Thursday, August 27, 2020
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
PART II ENGLISH - II SEM - A VALEDICTION TO FORBIDDING MOURNING
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
A
Valediction: Forbidding Mourning was written by John Donne, a metaphysical
British poet. This poem was written to his wife when he had to go for a
diplomatic mission to France, leaving his wife behind in England. At that time,
his wife was pregnant and unwell. She didn’t want him to go, but he had to go,
and thus this poem came into existence.
In
this poem, Donne likens the relationship between him and his wife to a
religious or spiritual bond between two souls.
Donne expresses this difference between them and other married couples
using many comparisons. Just as virtuous men don’t complain when they have to
die and leave this world behind, they should part without tears and sighing.
Making a public display of their sadness at the time of parting would do a
disservice to their love.
The
movement of the earth, such as in earthquakes, can cause harm and fear, but the
trembling of the celestial spheres such as the planets, although it is on a
much bigger scale than earthquakes, would not worry them. Other lovers, whose
love is fickle and changeable like the moon, cannot bear separation because
their love is based purely on physicality or the five senses and so consists of
sexual attraction. So, when they are physically apart from each other, they
cannot bear it.
But
the love of the poet and his wife’s is different. It is so refined and subtle
that they themselves don’t fully understand its constitution, and it’s based on
a meeting of minds as well as bodies. So they don’t care as much to be apart
from each other physically, and they are not worried about being unable to see
and touch each other’s eyes, lips, and hands.
Although
the poet has to physically leave his wife, their souls
don’t feel there’s any distance between them. It feels more like expansion as
when gold is beaten out into thin sheets, so it covers a greater area. He also
elaborates by saying that their love is like a pair of compasses where his wife
is the one in the centre, and he is the one which circles it. The legs of the compasses
are two, but
they’re a pair since they comprise the same one instrument. Though he moves
away from her, she will remain in a fixed place. She moves aslant in line with
the direction he travels. His wife remaining at home symbolizes her
faithfulness, and it enables him to travel in a perfect circle, ensuring that he
will end up right back where he had departed from and will be back with her.
Friday, March 6, 2020
PART II- II SEM The Bishop’s Candlesticks
The
Bishop’s Candlesticks
The Bishop was a noble and
kindhearted soul who lived with his sister Persome. He was always ready to help
anyone in distress. The doors of his house were always open for the poor and
the needy. He had donated everything except the Candlesticks, which was a
parting gift of his dying mother.
The Bishop’s sister Persome felt
that most people took advantage of his simplicity and nobility. In her opinion,
he was often cheated and misused because of his generosity. One such occasion
was Mere Gringoire; the old woman who lived on the top of the hill and did not do
any work. He was made to pay for the old lady’s house rent by selling his
salt-cellars.
One day in the midnight, the Bishop
sat to read. A convict entered his house and asked for food at knifepoint. He
threatened to kill the Bishop if he tried to call out. The convict was rude,
suspicious and full of fear. The Bishop called Persome to open the
cupboard. He treated him with kindness and provided him with cold pie, wine,
chicken and bread to eat.
The convict narrated his painful
story. He told Bishop that he lived in prison for ten years. His
wife Jeanette was ill and was dying of hunger. He stole a piece of bread for
his wife and was arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. While in
jail, he was informed that his dear wife had died. He lived in the hell for ten
long years and escaped from the prison.
The Bishop was moved on hearing the
convict’s story and asked him to sleep in his house and assured safety and
security. Saying this, he went inside to sleep. The convict happened to see the
candlesticks on the table. The Bishop had already told him before that they
were given by his mother. Unable to resist the temptation, the convict stole them
and ran away.
Soon after, the bishop and his
sister found about the missing candlesticks, and while they were discussing it,
there was some knocking at the door. A sergeant entered with three soldiers and
the convict. They told the Bishop that the convict was walking
on the road with the candlesticks, and they had arrested him on suspicion.
The cops remembered the candlesticks of the Bishop, and so they brought the
silver candlesticks there to get them identified. Though the candlesticks were
very dear to the Bishop, he saved the convict from going to prison by telling
that he had gifted them to the convict and called the convict his friend.
The convict was deeply touched by
the noble gesture and generosity of the Bishop. He was full of repentance and
asked for the Bishop’s blessings. He blessed him and also gave the candlesticks
as a gift. Then, he showed him a secret road to Paris. The noble act of the
Bishop restored the convict’s human values and human goodness. The Bishop
prayed to God believing that he had become a man again, and would lead an
honest living in Paris.
Friday, February 21, 2020
The Never-Never Nest – Cedric Mount- PART II ENGLISH- SEM II
The Never-Never Nest –
Cedric Mount
The one-act Play “The Never-Never Nest” is a comedy about a
young, naive couple, Jack and Jill. They believed in buying things in instalments.
When Aunt Jane visited the couple, she found them leading a luxurious
lifestyle. The play brings out the buy-now-pay-later marketing system which
enables the low-income group to own things, which they cannot buy easily on
their own. On the other hand, the system also makes people extravagant and
makes them fall into the habit of borrowing.
Jack and Jill was a young married couple who had a small
baby. Jill was a housewife. Jack and Jill had purchased a villa in New
Hampstead, a car, furniture, a radiogram, a piano and a refrigerator. Aunt Jane,
a relative of Jack and Jill visited their new house. She was surprised to find
that they lived in a beautiful house with all the comforts. She found it hard
to believe that Jack could afford to buy all these things. She was worried that
she had given them 2000 pounds as a wedding gift instead of 200 pounds. At this
point, Jack informed her that they had bought their house and all the expensive
things on an instalment basis.
Aunt Jane understood that though Jack and Jill had
everything, they did not own anything. Only a steering wheel of the car, a wheel
and two cylinders had been paid for. And, only one leg of the sofa that Aunt
Jane sat on, belonged to them. Jack’s salary was six pounds a week, but the
total amount of instalments he had to pay was seven pounds eight and eight
pence. When Aunt Jane asked how he could pay the extra money, Jack said that
they could always take a loan from Thrift and Providence Trust Corporation.
Again, the loan had to be paid back in instalments. Aunt Jane was glad that
Jack and Jill had everything, but she didn’t like the idea of borrowing money
to pay the instalments.
Aunt Jane was shocked at the way Jack and Jill lived in
debt. Aunt Jane believes that one should not owe money to anyone in life. She
believed that one should spend less than what he earned. She refused to sit on
Jack’s sofa and travel in his car because the sofa and car were only partly
owned by Jack and Jill. She scolded them severely and asked Jack to take her to
the bus station. Before she left, she gave them a cheque for ten pounds and told
them to use it to make at least one thing completely their own.
While Jack went with Aunt Jane, Jill sent the money to Dr
Martin. Jack came back and said that they should use the money given by Aunt
Jane to pay the instalments on the car. But Jill said that she had already used
it to pay the last instalment to the doctor. According to them, they had
purchased their baby from Dr Martin in instalment. Finally, Jack and Jill
become complete owners of their baby. The end of the play is ironical. The play
is a satire on the materialistic bent of modern man.
The ‘nest’ in the title refers to the home of birds. Birds
take a lot of time and work very hard to build their nest. But, in this play,
both Jack and Jill have instant gratification for luxuries by instalments
without saving any money. The double negative in the title emphasizes the
impossibility of home.
The play criticizes the new
trend of young middle-class couples who have the habit of buying many household
items and houses in easy instalments. The playwright feels that such couples
would make a nest easily, but they will never settle happily.
Courtesy:
http://gnceng.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-never-never-nest-cedric-mount.html
THE DEATH TRAP- ESSAYS- PART II ENGLISH
Question
1. How did Prince Dimitri turn the tables on his
disloyal guards?
or Q.
Discuss the significance of the title ‘The Death Trap’?
Prince
Dimitri, the young ruler of Kedaria, had a rivalry with Karl dynasty. Dimitri’s
enemies hatched a plan to assassinate him. They were ready for the right
moment. Of his three regiments of guards, the Kranitzki regiment was loyal to
the enemy. Three officers of the regiment, Colonel Girnitza, Major Vontieff and
Captain Shultz planned to murder Prince Dimitri as soon as his loyal Andrieff
regiment left the guard.
Dr Stronetz, a dear friend and personal physician of Prince offered
him a drug so that he can die. The prince refused and said that he would meet
death on his own terms. The doctor tried to save him by telling the
conspirators that the prince would die of heart disease within six days.
The murderers, fooled by the doctor’s words decided
to wait.
The doctor revealed the prince that he had a terminal heart condition
and Dimitri decided to use the drug. At the last moment, he turned the tables
on his would-be killers by offering them drugged wine. All of them died in a
tragic climax. Prince Dimitri could never escape the death-trap, but he
successfully set a death-trap for his would-be assassins. Thus, the title of the
play is apt/ appropriate/ justified. Hence, the title is very significant.
Question
2. Analyze the character of Prince Dimitri.
Prince Dimitri is the protagonist in the one-act play, "The
Death Trap", written by Saki, H.H. Munro. He is the ruler of Kedaria. His
dynasty had a long-standing rivalry with Karl dynasty. Dimitri was the last
surviving member ruling the kingdom. His enemies conspired to kill
him. He bravely faced the situation and utilized the
circumstances to eliminate his would-be
assassins.
He
knew that he was helpless as his loyal regimental guards would be away. He had
no weapons to defend himself. No one was allowed to see him except his friend
and physician, Dr Stronetz. Prince Dimitri is a practical man. Though he is
quite young, he is mature and accepted his fate. He informed his position to
the doctor. He denied the drug offered by the doctor saying that he would meet
death on his own terms. This shows the courage of Dimitri.
When the doctor revealed that he had terminal heart disease, he
decided to end his life with the drug. He told the doctor that he was a monarch
and he did not like to be kept waiting by death. This shows that he is imperious
and proud. He was quick-witted. He offered drugged wine to his disloyal
officers and killed them.
Question
2. Analyze the character of Dr Stronetz.
Dr
Stronetz was a close friend and personal physician of Prince Dimitri. Dimitri’s
enemies hatched a plan to assassinate him, and they were ready for the right
moment. When Dr Stronetz came to know of the conspiracy, he offered a drug to
Dimitri as he could do nothing. He reasoned that the prince should not be
allowed to be butchered in cold blood. He took pity on the prince. He was
quick-witted. When the assassins entered to murder Dimitri, he saved him by
telling them that the prince would not live more than six days because of his
heart problem. The murderers were fooled by the doctor’s words and decided to
wait.
As a doctor, he was quite efficient. He was
sure of Dimitri’s heart problem as soon as he examined him. He was instrumental
in making the prince kill his would-be killers. Though the prince died as he
drank the drugged wine, his wish was fulfilled as he could kill the
conspirators. After all, the drug given by him saved the prince as it killed
his enemies. It also saved the prince from dying a miserable death by a weak
heart. Thus, Dr Stronetz was compassionate, loyal and friendly to Dimitri. He
was a quick-witted, efficient physician.
Courtesy:
https://telugulo-english.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-death-
trap.html?showComment=1582307232282#c4115408044480488990
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