Lit.Guruji

                          Heroic Couplet The Heroic Couplet consists of two iambic pentameters (lines of ten syllables). Eg : We think/our fa/thers fools,/so wise/we grow, Our wi/ser sons/ no doubt,/will think/us so. It is called "heroic" because 10 syllable iambic verse, whether it rhymes or not, is the usual form of epic verse in English celebrating heroic exploits.  Characteristics of Heroic Couplet 1. There is a pause at the end of the first line, indicated by a comma.  2. There is a pause at the end of the couplet, indicated by full stop. 3 .The couplet is closed. 4 .The rhyme is single e.g. "grow" and "so". 5 .Ten syllables. Usage of Heroic Couplet The usage of Heroic Couplet varied from time to time and from poet to poet. It was most correctly used by pope. The Heroic Couplet was first used in England by Chaucer . He employed in his Canterbury Tales.  The Elizabethans used it with equal skill in their poetry and drama. For eg. Shakespear

                            How to Win?                                          - Shiv Kera Shiv Kera is one of the famous motivational speaker and he energize the audience by delivering matters in simplified manner. In his prose piece " How to Win? " Kera motivates the readers to build positive self-esteem.  Self-esteem is the way we feel about ourselves. The author volunteered to teach attitude and self-esteem programmes for his jail friends. The  behavioural changes in a person will showcase the process of learning.  The narrator asked the first jail inmate about the effect of motivational programme. The jail mate replied that he read Bible, and further claimed that he was going to try to be a contributing member of the society. The narrator asked him to get rid of the word "try".  Another jail mate approached Shiv and asked "what do you get paid to do all this". The narrator's purpose was not money. He has come there for his own s

                            Dark Room                                       - R.K. Narayan R.K. Narayan is a leading Indian writer. His novel "The Dark Room" is published in the year 1938. This novel talks about the life of a timid, submissive, sacrificial and suffering woman Savitri. She is the mother for two daughters (Sumathi and Kamala)  and one son (Babu). She is scorned and abused by her bossy husband Ramani.  Ramani works for the Engladia Insurance Company, Malgudi. He is very domineering and cynical in his ways. He is a irritable person. He keeps his house gloomy and his wife, Savitri, his children and servants in a state of terror.  Savitri is a true symbol of traditional Indian woman. She is very beautiful and remains silent. She is deeply devoted to her husband. In the 15yrs of their married life, Savitri has received only abuses and rebukes. Ramani treats his kids in a bossy manner.  Savitri often feels hurt and dejected and she puts herself in a dark

                   Vanishing Animals                                  - Gerald Durrell Gerald Durrell (1925 - 1995) was a naturalist, Zookeeper, author and television presenter. He was born at Jamshedpur in India. "Vanishing Animals" is an interesting piece of writing which introduces us to problems of the animals facing the threat of extinction.  Gerald begins the essay calling the Pere David Deer as "refugees" in England. A French Missionary, Father David  discovered the existence of this deer in China. In 1865 the father heard about the existence of a  strange herd of deer in the Imperial Hunting Park, China. This park was guarded by Tartar Soldiers.  Father David managed to enter this park. He was delighted to see a new species which he had never seen in his past. He realized that the deer were strictly protected. He desired to send few of these species to Europe, but the Chinese authorities would not allow him to transport them to Europe. So he unla

            Duchess of Newcastle                                     - Virginia Woolf Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673) was a royalist, philosopher, duchess, and a writer. She was a poet, essayist and a pioneer of science fiction. She published her works under her original name, which was rarity during her period.Virginia Woolf described her as “a giant cucumber…noble and Quixotic and high-spirited, as well as crack-brained and bird-witted.” Cavendish’s enemies called her “ Mad Meg.” “I do not like her at all,”  said Samuel Pepys.  Margaret Lucas was born at St. John’s Abbey. She is the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Lucas. Among the eight children of Thomas, Margaret is the youngest one. She belonged to a royal family. She lost her father at the age of two. She was educated at home. She learned the art of dance, music, and needlework. She had an interest in writing at her young age.  The civil war broke out in England during the year 1640. The members of Margaret's fa

                       Soliloquy and Aside  Soliloquy is a secret thought uttered aloud on the stage to acquaint the audience of what is passing in his mind. It is spoken when no other actor is present.This device was long an accepted dramatic convention, especially in the theatre of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The main purpose of a soliloquy is to tell you how they are feeling. For example, in Shakespeare's King Lear, his soliloquy demonstrates to the audience he's going crazy. The Aside is a passing thought uttered aloud by an actor infront of other characters on the stage, who are not supposed to hear it. It is the shortest form of soliloquy. It is as unnatural as the soliloquy.  The soliloquy is used in farce and melodrama till  and end of 19th century. Later both Aside and soliloquy have vanished during the modern drama. The soliloquy has a honoured place in literature. Some of the noblest passages in Shakespeare are cast in that form. Eg: Hamlet'

                     Dramatic Irony Types of Irony Dramatic Irony is a form of contrast. It is a situation in which the audience or reader has a better understanding of events than the characters in a story do.  Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean.  Example: In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night the conversation taking place  between the Duke and Viola, disguised  as a page, illustrates the use of verbal irony. Similarly in  As You Like It Rosalind disguised as shepherd, speaks to Orlando her lover, in the Forest of Arden. Disguise is a source of verbal irony.  Irony of situation in which circumstances covey opposite meanings to the characters on the one hand and audience on the other.  An example of situational irony is Macbeth's castle, were Duncan finds pleasure, but the audience is aware about his death. The greatest example of situational irony in the play is  Oedipus tryin