the following lines:Love came to Flora asking for a flowerThat would of flowers be undisputed queen,The lily and the rose, long, long had beenRivals for that high honour. Bards of powerHad sung their claims. "The rose can never towerLike the pale lily with her Juno mien"--

"But is the lily lovelier?" Thus betweenFlower-factions rang the strife in Psyche's bower.

Ans God of Love Cupid visited Goddess of Nature Flora because he wanted aflower that could represent him, and be regarded as the most beautifulflower in the world. So far people had either regarded the rose or the lilywith the same passion. Even poets had praised these flowers through theirverse. His counterpart Psyches garden of flowers itself was divided onthe opinion whether rose was more lovelier or lily more graceful.

4.) Explain the meaning of the following lines:

"Give me a flower delicious as the roseAnd stately as the lily in her pride"--"But of what colour?"--"Rose-red," Love first chose,Then prayed,--"No, lily-white,--or, both provide;"


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And Flora gave the lotus, "rose-red" dyed,And "lily-white,"--the queenliest flower that blows.

Ans Cupid asked Goddess Flora to give him a flower as beautiful as Rose andas Majestic as a Lily, When Flora asked him to choose a colour for theflower, he was unsure whether red(rose) would look best or white(lily). SoFlora created a flower that was pink (red+white) and was as delicious asthe rose and as stately as the Lily. It called Lotus, and ever since, ToruDutt regards, it is the most beautiful flower in the world.

5.) What are the poetic devices used in the poem?Ans Some of the poetic devices used are:

1.) Epizeuxis (repetition of word) long, long (Line 3)2.) Enjambment (run on lines) - The lily and the rose, long, long had

been Rivals for that high honour. Bards of powerHad sung theirclaims. "The rose can never tower Like the pale lily with her Junomien"

3.) Consonance (Consonant Alliteration) Floraflower(Line 1); Lilylovelier (Line 7); Rose-red (Line 11, 13)

4.) Anaphora Repitition of words And at beginning of Lines 13 and14

5.) Personification Love is personified in the entire poem; Psyche is

personified in Line 86.) Similie Delicious as the Rose (Line 9); Stately as the Lily (Line10)

7.) Diacope (Repitition of same word in same sentence) The lily andthe rose

8.) Proparalepsis (adding letters to the end of a word) queenliest(Line 14)

WORD MEANINGS:1) Undisputed Without any doubt, Unquestionable2) Rival Enemy, Opponent3) Honour Respect, Reputation4) Bards Poets5) Claims Declaration


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6) Juno - Chief Roman Goddess

7) Mien Manner of behavior, Dignified Appearance8) Faction Group, Section of People9) Strife Quarrel10)Psyche Cupids Love Interest11)Bower - a shelter made of leave, an overhead creeper12) Stately Grand, Noble, Majestic

TORU DUTT OUR CASUARINA TREE

LIKE a huge Python, winding round and round

The rugged trunk, indented deep with scars,Up to its very summit near the stars,A creeper climbs, in whose embraces boundNo other tree could live. But gallantlyThe giant wears the scarf, and flowers are hungIn crimson clusters all the boughs among,Whereon all day are gathered bird and bee;And oft at nights the garden overflowsWith one sweet song that seems to have no close,Sung darkling from our tree, while men repose.

When first my casement is wide open thrownAt dawn, my eyes delighted on it rest;Sometimes, and most in winter,on its crestA gray baboon sits statue-like aloneWatching the sunrise; while on lower boughsHis puny offspring leap about and play;And far and near kokilas hail the day;And to their pastures wend our sleepy cows;And in the shadow, on the broad tank cast

By that hoar tree, so beautiful and vast,The water-lilies spring, like snow enmassed.

But not because of its magnificenceDear is the Casuarina to my soul:


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Beneath it we have played; though years may roll,O sweet companions, loved with love intense,For your sakes, shall the tree be ever dear.Blent with your images, it shall ariseIn memory, till the hot tears blind mine eyes!What is that dirge-like murmur that I hearLike the sea breaking on a shingle-beach?It is the trees lament, an eerie speech,That haply to the unknown land may reach.

Unknown, yet well-known to the eye of faith!Ah, I have heard that wail far, far away

In distant lands, by many a sheltered bay,When slumbere

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English Literature- II B.a I Year