Lit.Guruji

Epic Epic is a long tale written in the form of a verse. In Greek Iliad and Odyssey are two great epics of Homer. In Epic mighty warriors and princes are the leading figure. They have endowed with superhuman qualities. ·        Supernatural and magical elements are present. ·        The language is exalted and noble. Conventions of the epic A) The epic starts with an invocation (prayer) to God. The theme of the poem is stated at the beginning (proposition). ·        Eg. Milton’s Paradise Lost ·        Virgil’s Aeneid ·        Homer’s Iliad. B) The Epic employs certain poetic devices like Homeric Epithet and Homeric Simile. 1.      Homeric Epithet – a term or phrase quite lengthy applied to a person repeatedly. Eg. In Tennyson’s Morte D’ Arthur   “faint Homeric echoes” occurs. 2.      Homeric Simile – comparison between two similar objects. Eg. In Arnold’s Sohrab and Rustum, Rustum is unaware his own son lying in a deadly state. This is compared to an eagle unaware abo

Elegy Elegy is a mourning poem lamenting for the dead. Death became a predominant theme for an Elegy. It was written in the elegiac measure, a couplet composed of a dactylic hexameter followed by dactylic pentameter. Poem written in this metre is ranked as elegy. At modern times theme is given utmost importance and not metre. Elegiac measure is not followed in English verse. The theme of elegy is mournful and sad. Elegy is less spontaneous than the lyric. Dr. Johnson remarked “Where there is leisure for fiction there is little grief”. Examples for Elegy Milton’s Lycidas – mourns at the death of Edward King. Tennyson’s In Memoriam – laments at the death of Arthur Henry Hallam. Shelley’s Adonias – death of Keats The Pastoral Elegy A new kind of elegy was introduced in English poetry. In this kind the poet represented himself as a Shepherd bewailing the loss of a companion. Milton’s Lycidas and Mathew Arnold’s Thyrisis are pastoral elegies. Theocritus poems I

Sonnet The word Sonnet is derived from the Italian word Sonnetto which means little sound or music. It is a fourteen lined poem expressing a single thought or feeling. Italian Sonnet The Italian Sonnet is also known as Petrarchan Sonnet. It is named after the Italian poet Petrarca. This Sonnet consists of Octave (8lines) and Sestet (6lines) . The rhyme scheme is abba abba, cde cde or cdc dcd. 1.     The octave may be divided into two stanzas called quatrains. 2.     The sestet may be divided into two of three lines each called tercets. 3.     At the end of octave there is a pause or caesura. 4.     Caesura is followed by volta , a turn in thought. The English Sonnet English Sonnet was introduced by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey during the 16 th century. English Sonnet is named after Shakespeare.        English sonnets have three quatrains with the rhyming scheme ab ab, cd cd, ef ef, gg. As it in a quatrain form there is no caesur

                         Summer Wood " Summer Wood " is a poem written by Sarojini Naidu. This poem is an extract  from her book “The Broken Wings”. She is a naturalist. She communicates her aversion for the artificiality of human life in the modern society. The poet has become tired about luxury and comfort. She no longer desire  to exist under the “ painted roofs ” and " soft and silken floor ".  She craves for  "summer-houses with over-hanging canopies of bright-red Gulmohars" .  The poet is tired of honour, fame and conflict and she aspires to "fly where cassia-woods are breaking into flame". She desires to enter the forest along with her lover to rest in peace.  “O let us fling all care away, and lie alone and dream".  Both of them are lying under the tangled boughs of tamarind, molsari and neem. The poet wishes  to play on carved flutes to awaken the slumbering serpents among the thick banyan roots. She longs to walk wit

                                   Ode   Ode is of Greek origin. It is a serious and calm composition. Ode is longer than a lyric. it is in the form of an address. It is also used to commemorate an important public ocassion. The subject matter for a ode is highly exalted and elevated in tone. The poet is serious about the choice of his subject. For example Ode on the intimation of Immortality written by William Wordsworth.  Odes expression is expected to be deep, elaborate and impressive. Ode is addressed directly to the object.  Eg : Shelley's addresses west wind as " O Wild west wind" in his "Ode to the West Wind". Keats addresses the Grecian Urn as " Thou still unravished bride of quietness". Ode commemerates the death of a distinguished person as in Tennyson's " Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington". Types of Ode The Dorian or Pindaric Ode The Greek Ode Dorian is named after the district and dialect. The term Pi

                                    Lyric Lyric or melic is a short poem sung with the help of a lyre. The term "Lyric" originated from the greek word "Iyre". Lyre is a musical instrument. The two main characteristics of a lyric are,                   I) Expresses a single emotion of the poet.                   II) It is a musical composition. A lyric is the expression of the the poets personal  feelings or thoughts. It is a subjective poem. Lyric is brief but the emotion is intense.  Edgar Allan Poe declared that " a long lyric is not possible". There are few long lyric like,                      Ode to the West Wind                     The Raven  Lyric is the purest form of poetry. It appeals more to our heart than to our intellect. Great writers of lyrical poems are Edgar Allan Poe, William Wordsworth, Shakespeare and Robert Frost. Lyric poem is divided into three parts corresponding to the three moods. I)The first part states the emotion.

                         Once upon a time                                     - Gabriel Okara Once upon a time is a poem written by Gabriel Okara. He is a Nigerian poet and novelist. In this poem the poet compares the mentality of the Africans before and after colonialism. In this poem a father expresses his nostalgic feeling for the past to his son. He desires to live in the past because their was love, care, hospitality and compassion. But in the present world people lack those things.             Once upon a time, son            they used to laugh with their hearts                ..............................             but now they only laugh with their teeth At modern times people greet eachother without warmth. They shake hands while their  " ice - block cold eyes" search behind his financial status. The poet describes their eyes using a metaphor "ice - block cold eyes" inorder to show how modern people fail to understand and respect human heart

              Ceremonies and Respects                                         - Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon is a British poet, essayist and a philosopher. He is known as “the Father of English Essays”. His essay Ceremonies and Respects was published in the "Essays of Counsels, Civil and Moral” in 1597. In this essay Bacon talks about the greatness of possessing great virtue. Bacon commences the essay stating "a real man should possess great virtue". He compares greatness with stone which needs polish to glow. Similarly a man should shape himself to become more virtuous.   He further  quotes, “ light gains make heavy purses” . The small virtues possessed by a man is highly commendable and praiseworthy.  But great virtues are occasional as festivals celebrated with ceremonies. The reputation gained for little virtue is like perpetual letters of commendatory to have good forms of behaviour ( Queen Isabella says). To achieve great virtue one must not igno

                     Nature as Monster                                         -Margaret Atwood Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer. She is famous for her work The Survival . In Survival,  Atwood has written a chapter named  'Nature as a Monster'. In this chapter she depicts the hostility of Nature towards mankind. Atwood decries nature to be deadly and alive. In Canada the most dominating season is Winter. During this season the landscape is veiled with Snow and Ice. William Wilfred Campbell in his poem Winter's Lake describes Canada as a land of death "Out in a world of death for the Northward lying".  In this chapter Atwood talks about the pre-conceived notion of the migrants. The double-minded notion  is Canada is a land of vastness, richness, fertility, plentiness and filled with scenic beauty. With this idea the  immigrants migrated to Canada with great expectations and dream. But in reality the land is cruel and deadly.  After discovering the

As You like it as a Pastoral Play As you Like It is a pastoral play written by William Shakespeare. It was written in the year 1599. This play is based on a work entitled Rosalinde written by Thomas Lodge. The play is a pastoral comedy. Pastoral refers to the life of the shepherds and shepherdess. The play begins in France and later shifts  to the Forest of Arden. The setting of the Forest of Arden is entirely pastoral, a space populated by shepherds. The Forest of Arden represents the country life and an escape from corruption while the Duke's court represents corrupted city life. Rosalind's father, Duke Senior, has been banished by his own brother, Duke Frederick. Frederick is the villain in this play. Although he banishes Rosalind's father, he allows her to stay because she is so close to Celia. However, his patience runs out, and he decides to banish Rosalind as well.  Rosalind and her cousin Celia, daughter of Duke Frederick escape into the forest and fin

The Lion and the Jewel  The Lion and the Jewel is  a play written by Wole Soyinka. It was first performed at the Royal Court theatre, London in the year 1959. Themes in this play are vanity, gender role and modernity versus tradition. The play is set in the village of Ilujinle, Nigeria. Sidi, the 'Jewel' in this play is a beautiful young girl. She carries a pail of water past the school. Lakunle, the Maths teacher works in this school. He is a man with modern thoughts. He speaks to Sidi and rebukes her for carrying water on her head. Lakunle loves Sidi and he wishes to marry her. He refuses to pay her bride-price which is against the African tradition. His modern ideas are disliked by Sidi. Sidi is ready to marry him if he readily gives her the bridal-price. Sidi is informed about a photographer who visited the village some years ago. He has entered the village with the magazine that bore the images of the villagers and village. In the Magazine Sidi occupies a cen

Swan Song  Swan Song is written by Anton Chekov. 'Swan song' refers to the final performance given before death or retirement. The protagonist in this one-act play is Vasili Svietlovidoff. He expresses his feelings and emotions to Nikita Ivanich, a prompter.      Svietlovidoff is a 68 yrs old comedian. He has forty five years of experience in acting field. Old age has reduced his eagerness and strength in acting. This makes him feel tired and worthless. He feels isolated and lonely. He realises the fact that not even a single person is there to comfort him as he has grown old.        Vasili Svietlovidoff is reminded of his past life. As  a comedian he has gained great fame and applause from audience. He cherishes the memory of his lover. At the same time he feels lonely because his lover has rejected to marry a comedian.      He compare himself with squeezed lemon and broken bottle. He thinks he is losing his acting ability and can’t live with truth that how he is g

  Uncle Podger Hangs a Picture.  Jerome. K. Jerome is a humourist and Journalist. His short story "Uncle Podger Hangs a Picture" is an extract from Three Men in a Boat. In this story Uncle Podger tries to hang a picture. The author mocks at the patriarch through this insane incident. He is an observer of humans and their flaws.             Uncle Podger is a comic figure. He is unable to fix  a picture on the wall.  He calls for Will to get the hammer and Tom to get the rule. He struggles to hang the picture and drops it down. He cuts for himself and screams for his handkerchief.            Unable to find his handkerchief he shouts. "Six of you! And you can't find a coat". After a great roar he discovers his coat. He forgets his hammer and other instruments. He drops the string and loses his balance. He falls on a piano which produces a sweet music.  Uncle Podger blames Aunt Maria to be responsible for creating lot of fuss. Finally he hangs the pictur

Shakespeare Sonnet  William Shakespeare is the father of English drama. He has written 154 sonnets. prominent playwrights and poets of the sixteenth century. He wrote many famous plays and sonnets. Shakespeare sonnet 18, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is one of his fine creation.  It was written in the year 1590s and published in 1609.  He addresses his sonnets to two different persons. One is believed to be a male beloved and the other is a dark lady. SONNET 18 SUMMARY In sonnet 18 the poet compares the young man to Summer Day. He is baffled about his comparison and tells that his beloved is beautiful than Summer Day. His friend is more lovely and temperate than the harsh summer.  During summer season the sun shines  brightly, and is too hot. The pleasant weather does not stay. Similarly, the sunshine is sometimes very faint, and the weather gets cold. Describing the flaws in summer season the speaker reflects on the nature of beauty in general. Beauty is d

Summary for The Selfish Giant.  The Selfish Giant is a wonderful short story written by Oscar Wilde. This story talks about a selfish Giant. The children used to visit the giant garden. They play in his garden every afternoon after returning from school. The garden remained a paradise for those kids. It was a heavenly place filled with tree bearing rich fruits and beautiful flowers all over. The birds sang melodiously perching on the top of the trees.        The Giant stayed with his friend, Cornish Ogre. After seven years he returned home. The children were frightened to see the giant. The giant chased away the kids playing in his garden. He disliked the kids playing in his garden.  So, he built a huge wall around the garden and hang a board stating that Trespassers would be Prosecuted . The children became sad as they lost a wonderful place for playing games. They roamed about the high walls of the garden. The kids missed the scenic beauty of the garden.  Soon, Spring

        Fra Lippo Lippi Summary                                  - Robert Browning  Fra Lippo Lippi  is a dramatic monologue written by Robert Browning in 1855.  This poem is written in blank verse. It talks about the conflict between art and religion. Browning depicts a 15 th century real-life painter Fra Lippo Lippi. He was a monk and painter of Italy. Fra Lippo is the speaker of this poem. He is a monk and a painter. The poem begins with the entry of Fra Lippo Lippi stumbling home late at night. The policemen caught  hold of Lippo for entering a brothel house. Lippo informs the policemen about his return to home. He mocks at the guard for their mistake and informs about Cosmio Medici. Hearing the name of Medici the police release Lippo. Lippo speaks about his past life to the guard. He lost his parents when he was a child. His life was miserable. He led his life along the street. He ate the food of dog. At the age of eight his aunt sent him to a convent. In the convent he wa

         To His Coy Mistress To His Coy Mistress is a poem written by Andrew Marvell. He is one of the celebrated poets of The Metaphysical School of Poetry. This poem was written in the year 1650 and was published in the year 1681. In this poem the poet urges a young woman to enjoy the pleasures of life before death approaches her. This poem is a Carpe diem or seize the day. This poem emphasis that life is short and time is fleeting. This is a beautiful love poem were a gentleman is making love with his mistress. This gentleman takes great effort to convince the Coy Mistress. She refuses to make love with the man as she feels coy (shy). He claims that if he had enough time he could spend his entire life admiring her beauty.       He would allow her to walk by the river Ganges and collect rubies. On the other side the poet is ready to walk by the river Humber in England and write his poems. He is ready to spend a hundred years to praise her eyes and forehead. He needs

                              The Lamb                                         - William Blake Lamb is a poem written by William Blake in the year 1789. He is a visionary poet. This poem has both pastoral and religious elements. The title of the poem "Lamb" refers to Jesus Christ. He is called as the Lamb of God - Gospel of John 1:29. This poem is a hymn to God sung in praise of God's grandeur.  In the first stanza of the poem the speaker is a child. The child questions the lamb about the mystery concealed behind it's creation. The speaker probes about the divine soul, who is responsible for its (lamb) acquired knowledge of grazing and the tender voice which has the power to bring delight and happiness. It's woolen clothing adds natural beauty to the lamb.  In the second stanza the speaker answers the questions putforth by the child. Lamb symbolizes innocence. Jesus Christ is called as the Lamb of God. He is gentle, meek, and mild as a lamb. He is the

Pronoun A pronoun is a word that can replace a noun in a sentence. There are 9 types of pronouns, 1.     Personal pronoun 2.     Demonstrative pronoun 3.     Interrogative pronoun 4.     Reflexive pronoun 5.     Emphatic or intensive pronoun 6.     Reciprocal pronoun 7.     Indefinite pronoun 8.     Distributive pronoun 9.     Relative pronoun 1.     Personal pronoun We use a simple substitute for the proper name ( I, you, we, he, she, it, they). Eg. Geetha – She        Rama – He        Cow – It 2.     Demonstrative pronoun Pronoun that point to specific thing. Eg. This is my book.       That looks like a bird.       These are nice shoes.       Those are my slippers. 3.     Interrogative pronoun This pronoun is used to ask questions. Eg. Who are you?       When are you going to Chennai?      What is your name?       Where are you going?        How are you? 4.     Reflexive pronoun Pronouns are used as o

Dictionaries Dictionary helps us to develop our vocabulary. Learner’s can use,  1. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary  2.  Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD). OALD provides you with Ø  Synonyms                                                 Ø  Collocations Ø  Phrasal verbs and idioms Ø  Wordlists Ø  Guided activities 3. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English (OLDAE) is useful for students belonging to various field. For example, the meaning of ‘reaction’ in  the subject ‘chemistry’ is more technical than the general meaning. 4. The Oxford English-English-Tamil Dictionary is used by learners and translators. Use the Thesaurus A thesaurus is a type of dictionary in which words with similar meanings are arranged in groups. It provides a list of synonyms and antonyms. It is handy. When you write an article thesaurus will help you to avoid repeated use of a word. Encyclopaedia Using encyclopaedia is smart and it helps you to begin

Unit II Communicative English 1.    Listening and speaking a.      Listening with a purpose Purpose of Listening ·        Listening for enjoyment ·        Listening to learn ·        To understand and share ideas ·        To solve a problem ·        To follow directions Way of Listening ·        Maintain eye contact ·        Focus on ideas ·        Listen carefully ·        Identify goals and problems    B. Effective listening ·        Focus on the content ·        Look for familiar words ·        Identify the chunk of words ·        Pay attention to tonal variation   C. Tonal Variation Speech without tonal variation is incomplete and monotonous. Falling Tone i.         Matter of fact. I live in Tamil nadu He is twenty years old.     ii.     Wh – questions Where do you live?  When did you come ?  iii.    Commands      Close your books and listen.     Take it away. iv.   Exclamatory        How nice of you!       W

JOURNAL (DIARY) WRITING    Diary entry writing is nothing but sharing an experience or feeling to your diary. It helps us to develop our writing skills. Writing a dairy has got a great significance in human life. It improves our  I.  creativity II. In making decision  III. Keep track of our life's goals   IV.   Memory .  For diary writing entry should not be made about your daily routine, instead it is good to write your experiences. You can express your feelings and emotions. According to Franz Kafka           “ One  in keeping a diary is that you become aware with reassuring clarity of the changes which you constantly suffer". Diary writing is completely personal so you can use  formal or informal language. Before writing the content enter the date, day and time.