Summaries of:
1.THE GRANDMOTHER
In this poem, “The
Grandmother,” Bear concentrates on his grandmother. The poem can be read both
literally and metaphorically[1]. Literally, he draws a picture of his
all-loving and all-inspiring grandmother, and metaphorically, the poet tries to
reflect upon the vanished[2] communities of Native American tribes in general
and the Mesquaki tribe in particular. Ray Young. Bear, draws a realistic
picture of his grandmother, all-loving, all-inspiring and remember
the remarkable shape, movement, voice and activities, of his grandmother. He shows deep love towaras her. Though his grandmother is no longer in this world, the Images of her ‘wearing a purple scarf round her head and holding a plastic shopping bag in her hand’ often comes to the poet. The poet says that he can not see my grandmother’s shape, nor feel her hands on my head, nor hear her voice coming from the rock. He can only think what he would do if he saw her shape, felt her hands on my head and heard her voice. She is no more with him. If he could see her face from a distance, from a mile away, he would quickly know that it was his grandmother with the purple scarf and plastic shopping bag. If he could feel hand on my head, he would know her warm and damp hands from where she would come with the smell of roots. If he could hear a voice coming from the rock he would know that it was my grandmother’s voice. He would feel her words flowing inside him. The flow of her words would be like the light coming out of the sleeping fie at night. The poet says that her voice would be the source of inspiration for him. The memory of his grandmother takes the poet back to his childhood when they shivered (trembled) with cold at night and his grandmother would move the fire from the thick ashes to create warmth. Though the poet’s grandmother left him many years before. But her images, voice, love, inspiration and memory are still animating in the mind and heart of the poet. Likewise the activities, behaviours, intructions, shape and so many other memory of his grandmother are the source of living which encourage him at all the moment.
INTERPRETATIONS:
the remarkable shape, movement, voice and activities, of his grandmother. He shows deep love towaras her. Though his grandmother is no longer in this world, the Images of her ‘wearing a purple scarf round her head and holding a plastic shopping bag in her hand’ often comes to the poet. The poet says that he can not see my grandmother’s shape, nor feel her hands on my head, nor hear her voice coming from the rock. He can only think what he would do if he saw her shape, felt her hands on my head and heard her voice. She is no more with him. If he could see her face from a distance, from a mile away, he would quickly know that it was his grandmother with the purple scarf and plastic shopping bag. If he could feel hand on my head, he would know her warm and damp hands from where she would come with the smell of roots. If he could hear a voice coming from the rock he would know that it was my grandmother’s voice. He would feel her words flowing inside him. The flow of her words would be like the light coming out of the sleeping fie at night. The poet says that her voice would be the source of inspiration for him. The memory of his grandmother takes the poet back to his childhood when they shivered (trembled) with cold at night and his grandmother would move the fire from the thick ashes to create warmth. Though the poet’s grandmother left him many years before. But her images, voice, love, inspiration and memory are still animating in the mind and heart of the poet. Likewise the activities, behaviours, intructions, shape and so many other memory of his grandmother are the source of living which encourage him at all the moment.
INTERPRETATIONS:
The grandmother of the
poet is the prominent and highly regarded women of contemporary America who
represent the difficulties in Mesquaki tribe. The poet assumes and senses that
he would see the shape of his grandmother from the miles away. Poet sees his
grandmother from his inner eyes, that it is his merely assumption only, and he
would recognize his grandmother instantly who is coming from the long distance.
He even assumes that if he would see from his outer eyes, he would see his
grandmother coming from the long distance or from the mile away by wearing
purple scarf and carrying plastic shopping bag. The poet assumes that if he
felt hand on his head, the poet know that those hands were his grandmother’s
which are warm and damp with the smell of roots. Again, the poet assumes that
if he heard a voice from the rock, he would know that he words are resounded in
his heart with instant flow inside him like the light of someone stirring ashes
from a sleeping fire at night. The poet implies the rigid suppression to the
Mesquaki tribe by the Americans, especially the white Americans. In spite of
suppression, discrimination and contempt, the tribe strongly existed in the
American states. The poet sustains the cultural ethics, values and norms of
Mesquaki tribe. The poet reveals the difficulties of women in that tribe, the
poem shows that women in that tribe faces great struggle to sustain their
lives.There is the rustic scene of American countryside where the tribes
reside.
2. ABOUT LOVE
Plot (Analysis)
>> Alyohin –
narrator/speaker of the story >> Talking with his guests Burkin and Ivan
Ivanych about Russina perspective of love.
>> Initiates the
story of two servents Nikanor, the cook and the beautiful girl Palageya. Its
like a mismatch of love. The girl Palageya was so beautiful whereas Nikanor was
clumsy, fat and very bad looking.
>> Alyohin
present the violent love affair between two servants where the cook Nikanor was
high temper. She didn’t want to marry him but live with him. When he was in
drunk; he used to swear and beat her and she would hide in down stair and sob.
>> Alyohin
analyses the love between the servants. Why did not she fall in love with
somebody more like herself inwardly and outwardly? Personal happiness does not
count in love and it uncertain and vague as well as mysterious. Love is not the
absolute solution of happiness and several questions regarding love are
unanswered.
>> The speaker
continues to state more about love on Russian perspective. “Russians who are
cultivated have a weakness for these questions that remained unanswered. Love
is usually poeticized, embellished with roses, nightingales; but we Russians
embellish our love with these fatal questions, and choose the least interesting
of them, at that.”
>> He recalled
that he was fallen in love with a girl when he was a student in Moscow but she
did not perform the act of love. “When we are in love, we never stop asking
ourselves whether it is honorable or dishonorable, sensible or stupid, what
this love will lead to, and so on”
>> When Alyohin
was telling a story about love to his guest; the atmosphere was not good. There
was grey sky and drenched (wet) tree and he was telling a story being so
lonely.
>> He continued
that he returned to his home at Safyino; after graduated from the University
and started farming to pay off the debt of his father for his education. While
staying in village; he was a bookish fellow who read The Messenger of Europe.
>> He was
elected as honorary justice of peace and went to town for circuit court and met
several educated people; lawyers including Luganovich; the assistant president
of circuit court.
>> Luganovich
invited the Alyohin for dinner where he had an opportunity to meet with Anna
Alexeyevna; wife of Luganovich. Alyohin was fascinated by the beauty of Anna
even after she gave birth to child in the age of 22.
>> Both husband
and wife were so fond of him. He regularly visited their home for dinner.
Alyohin was quite positive to save innocent people from the arson (firing in
house) case in the court.
>> Alyohin was
restless because of the natural; and elegant beauty of Anna; so he couldn’t
stop without meeting her and soon returned to town from his home Safyino. He
was in love with her despite the fact that she was married.
>> He received
the parcel from Anna and remained so much excited. He thought that the
Luganovichs understood his loneliness. So they became his friends. They also
asked him if he required money; they would happy to help him.
>> He said that
he was always thinking of Anna why she married the dull and simple hearted man
of over forty and had children for him. Alyohin said the beauty of Anna didn’t
match with her husband Luganovich.
>> He said that
he had loved her tenderly, deeply, but he had reflected and kept asking himself
what their love could lead to if they did not have the strength to fight
against it.
>> Alyohin said
that if she said her feeling to him and her husband; the result would be
terrible.
>> As time
rolled on; Anna had two children and the grown up children hung on his neck
saying Uncle Pavel Konstantinovich.
>> He recalled
that they had gone to theatre together and watched opera sitting side by side.
>> Anna tried to
run away from her husband and children and stayed at her mother or sister. It
was the dissatisfaction towards her own life and means of approach to Alyohin.
>> They did not
utter their love to each other and remained silent.
>> Later
Luganovich received an appointment in Western Province and they had to sell
their villa and everything to go there. Several people were there to bid good
bye to Anna Alexeyevna.
>> Alyohin
rushed to station to bid good bye and to give her the forgotten basket.
>> Finally they
met; and embraced with burning pain in their hearts. Alyohin finally confess
his love to her. Before they parted forever; he kissed her and pressed her
hands. The train was moiving and he was wandering here and there in the station
and crying.
>> At last;
according to Alyohin; he went to Sofyino missing her much. Burking and Ivan
Ivanych were expressed pity over him whose condition was like the squirrel in
the cage.
Summary
“About Love” is a
famous Russian story written by a famous story-writer, Anton Chekhov. In the
story, Chekhov presents the difference between two love stories and tries to
prove that “Love” like that is not bound by conjugal relations. He views that
love is true and spiritual. Happiness, unhappiness, morality, sin, virtue,
social status, class, prestige etc. have nothing to do with love. Alyohin is
the narrator in this story. He had been living as a poor farmer at Sofyino
since he graduated from the university. The story begins when the narrator and
his two guests-Bufkin and Ivan were hav,ing breakfast in a country house.
Alyohin told about the violent love affair between his two servants Nikanor and
Pelageya. According to the narrator, pelageya didn’t want to marry Nikanor but
she was ready to live with him just so. On the other hand, Nikanor couldn’t
stay with her before marriage for religious reasons. Alyohin says that love is
a hindrance and a source of dissatisfaction and irritation. To justify his
statement, he began his own story.
Alyohin had to work
hard at Sofyino to payoff his debt·as his father had spent a lot of money on
his education by mortgaging the land. Though he was a landowner, Alyohin had to
work hard in the farm with his servants. Many years before, he had been elected
honorary magistrate and sometimes he had to go to the town to participate in
the court session. Unexpectedly, one of his friends, Luganovich invited him for
dinner. There, he was very much attracted by t.he young and beautiful Ana
Alexeyevna, the wife of Luganovich. In the later days, he frequently visited
her and they spent much time together falking for hours and going to the
theatre. Though they couldn’t miss the company (mtr) of each other, they didn’t
express their desires, love and feedings. They hid feelings fearing that it
would ruin both of their lives.
At last, as a result
of unexpressed feelings, Anna had got mental sickness and she had to go to
Cremea for treatment. Many people gathered at the railway station to say
goodbye to Anna. When the train started to move, Alyohin ran toAnna with her
basket which she had forgotten. Their emotional eyes met together and their
spiritual strength couldn’t stop them falling in each other’s arms. They kissed
each other and expressed their deep love. However, they parted forever and
Alyohin returned to his farm land (village) being sad and he would never meet
her again in his life. The true love of Alyohin is the means of living. The
moment of her memory often relieved Alyohin in his life.
3. The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner
The poem is spoken
from the point of view of an old man who looks upon the political and romantic
obsessions of the young Irish. He suggests that once upon a time he too “talked
of love and politics” but that now, with his age perspective, his thoughts rest
on Time and eternal questions. In the final stanza, we learn that these
meditations are not pleasant, as he suggests that no woman pay him attention
due to his age, thought he still recalls the women he once loved. The poem ends
as he curses Time, which has changed him from young to old.
The Poem “The
Lamentation of the Old Pensioner ” is a revised version of Yeats’s earlier poem
“The old pensioner” (1890). The speaker of the poem is no longer a young man
but an old pensioner who can but only think how beautiful the youth was. In his
youth, he used to sit round the fire with his friends and they used to talk of
love or politics. The young people, even now, are engaged in warfare and
struggle to fight against the human tyranny. However, the speaker’s attention
is, deeply focused on Time (’R’1J that has changed him into an old and
incapacitated (W1nl) man (broken tree). Therefore, at the best, he carr only
remember and express his sorrow for that passing youth, vigor, zeal and beauty.
The title is apt because it states the condition of the speaker (an old
pensioner) and what the poem is about lamentation.
Analysis
The poem is based on a
conversation that Yeats had with an elderly poet. He wrote in a letter that the
poem was :little more than a translation into verse of the very words of an old
Wicklow peasant.”
Wicklow, by the way,
is a green, rural county south of Dublin. This precise technique of observation
of peasants is what Yeats later recommended to J.M. Sybge upon meeting him in
Paris, and which led to successful works like The Playboy of the Western World.
The elderly peasant’s
lamentation is that time has transformed him into someone that is no longer
important or viable. This is in contrast to Yeats’s other, more wistful and
gentle portrayal of age in the rest of the collection. The pikes to which the
“old pensioner” refers are the weapons traditionally used in nationalist
uprisings against the British, which the man is too old for, so regards as
futile.
The poem complicates
Yeats’s earlier poems, many of which exhort the Irish to contemplate eternal
questions like Time rather than take up their pikes, so to speak, for a passing
political issue. This old man, who is forced away from politics and love, shows
the downside of such contemplative non-participation in life. Of course, he is
still tormented by the passions of his youth for women and conservation, and so
his mediations aren’t exactly what Yeats has in mind in poems like “Who Goes
With Fergus?” and “The Man Who Dreamed of Faeryland.”
4. Two Long-Term Problems: Too Many People, Too Few
Trees
The significant writer
and processor Moti Nissani has raised the two long-term problems in his essay,
they are: over population and deforestation. Because of industrialization,
nutrition, sanitation and modern medicine, people are living longer and the
world population is increasing rapidly. The writer is worried by the fact that
over populating will have a bad impact to the natural world. To produce more
food for more people, the trees will be cut down and forests will be
cultivated. Moreover, the growing population will pollute rivers, lakes, air,
drinking water, soil and the whole natural world. Such environmental pollution
will cause different kinds of diseases such as cancer, asthma and respiratory
diseases. Overpopulation causes deforestation. Deforestation will cause floods,
landslides, soil-erosion, droughts, greenhouse effects and the loss of various
species of plants, birds and animals.
Nissani further says
that every year there are 80 million more people in the world. He presents the
realistic pictures of Nepal. In 1951, there were nine million people In Nepal.
After less than 50 years, the . population grew to 23 million. As an average
Nepalese woman gives birth to five ·children, Nepal’s population growth rate is
high. If this high birth rate continues, Nissani says that Nepal’s population
will reach 368 million after 140 years. If such overpopulation .is not checked,
Nepal will have to face various devastating problems in the near future.
In the essay, Moti
Nissani encourages us to protect trees for the future generation. He has
recommended few steps from where we can prevent chopping down of the trees and
restore healthy atmosphere. we need wisdom, courage and compassion (concerns)
to control the problems of overpopulati9n and deforestation. We can control
deforestation by controlling population and by educating them about the bad
impacts of deforestation. We can solve this problem by deforestation and using
smokeless stove. Effective family planning is the main remedy (treatment) of
controlling over population. People should be encouraged to plant trees and
they should be discouraged to cut trees. Concluding the essay; Nissani stresses
that we should have willingness and passion to reduce population and plant
trees which will help us to live healthier and our future will also be bright
and safe.
5. Full Fathom Five Thy Father
Lies
- William Shakespeare
The poem “Full Fathom
Five Thy Father Lies” is a song sung by the Spirit Ariel in Shakespeare’s play
“The Tempest”. The Spirit sings this song to Ferdinand, the prince of Naples,
who mistakenly thinks that his father is drowned.
The speaker of this
poem is Ariel who is very powerful spirit of wind who flies lightly and
invisibly playing music and singing songs. Here he sings the song about the
death of Ferdinand’s father. According to him, Ferdinand’s father lies thirty
feet below the surface of the sea. Ferdinand is very worried about the death of
his father. Giving him sympathy Ariel says that his father has got quite
meaningful death. His body is not decayed. Every part of his body has been
changed into something beautiful, valuable and strange. His eyes are
transformed into pearls and bones are’ changed into coral. The sea nymphs
welcome his death by ringing the death bell “Ding-dong” every hour.
In this poem, the
spirit Ariel has presented very artful and melodious description about the
death of Ferdinand’s father. The prince of Naples is worried thinking that his
father is drowned. He is very sad about the meaningless death of his father.
However, Ariel gives him sympathy by making the death meaningful through his
powerful and magical description. He says that nothing of the dead body has
decayed or rotten wastefully. Everything of the dead body is changed into
meaningful and precious objects at the bottom of the sea. Ariel finally
requests Ferdinand to listen to the death-bell rung by the sea nymphs to
welcome his father’s beautiful and meaningful death.
6. A Hurried Trip to avoid a bad star
- M. Lilla and C.
Bishop Barry
This is an essay
written by the two American geographers M. Lilla and C. Bishop Barry present an
exploration of the Karnali region which they did on foot for 15 adventurous
months. After Christmas the two authors start their trip to know how Karnali is
economically linked with Nepalgunj. Their fellow travelers bring medicinal
herbs, hashish (1J1;;fT) hand-knit sweaters and blankets in their baskets ~ to
sell them in Nepalgunj.
During their trip on
foot, the two geographers see and learn many things about the life and culture
of the people of Karnali region. On their way, a chhetri woman of 30 asks them
whether they are going to Nepalgunj. According to her, her husband left her 15
years ago to find job in the plains The woman requests the authors to send him
back if they find him. In a forest at 9,000 feet, they see some people
processing Silajit sell it in Nepalgunj. Instead of processing it in their
homes, they do it on the way because they have made a hurried trip to avoid a
bad star The people of the Karnali regions are superstitious as they believe
that a bad star may have evil influence on them.
They continue their
journey, and notice some women cutting the branches of the ‘Sal’ trees to feed
their goats. Almost all the trees have become bare. This shows that the people
of Karnali zone are not aware of the possible environmental damage. They are
ignorant about landslides, soil erosion, droughts etc. in the future. When the
authors reach terai, they sit beside a campfire and listen to the night sounds
of jackals, bats, mules and bullock carts. They walk on the paved streets and
see the vehicles. Their fellow travelers or the people of Karnali region buy
collon clothes, spice, jewelry, iron ware, aluminum and sweets to sell them in
Karnali. The authors complete their exploration in Jumla.
While they got back to
the Terai region, the two American geographers learn a lot about the
geographical condition and the life of people of the Karnali region. The
authors observe all the seasons and the people who have been living in harmony
with nature. They have been living very difficult life. As their cultivation
can not support them, they have to..Lnvolve them in trade. Some people go’to
the plains in search of job. Thus, the people of Karnali zone are uneducated,
conservative and they earn their living by the various traditional works.
7. Traveling Through the Dark
- William Stafford
“Traveling Through the
Dark” is an ironical and sentimental poem composed by William Stafford. In this
poem, the poet presents a great tension between two realities, two systems of
life. On one hand, we think and say that we have to fulfill our responsibility.
On the other hand, there are emotions warmer) than responsibility and deeper
than good judgments. The poet treats equally to the both sides of the conflict.
In this poem, the poet
describes how he is moved by the death of pregnant doe. The poem is split into
five stanzas. In the first stanza, the poet is driving along the mountain road
at night. Suddenly, he sees a deer lying dead on the edge of the Wilson River
road. He thinks to remove it from then narrow road. In the second stanza, the
speaker stops his car and goes near the deer. He finds that it is a pregnant
doe which is recently killed. Her body is already stiff, almost cold. He drags
the doe off. In the third stanza, the poet thinks seriously about the fate of
the fawn still living and waiting to be born in the womb of the dead doe
(female deer). The poet is filled with pity as it is impossible for the fawn to
be born. For some time, the poet hesitates to do anything. In the fourth
stanza, the poet describes the engine of his care. The warm and living engine
contrasts with the cold and dead doe. In the final stanza, the poet solves the
problem or tension by pushing the doe over the edge into the river.
The poem is ironical
and suggestive. The irony is directed towards those nature lovers who drive
carelessly and put the life of innocent animals in danger. Tough they show pity
to the unborn fawn, they have no sympathy for the dead doe. The reference to
the fate of alive but never-to-be born fawn makes the readers very sad and
sentimental.
8. A Story
Story” is very
humorous story written by Dylan Thomas where he presents the, adult’s world
from the point of view of a boy. The story is about a days outing narrated by a
boy. The narrator lives with his uncle and aunt. In the beginning of the story,
the narrator gives very humorous description of his uncle Thomas and aunt. His
uncle was big and noisy but his aunt was small and quiet. They loved each
others very much. Some times, being angry, the aunt beat her husband on his
head with a china dog. She didn’t like his annual outing as he would come home
heavily drunk on such occasions, she would go to her mother’s house. . This
story is an account of a trip to Porthcawl made by the narrator’s uncle and
s.ome of his friends. The narrator was also involved in the trip. One Sunday
morning, when Thomas and his friends decided to go to Porthcawl for outing by a
comfortable motor-coach, the aunt became angry with her husband as she didn’t
like the annual outing. She threatened her husband that she would go to her
mother house if he went for outing. He didn’t care her threat as she would do
it every year. His friends Will Sentry and Mr. Benjamin Franklyn came in with a
list of friends who were ready to go for outing. The narrator found that his
aunt already left the house.
Everyone was ready for
the trip. The narrator, his uncle and his friends started their outing to
Porthcawl by a bus, charabanc. When they were out of the village, they found
that Mr. Old O’ Jones was left behind. They drove back to the village to pick
Old O’Jones up. When they continued their Journey, another friend, Mr. Weazley
wanted to go back to take his teeth but everybody said that his teeth were not
necessary in the journey. They stopped outside a small public house. The owner
of the inn welcomed them as the wolf welcomes the sheep. They spent 45 minutes
in the bar drinking a lot. They sang, shouted and quarreled after being drunk.
When they emptied the inn, they continued their journey. On the way, whenever a
public house passed, they had to stop as Mr. Weazley wanted to drink. Even when
the bar was closed, they would drink behind the locked doors.
In the meantime of
their journey, they saw a river on the way, and stopped the bus and went into
the cool water. As they were drunk, some of them slipped on the stone. They
forgot Portheawl. The river was better than Porthcawl for them. It was already
evening. They wanted to return back instead of going to Porthcawl. It was dusk.
All the 30 members of the outing were wet and drunk. They stopped at a public
house for rum to keep the cold out. On the way back, Mr. Old O’Jones began to
cook supper in the middle of the bus. Mr. Weazley wanted to drink more but
there were no inns. They brought out the cases of beer, sat in the field in a
circle and drank. The narrator began to sleep against his uncle’s waistcoat.
The moon as already up and their outing was over but they didn’t reach
Porthcawl.
9. The Last Voyage of the Ghost
Ship
“The Last Voyage of
the Ghost Ship” is the imaginative story of the development of a boy into
manhood written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The story states the illusion of
ghost in reality. She describes the growth of an ordinary boy to a bold,
matured and assertive young man. The Story deals with a boy’s miraculous
observation of the Ghost Ship. At first the boy has been presented as a new man
but he gradually changes towards manhood.
The boy is the central
figure in the story who used to see the ghost ships many years before, when the
boy was very small, he saw a large ship without any lights and sound. One
night, the ship passed by his village. It was long and tall. The ship sailed to
the wrong direction. When the lights of the lighthouse fell on it, it
disappeared and when the lights were off, it appeared. The next day, the boy
saw no any sign of the ship and realized that it was his dream. The boy was
growing up everyday. In the next March, the boy again saw the Ghost Ship in the
sea. This time, the boy was sure that it was not mere dream but a reality. He
told his mother and other people in the surrounding about the existence of the
ship. However, ‘no body believed him. His mother thought that his mind was out
of order. She sent a boatman to observe whether there was ship or not. The
boatman saw nothing more than the fish and the hares. The mother of the boy
brought a chair from the town, sat on it thinking about her dead husband and
then she died.
After the death of his
mother, the boy became orphan. Nobody loved and cared him. When he saw the
Ghost Ship and shouted, people beat him. Some other women also died who sat on
the chair brought by his mother from the town. People threw the evil chair on
the sea. They hated the boy as his mother was widow who brought the evil chair
in the village. The boy didn’t want to live on the charity (~. He began to
steal fish out of the boat. He had to face many difficulties in his lonely
life. However, he never accepted defeat. He grew stronger and determined.
Isolation and anger made him firm and assertive. He took a strong decision,
stole a boat and waited for the Ghost Ship in the channel. He wanted to show
the disbelievers who he was. The large Ghost Ship reappeared. He guided the
ship to the village church. The cowards and disbelievers were surprised to see
the large ghost ship. In this way, the boy proved his adventure and bravery. He
was never confused by emotion and frightened by miracle. He faced the troubles
and accepted the challenges. In the beginning, the boy was like mud.
Towards the end of the
story, he grew into a firm rock. He proved his manhood or maturity by showing
the existence of the gigantic (large) Ghost Ship. The story presents how the
confidence and determination leads the boy to reach in the destination of his
journey to search the ghost ship as he used to see from his boyhood. It proves
that the boy’s efforts and sufferings as well as determination support him to
reach his destination.
10. God’s Grandeur
God’s Grandeur by G.M.
Hopkins
(An Analysis)
The first four line of
the octave (first eight line stanza in Italian sonnet) describe natural world
through which God’s presence runs like an electronic current, becoming momentarily
visible in the flashes like the refracted glinting of lights produced by metal
foil when rumpled or quickly moved. Alternatively, god’s presence is rich oil,
a kind of sap that wells up “to a greatness” which tapped with a certain kind
of patient pressure. Given there, clear, strong proof of God’s presence in the
world, the poet asks how that human fail to heed (pay attention to; listen to
or reck) His divine authority (his rod). The second quatrain within the octave
describes the state of contemporary human life – the blind repetitiveness of
human labour, and the sordidness and train of “toil” and “trade”. The landscape
in its natural state reflects God and its creator. But industry and the
prioritization of the economic over the spiritual have transformed the
landscape and robbed humans of their sensitivity to those few beauties of
nature still left. The shoes people wear saver physical connection between our
feet and the earth they walk on, symbolizing an ever-increasing spiritual
alienation from nature. The sestet (the final six lines of the sonnet, enacting
a turn or shift in argument) asserts that, in spite of the fallen of Hopkins’s
contemporary Victorian world, nature does not cease offering up its spiritual
indices (index). Permeating (fill) the world is a deep “freshness” that
testifies to the continual renewing power of God’s creation. This power of
renewal is seen in the way morning always waits on the other side of dark
night. The source of this constant regeneration is the grace of a God who “broods”
over a seemingly lifeless world with the patient nurture of a mother hen. This
final image one of the God’s guarding the potential of the world and contains
with Himself the power and promise of rebirth. With the final exclamation “ah!
bright wings”, Hopkins suggests both an awed intuition (instinct; insight) of
the beauty of God’s grace, and the joyful suddenness of a hatching bird
emerging out of God’s loving incubation (hatching).
Simple Synopsis
The world is full of
God’s magnificence. The electrical images (charged, shining) convey danger as
well as power of God. The poet constantly emphasizes that God’s glory is hidden
except to the inquiring eye or on special occasions. In comparing the
lightening to’ shaken gold foil, he may possibly have been influenced by the
gold-leaf electroscope. The opening lines convey Hopkin’s sense of the power
·and glory of god latent in the world. The question describes what man has done
to the world that should shine with God’s grandeur. Next comes the suggestion of
ruin and dirtiness with the vowel run seared, bleared, smeared. The process is
continued by smudge and smell, which pick up the initial consonant sound
’smear’ and, with new intensification, makes man’s smell indeed foul. One can
also notice, in Line 7, the intensifying effect in the rhyme of wears and
shares and the repetition of man’s with each: the earth is doubly infected
(wears, shares) with man’s filth (dirtiness) as it were. The first four lines
thus carry the imagery of the thunderstorm at first, the sense of brooding
expectancy and then the burst of lighting. Here, Hopkins is concerned with why
other people do not respond as he did, and the answer is suggested in the next
four lines, beginning with “Generations have trod, have trod, have trod.” Generations
of men, ignoring the miraculous quality of life, have lost touch with the
grandeur of god and become callous (heartless) to it. Their efforts have all
been away from what is most essential to them. Man has betrayed his inborn
nature instead of developing it, and has given himself up to trade,
industrialization and materialism. He has isolated himself from the sources of
knowledge to be found in nature, allowing his greed to destroy his, natural
sensitivity to beauty. The poets sweeping condemnation of 19th century
industrialization comes very close to his condemnation of man himself .”Shares
man’s smell” although it could possibly refer to smells in manufacturing, it
suggests physical loathing (hateful). But even at this stage there is hope and
faith. “And for all this, nature is never spent there lives the dearest
freshness deep down things”. Natural beauty is still a loving force to him, and
a constant reassurance of God’s concern for the world. Explicitly, Hopkins
contrasts here the beauty of nature with the ugliness of mankind’s deeds. Thus,
the poem is a protest against the materialism of the Victorian age. Although
man is greedy and wasteful, he may still hope to be saved as long as God is
there. This is an explicitly religious poem.
11. I HAVE A DREAM
“I have A Dream’ is an
unforgettable speech delivered (given) by Martin Luther King to millions of
American blacks and whites on August 28, 1963. This speech represents the hopes
and dreams of all American blacks who have been struggling for their rights and
freedom. Though the American constitution and the Declaration of Independence
have promised equal rights, justice and freedom to all the blacks and whites,
this is not implemented in practice. In the American Societies, there is still
strong racial discrimination, injustice, hatred and other inequalities between
whites and blacks. The Blacks are hated, neglected and tortured in practice. In
the American societies, there is still strong racial discrimination, injustice,
hatred and other inequalities between whites and blacks. The Blacks are hated,
neglected and tortured because of their black skin. They are deprived of their
rights, freedom, equality and justice. They are treated to be slaves and are
exiled in their own country. They live very poor and miserable life among the
rich whites. Only the whites enjoy rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Luther king addresses the American Blacks and says that they should
continue their struggle until they establish equality, peace and brotherhood in
America. However, their struggle should be without violence. He says that they
should fight for their rights without causing physical violence which may cause
bitterness and hatred. They should follow the path and philosophy of Mahatma
Gandhi. If they keep on struggling in a disciplined way, they will achieve
their aims. Luther king hopes that one day; the chains of hatred, racial
discrimination, injustice and Inequalities will be broken. The new sun will
rise with the rays of liberty, equality, peace and brotherhood. Luther King
urges that there should be immediate change in the conception of whites. The
racial and color discrimination will weaken the foundation of America. Luther
King says that his dream is the dream of America. His dream is the dream of
freedom, justice and equality. The color of the skin is not important. What is
important in humanity. Therefore one day, all discrimination and inequality
will disappear. All the blacks and whites will walk together joining hands as
brother and sister. At last, not only blacks, all the American people will be
free. There will be sweet music of liberty, justice and equality all over
America.
12. Women’s Business
The writer Ilene
Kantov is feminist writer who supports the most of the ideas of the women and
their notion in the essay in the modern trend of globalization. She portrays a
portrait of Lydia Pinkham and she goes on to tell about other business women
who follow her footsteps. Lydia Pinkham combines her business with social
service. She supports women’s rights, temperance and their social as well as
economic reform. Her kind and beautiful face shines in the pages of papers to
advertise her medicinal products to cure the diseases of women. She expects a
militant feminist would support the business policy of Pinkham. She would
certainly support women’s rights, independence as well as social and economic
upliftment. She would react positively to Lydia’s advertising to champion
women’s rights, temperance and fiscal reform. She would equally support the
women’s advice on nutrition, exercise, hygiene and child rearing. She would,
thus praise the activities of Pinkham and other women who tried to make the
women race socially aware and economically independent. Lydia Pinkham and many
other women of her time played different roles to promote women’s business.
They competed with their male counterparts and didn’t hesitate to go to the
court of law like male businessmen. A militant feminist would no doubt praise
and support all these activities of women in this essay.
However; there are
some debatable statements of the writer which are not digestible for a militant
feminist. Lydia Pinkham suggests her women customers not to go to the male
physicians. A true feminist wouldn’t support such idea. She also wouldn’t
support the altitudes of Helena and Elizabeth who attracted women to use
cosmetics in the hope of getting married to European aristocrats. She would
object the idea of limiting women’s business within their own race. A true
feminist may think that men and women are interdependent. In the absence of
either men or women, the world will not run. Thus, the business women should
focus on the equality of men and women.
“Women’s Business”
differs in many ways from their male counterparts. The business women combined
their business with social service. They displayed their images to advertise
their products. The women offered their customers more than their products.
They supported women’s rights, temperance, and social and economic reform. They
gave advice to their customers about diet, exercise, hygiene etc. They printed
reports for the women to cure physical problems, infertility nervousness,
hysteria and even marital conflict. They used their images as women to promote
their business. Helena and Elizabeth, for example, took advantage of their
images as women to promote their business of cosmetics. Some business women
tried to show their roles as mother and grandmother and some other developed
their images as glamorous fashionable women. They advertised their products,
promoted their business and earned a lot of money as well. Some women even
invested some part of their profit into good works and social reform. However,
women were more sex conscious. They helped only women and promoted traditional
women’s skills. Lydia Pinkham, the leading American Business woman of that time
advised her customers to avoid male physicians. In the realities of the market
place, some business-women didn’t support feminism.
13. The Children Who Wait
Marsha Traugot wrote
the essay “The Children who wait”, in the prevalent trend of child adoption in
few decade in America context. Marsha Traugot suggests reasons for a new trend
in adoption. Now a wider variety of Families can open their homes to children
who in the past would have been leveled unadoptable. In setting forth the
causes for this phenomenon, Traugot draws from specific case histories.
The writer begins her
essay with an example of a 51/2 years old black homeless girl named Tammy who
is suffering from fatal alcohol syndrome which can stop her intellectual growth
at any time. By this, Traugot wants to prove that she is not dealing with
fiction but a specific case study. In the past, especially before 1960, the
black, disabled, handicapped and sick children were unadoptable. Tammy has
recently been legally freed for adoption which shows the changes that have
taken place in the American adoption scene. Before 1960, only healthy white
infants could be adopted. But now, the American adoption scene has been
completely changed due to different civil rights movements, birth control,
changing social values and social science research. Because of civil rights
movements, the attitudes of American people towards Negro children changed. Due
to birth control and legalized abortion, fewer unwanted babies were born. Even
the unmarried women could keep their babies with them because of the changing
social values. As a result, healthy babies were hardly available for adoption
and people turned their attention to other children like Tammy.
Due of massive growth
of population, the number of homeless children is in the increasing trend.
Between 1960 and 1978, the number of children in the foster home reached nearly
half a million. Many states have no idea about the number of children who lived
with their biological parents, who lived in foster homes and those children who
could be adopted. If such children were left in the foster homes more than 18
months, they would suffer from different kinds of illnesses and social crimes.
It would make their life more troublesome, complicated and worse. The
politicians also wouldn’t invest any fund to begin new programs for such
children as the children have no rights to vote. So, the homeless children were
neglected and uncared. According to the child care specialists, the cost of
keeping an average child in foster home was. $3,600 to $24,000. This shows that
the foster home was expensive and cruel. The writer suggests that the social
workers should change their attitudes. They should accept even disabled children
for adoption. They should open child care centres and hold meetings.
Now, the social
workers write down the characteristics of the child and the profile of a
suitable family and then they try to match. To find the possible adoptive
parents, the social workers first look to their lists. They give detailed
information about the children to the regional exchange offices. They organize
meetings and parties for children and possible parents to meet informally. If
they still can t find adopters by personal contact, they advertise on T.V. and
publish the child’s profile in the newspapers. Thus, the child welfare
specialists and the social workers can do a lot for the children who wait for
adoption.
14. A Child is
Born
- Germaine Greer
The writer shows many
differences between a traditional and modern society in matters of pregnancy,
childbirth and childbearing. The traditional society is full of different
customs, tradition~ rituals and superstition. A pregnant woman has to follow
all such rites. She doesn’t get proper respect at home and society unless she
gives birth to a child. Because of the customs, traditions and the culture of
the traditional society, pregnant women are loved, cared and supported by her
husbands, members of her family and all the relatives. Because of this, she
doesn’t worry much about the possible pain and danger in childbirth.
The traditional
behaviors are responsible to increase her sense of security. However, in modern
western societies, a pregnant woman is not cared like this. Since the people in
the modern western society don’t believe much on different rites, traditions
and superstitions, the pregnant woman is not attended by her husband and
relatives. She is not free from mental burden. She is always worried about the
possible danger and pain of the childbirth. She has to practice pregnantal
exercises and make other preparations herself. She frequently visits doctors
for advice and to get her pregnancy checked up. Her pregnancy is not given much
importance by her family, relatives and the society.
In the traditional
eastern societies, the infant and mother mortality rate is higher because of
the lack of modern methods and equipments. The traditional childbirths are
conducted among various superstitions, customs, rites, rituals and traditions.
The pregnant women don’t visit hospitals for check up. Because of this, a large
number of women and their infants die untimely in the traditional society. In
the modern western society, however, the infant and mother mortality rate is
very low. The pregnant women shouldn’t carryon various customs, traditions and
superstitions. They frequently visit doctors and follow their suggestions. They
practice many modern methods and equipments for the childbirth. If the life of
the mother or the infant is in danger, the doctors conduct operations to save
them. Thus, the women in the modern society give birth very easily and safely
among the modern methods and facilities.
After the childbirth,
the women in the traditional Eastern society are respected and praised much for
their courage. Many people attend her with gifts to see the child and to
congratulate the mother. People organize parties to celebrate the birth
ceremony. There is feasting, singing and dancing. The mother is given
permission to go to her mother’s house for few months. The whole family helps
her to rear the child. However, there is no such system in the modern western
society. In such society, there is no one t home to welcome the child and to
praise the courage of the mother.
