"La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats

John Keats was an English Romantic poet. He was one of the main figures of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. "La Belle Dame sans Merci" ("The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy") is a ballad  by John Keats in 1819. The title is in French and it was derived from the title of a 15th-century poem by Alain Chartier called La Belle Dame sans Mercy.

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
       Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
       And no birds sing.

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
       So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel’s granary is full,
       And the harvest’s done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
       With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
       Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
       Full beautiful—a faery’s child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
       And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
       And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
       And made sweet moan

I set her on my pacing steed,
       And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
       A faery’s song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
       And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said—
       ‘I love thee true’.

She took me to her Elfin grot,
       And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
       With kisses four.

And there she lullèd me asleep,
       And there I dreamed—Ah! woe betide!—
The latest dream I ever dreamt
       On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
       Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—‘La Belle Dame sans Merci
       Hath thee in thrall!’

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
       With horrid warning gapèd wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
       On the cold hill’s side.

And this is why I sojourn here,
       Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
       And no birds sing.

The poem starts with the question. There is unnamed speaker who is asking question to the knight. So he is asking to the knight that what is bothering to him and why he is roaming alone and why he looks pale. The weather is also dry as the sedge in the lake is dried and no birds are singing. So speaker is asking to the knight that why he is loitering alone in this type of season.

In second stanza, speaker is repeating his question that what is bothering the knight. Why the knight is looking so worried and miserable? The season of harvest is over and now squirrel also has its food.

In third stanza, the speaker says that he sees lily on the eyebrow of knight. With that lily he can also see that knight is suffering from some illness. Then speaker says that the cheek of knight is looking aged like faded rose.

From fourth stanza, the knight is speaking. Knight says that he met a lady in the meads. The lady was so beautiful. She was looking like a fairy child. Then knight describes her appearance and says that she has long hair, light foot and wild eyes.

In next stanza knight says that he made garland for her hand and bracelet and fragrant zone also. Then they both made love and the lady was sweetly moaning.

In next stanza, knight sat her on his horse and he was walking besides the horse. Knight was so amazed by the beauty of the lady that he didn’t see anything else but her. The lady also was singing fairy song by bending towards the knight.

In next stanza, the lady find knight some food to eat like roots, honey and manna. The lady was speaking the language which knight was not understanding. Though he could not understand what she was speaking, he was sure that she said him that she loves him. So knight is so mad after the beauty of lady that he assumes that lady also loved him.

In next stanza, the lady took knight to some cave. In that cave the lady started crying and she get sore. After that knight shut the wild eyes of lady and then gives her four kisses on her eyes.

In next stanza, the lady made knight asleep by singing lullaby. At that time knight saw a dream. The knight was in sudden shock and he thought that great misery has happened to him. He was having this dream for the first time at cold hill side.

In next stanza knight says that he saw some kings, princes and warriors in his dream. Those all were in very bad condition. They all were looking death pale. They all were crying that the lady without mercy has had you under her power.

In next stanza knight says that all kings, princes and warriors lips are starved. The dream was horrifying, which makes knight awake suddenly. But when knight woke up he found him self on that cold hill side.

In last stanza, knight says that this is the reason why he is loitering alone where everything is dry and no birds are singing. Last three lines of the last stanza is the same as the first stanza. So poem ends the way it was started.

The poem is divided in 12 stanzas 4 lines each. The poem has ABCB rhyme scheme. It is a ballad. First three stanzas of the poem are spoken by unnamed speaker and from fourth to the twelfth are spoken by knight.

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"The Slave's Dream" by H. W. Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807 and died on March 24, 1882. He was an American poet and professor. He was the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and was one of the Fireside Poets from New England. “The Slave’s Dream” is a poem written by Longfellow.

The poem starts with the description of slave. In first stanza we can see that slave is lying besides the untethered rice. He has sickle in his hand. We can assume that he was working in a rice farm with sickle and he got tired and now he is lying on sand. Further we come to know that he has nothing to wear on his torso. He has matted hair. He is feeling sleepy and his vision is covered by mist and there he sees his native land. Here poet has used word again, which means that this is not the first time the slave is seeing his native land.

In second stanza, now we are in the dream of slave. He first saw the flow of Niger river. Beneath the palm trees, the king again stride and he heard the tinkling of caravans, which are returning from the mountain road. Here we can assume that the slave used to be king in his native land. We can also say that he is feeling like king, when he is in his native land.

In third stanza, the slave watches his dark eyed queen. She is standing among her children. The children are so happy that they hug and kiss their father. After that they are holding hands of their father. The slave is so deep in his dream that he started crying and a tear fell from his eye on sand and disappear. This shows how much slave misses his family and his native land.

In fourth stanza, the slave is on horse and he is riding the horse at very furious speed. His is riding on horse along side of Niger river’s bank. His horse has bridle reins of golden chains and as he is riding it was making noise when it clashes. He has scabbard of steel with him. With every leap of horse that scabbard is smiting on stallion’s flank.

In next stanza, he saw flamingos flying. That flight of flamingos look like a blood red flag. From morning till the night he followed the flamingos on the tamarind field. Then he saw a ocean and huts of Caffre.

In next stanza, it is night and he heard the roar of a lion and scream of hyena. The roar and scream both together might be taken as his inner self and outer self. We may can say that slave’s heart is brave like lion and it roars but from outside he is chained and that’s why he screams. Then he saw the river horse, crushing the reeds besides hidden streams. These all things passed before his eyes like glorious roll of drums and it seems like triumph of his dream.

In next stanza, he saw forest with ten thousand (myriad) tongues shouting for liberty. The blast of desert also crying in wild and free voice. He is so involved in his dream that he started and smile with strong and uncontrolled delight.

In last stanza, we are suddenly out of his dream and in reality. Here the slave is not feeling his master’s whip. He also can not feel the burning heat of the day. Because now he is dead. Now there is only his lifeless body. His soul has broken and thrown away the fetter which his body was wearing. After lot of suffering the slave at the end has died. His soul become free but he was not free by his body.

 The poem is about the life of a slave. It is very pessimistic poem. It tries to say that there is no other way then death that a slave can be free. It gives message that only death can free them from their suffering.

It was written in 1842. The poem has 8 stanzas 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCBDB.

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"The Fly" by William Blake

William Blake was born on 28th November 1757 and died on 12th August 1827. He was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His work “Songs of experience and of innocence” is famous.

In first stanza poet is addressing a fly, whom he just killed thoughtlessly. The fly is buzzing in summer and speaker, without giving his though another chance just killed the fly.

In second stanza speaker is comparing himself with the fly. He asks the questions such as, am I not a fly like you? Or are you not a man like me? Here speaker’s comparison seems so weird and meaningless.

In third stanza speaker elaborate his way of comparing his life with fly. He says that he also dance, drink and sing same like a fly. Further he says that he will keep doing all those things until some blind or thoughtless hand will kill him, same way he killed the fly. Here speaker is referring to god, when he says blind hand. In this stanza poet is talking about the helplessness which human has front of god. The fly feels helpless front of human and can’t stop any hand coming to kill it, same way humans are helpless front of god, as they also can’t stop god’s hand coming to kill them.

In next stanza speaker talks about the thoughts. He says that though is life, breath and strength. Without ability of thinking, human’s life would have been miserable. One can not imagine a life where there is no thinking. But here speaker says that thinking also leads to the thoughts of death. Those thoughts of death are killing people from inside. Because of those danger thoughts people forget to live in present moment and don’t live happily. Then here speaker is talking about living in present moment and not over thinking about future and worries of future.

In last stanza speaker says that, if he started living the life in present moment, then he also will be like a happy fly. If he is living in present moment and he is living happily then it will not matter if he live or dies. In this last stanza poet says that if he is happy in present moment then if death comes suddenly, he will not regret it. He will be happy in both ways, either he lives or dies.

The poem has been divided into 5 stanzas having four lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABCB.

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"I love all beauteous things" by Robert Bridges

Robert Seymour Bridges was born 23rd October 1844 and died on 21st April 1930. He was Britain's poet laureate from 1913 to 1930. A doctor by training, he achieved literary fame only late in life.  “I love all beauteous things” is a poem by Robert Bridges. This poem has two stanzas five lines each.

In first stanza poet talks about his love for beautiful things. Poet always seek and adore beautiful things around him. He is thankful to the god for all these beautiful things. He says that when humans seek and adore beautiful things, god can not have better praise than that. He also says that when humans are busy all day and then when they see beautiful things around them, they feel respectful towards god. Here we can also see hasty days as last days of human. So it also can be said that human in their last days feel honoured for having to see beautiful things.

Moving towards the second stanza, poet also wants to make something and he also wants to feel the joy of creating something new. Then he says that it might happen that the thing which he created might not have any meaning tomorrow or it may seem like a empty words of dreams which does not make any sense. But he wants to feel the delight of creation.

In this small poem of two stanza poet praise and thank the god for making every beautiful thing. After seeing all the beautiful things created by god poet also desires to make something and wants to feel the happiness in creating something new. The creation of poem might not seem to have any meaning afterwards but poet can enjoy the process of creating something.

Thank you.

"The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke

Rupert Chawner Brooke was born on 3rd August 1887 and died on 23rd April 1915. He was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially "The Soldier". He was also known for his boyish good looks, which were said to have prompted the Irish poet W. B. Yeats to describe him as "the handsomest young man in England".

The speaker of the poem is a soldier. The soldier is telling the readers that if he will die in war then think only in certain ways of him. Then he says that if he dies in foreign land than that corner of land will be forever England. In the rich earth of foreign land the richer dust of soldier will be concealed. The dust which is born in England. The dust whom England has shaped, made aware of the whole world and gave her flowers to spread love and her ways to roam around. The body of soldier, which is raised in England and which is breathing English air. The body which is purified by the rivers and baptized by the sun of England. In this first stanza poet is talking about the superiority of his motherland and how his motherland has raised him, and gave him everything he wants.

In second stanza soldier is talking about the eternal happiness. As the soldier is dead, all evil of heart is vanished. Now there is pulse in eternal mind. In this eternal mind soldier again have all the thoughts which England has given to him through out his life. The sights and sound of England and the dreams which are as beautiful as the day of England, the laughter with friends and gentleness, soldier can see all these things in his eternal mind. At last the heart of soldier is at peace because he is under the English heaven.

This poem is a sonnet. Sonnets have 14 lines. Its first stanza is octave and second is sestet. If we look at the stanza structure this is Italian sonnet. But the octave follows the rhyme scheme of Shakespearean sonnet, which is ABABCDCD. Sestet has different rhyme scheme then Shakespearean sonnet which is EFGEFG. So this is blend of two types of sonnet.

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"She walks in beauty" by Lord Byron

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron known simply as Lord Byron, was an English poet, and politician. He was born on 22nd January 1788 and died on 19th April 1824. He is regarded as one of the greatest English poets and remains widely read and influential. Among his best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage; many of his shorter lyrics in Hebrew Melodies also became popular.

In first stanza poet is comparing the beauty of lady with the night. The night which has starry sky and cloudless atmosphere. There is a mixture of dark and light. The night is dark and the stars has light. This best combination of dark and light both mixes in her skin and her eyes. We can say she might has got dark eyes and light skin tone. This mixture of dark and light is like a soft and pleasing light. It is not like the light of bright sunny day.

In second stanza poet says that the nameless lady has perfect balance of dark and light. If anyone tries to give one more shade of dark or if anyone takes out one ray of light, the whole beauty will be shattered. This shows that lady has perfect graceful beauty. When her lock of black hair waves over her face, it all lighten ups. Her face is expressing every thought very calmly and sweetly. Because of that calmness over her face poet says that the place from where those thoughts has come, or in short her mind should be very pure and precious. Because it expresses every thought very gracefully. So in this stanza with the outer beauty poet also praises the inner beauty of the lady.

In third stanza poet talks about the cheek and forehead of lady. The look of lady’s face is so calm and soft but then even it is eloquent. The lady has the smile which can win everyone’s heart. The skin tone of lady is glowing. These all beauty of lady tells about the good days which she has spent. Above all these things the lady has peace of mind. Her love is also innocent. It does not have any cunningness. So in this poem, poet starts with the appreciation of outer beauty, but at the end it says that the outer beauty is the result of the inner beauty.

The poem is divided in 3 stanzas 6 lines each. It has ABABAB rhyme scheme. It is written in iambic tetrameter.

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"Virtue" by George Herbert

George Herbert was a English religious poet, a major metaphysical poet, notable for the purity and effectiveness of his choice of words. He was born on April 3, 1593, Montgomery Castle, Wales and died on March 1, 1633 England. He studies at Cambridge university. He died from TB.

The poet starts the poem with the description of very pleasant day. The day which is sweet, calm, cool and bright. It looks like the marriage of the earth and sky. But in third line poet says that the dew will weep when the night will come. Because the day must die. So in this stanza poet wants to say that it doesn’t matter how beautiful the day is, it will definitely die.

In second stanza, poet is talking about the sweet rose, whose colour is very dark red. The colour looks like angry and brave. These both represents dark red colour. The colour is so dark that if someone carelessly gaze towards the rose, it will give the viewer tears. But here again poet says that the roots of that rose is already in grave and the rose will also die. Here again poet wants to say that the beauty or dark red colour could not save the rose forever. It will also die.

In third stanza poet talks about the spring season. The best season of the year, which is full of sweet days and roses. It seems like a box of sweet fully organized. But then again poet changes the tone. My music here means this poem which poet has written. Poet says that after reading this poem readers must have come to know that everything and all must die. So in these three stanzas poet is talking about the mortality of the world. But last stanza says something different.

In last stanza poet says that only a soul which is virtuous and sweet, like the seasoned wood will live forever, same way the virtuous soul will live. Then it does not matter that the world will turn to coal and everything have died, but virtuous soul will primarily lives. So in this poem poet shows the superiority of following virtues and how only virtues can save our soul can survive.

The poem has 4 stanzas 4 lines each. It is written in iambic tetrameter. It has ABAB rhyme scheme.

Thank you.

"Daffodils" by William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth  was a major English Romantic poet. He was born on 7th April 1770, and died on 23rd April 1850. He is famous for his collaborated work with Samuel Taylor Coleridge Lyrical Ballads(1798). He is also famous for using common man’s language in his poetries. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" also commonly known as "Daffodils" is a lyric poem by William Wordsworth. It is Wordsworth's most famous work.

In first stanza poet is wandering lonely as a cloud. As cloud do not have any pre designed road to travel, same way poet is not certain about his way. As cloud floats over high valleys and hills poet also wants to do the same. When the poet was wandering he saw a host of daffodils. Daffodils. Are yellow in colour and nay be that is why poet has called daffodils golden. The daffodils were besides the lake and beneath the trees. There was a cool breeze, and with breeze daffodils were fluttering and it seems like they were dancing.

In second stanza, poet says that there were large amount of daffodils which are in never ending line. He compares this with the stars in milky way. There endless stars in milky way which keep shining and twinkling, same way daffodils are also in never ending line along side of a bay. In last two line of second stanza poet says that he saw ten thousand daffodils in a glance, which are going back and forth with the breeze. Here use of numbers is a exaggeration. So poet has used exaggeration in second stanza.

In third stanza poet is describing the joy which daffodils have in dancing with breeze. There is lake besides the daffodils and the waves in lake also danced. But daffodils out did the waves in happiness. Poet here says that he only can be happy in this delightful company of daffodils. The poet has very pleasurable scene in front of his eyes and he is gazing on it. Then he had thought that how much wealth this show has brought to him. The wealth is not material wealth. It is wealth of emotions and of joy. These daffodils has provided a great wealth to the poet.

In last stanza poet is at his home. Now he is talking about the nostalgia which daffodils gives him. He says that often when he is lying on his couch in relaxed mood, many times he see the daffodils from his inward eye. The picture of daffodils is in the mind of poet and he see it when he is in solitude. After seeing that picture of daffodils, poet’s heart fills with pleasure and it also started dancing with the daffodils.

The poem has 4 stanzas 6 lines each. It follows the ABABCC rhyme scheme. It has iambic tetrameter. In this poem poet has done personification of daffodils by calling them dancing in happiness.

AT the end we can say that this poem is about nature and how nature provides happiness to the human. Wordsworth also has given the definition of poetry and this poem is the best example of that definition.

Thank you.

"Light" by F. W. Bourdillon

Francis William Bourdillon was born on 22 March 1852 at England and died on 13 January 1921 at England. He was a British poet and translator. Bourdillon is known for his poetry, and in particular, for the single short poem "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes".

“The Night has a thousand eyes” also has another name “Light”. The poem has 2 stanzas, 4 lines each. It follows the “abab” rhyme scheme.

The poem starts with the night. Poet says that night has thousand eyes. Here those eyes means stars. So first stanza says that night has thousand of stars but day only has one star (eye), The Sun. But those thousand of stars can not take place of Sun. Last two lines of first stanza says that when sun sets, the light of whole world dies. The world went in to the darkness. Here poet emphasize on the importance of sun in the world.

In second stanza mind takes the place of night. Now poet talks about humans. Here mind has thousand of eyes. As mind deals with everything related to body and it has thousand of thoughts, so those thoughts are here eyes of mind. But heart only has one emption, which is love. In last two lines poet says that liveliness of whole life dies with love. In this stanza poet emphasize on the importance of love in human life.

Poet here has used personification. He called stars, eyes of the night. So here poet has given human characteristics to the non living things, which is called personification.

At the end, we can  ay that poet in this poem has talked about two important thing, without one can not live. The Earth will die if sun disappear and same way the human will die from inside if there is no love in life. Poet also talks about, how other things can not replace the one. Stars are in great quantity, but they can not replace sun. Same way mind functions whole body but it can not take place of heart and love.

Thank you.

Language Lab

What is Language Lab?

According to google dictionary language lab is, “a room equipped with audio and visual equipment to aid people learning a foreign language.” Basically it includes computers with this software, which helps learners to enhance their four basic language skills using this software. It includes various exercise for learners to enhance the skill on their own.

Development of Language Lab

The early period of language lab was using recorded taps. It makes use of a recorder and cassette tapes to help language learners. The tape usually contains texts or stories read aloud by a native language speaker. There are also listening and speaking exercises that follow in each chapter. . The teacher plays back the tape and the learners listen to it and learn the material. Then there is some development in labs. Now The students are given a headphones to listen to the audiocassettes that are played back. As regards to the conventional laboratory, the distractions in this laboratory are less so there is certain amount of clarity in listening. Then comes the CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning). This is one of the most modern speech laboratories available today. The entire course module is already stored in the computer.  The language course resources are already downloaded on the computer and are presented to students according to the features available in the system. Then comes the Mobile Lab. This can be transfer at anywhere. So basically any room can become language lab. Language lab has developed from recorded taps to wireless, and the new process of making it more easily available is constantly going on.

Advantages of Language Lab
• It is practical mode of learning.
• It allows diversity in classroom.
• One can learn at their own speed.
• One can learn anytime they want.
• It helps in self evaluation.
• It provides individual learning.

Disadvantage of Language Lab
• It is costly.
• Without some equipment and electricity it will not work.
• Needs qualify teacher, who can use this effectively.
• The institute needs to keep upgrading as technology changes very fast.

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Assignment on Women Characters in "The Swamp Dwellers"

Name: Dharaba Rayjada
Semester: 4
Roll No.: 8
Paper No.: 14 African Literature
Email id: dharabarayjada021@gmail.com
Year: 2017-19
Submitted to: Department of English, Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

“The Swamp Dwellers” is a play written by Wole Soyinka. In this play he has portrayed the conflict between city life and village life and also the generation gap, which we can see in the different thinking of father Makuri and his son Awuchike.  Here we are focused on the women characters in this play. There are two female characters in this play. One is Alu, the wife of Makuri and mother of twins Awuchike and Igwezu. The second one is Desala, the wife of Igwezu. Desala is not present on the stage physically but she was present in the talks of Igwezu, Alu and Makuri. On the other hand Alu was present on the stage most of the time.

Alu and Desala both are totally opposite characters from each other. Soyinka has portrayed two opposite point of view of women in one play. Both the characters are different from each other but in some cases both are same. Alu is a woman with traditional thoughts. She likes to stay in village. She found her happiness in her husband’s happiness. With every good and bad behaviour of her husband, she choose to live only with him. While on the other hand Desala is fascinated towards the city. She has demanded on her wedding that Igwezu has to take her to the city after marriage.

“Alu: … she (Desala) made him (Igwezu) promise to take her there (the city) before she would wed him.”

When they were in the city and Igwezu fails to make fortune in the city, she choose his brother Awuchike and left Igwezu. Awuchike was well settled in the city and that is why Desala choose to live with him.

There are some similarities between Alu and Desala. Though Soyinka has portrayed both of them opposite of each other but then even both shares sameness at some extent. Soyinka has portrayed both of the women as pride of their men. Both men, Makuri and Igwezu, take their wives as their property.  As on one side Makuri is happy and satisfied because Alu has remain faithful to him and never tried to betray him. She has choice when some men from cities ask her to come with them to city, but Alu rejects all of them. Here is one line which Makuri says about Alu, that...

“Makuri – There wasn’t woman anywhere more faithful than you, Alu; I never had a moment of worry in the whole of my life.”

On the other side Igwezu is not happy because his wife has left him. Igwezu was not able to make money in the city and Desala left him for his twin brother Awuchike, who is wealthy in the city. This Igwezu feels as a attack on his pride. He replied angrily when Kadiye – the priest, ask him about his wife. This shows that both men are taking their women as their pride and their property.

Secondly, both the women characters don’t have their own identity. Both are dependent on men. Makuri is a man, who used to abuse his wife. Some times Alu reacts, she don’t like his way of behaviour but then even she will tolerate everything and will remain with him only. While on the other hand, Desala has choose her happiness but she has to be with some men. When Igwezu failed to sustain in city, she didn’t think to do anything by her self. She just choose the man who is settled already, to fulfil her dreams about city.

Apart from this, there are vast differences in both the women characters. The first difference which as per my point of view, is the major difference. This is what make both of them opposite from each other. It is the difference in their thinking. Alu thinks that, to be loyal to husband, tolerate every insult and don’t wish to go to the city are virtues of woman. While Desala takes her dreams and happiness more in to consideration then anything else. To go in to the city and enjoy the materialistic life was the dream of the Desala, which Igwezu failed to fulfil and that is why she choose to go to Awuchike, to live her dream life.

The thing which make their thinking different from each other is the idea of happiness. Both of them have different idea for happiness. For Alu, happiness is in serving husband and guests and in taking care of home and children. Alu is happy in completing the orders of his husband. She finds her happiness as wife in her husband’s happiness. But the feelings of being a mother will overpower her feelings of being a wife. She readily fights with Makuri for Igwezu. When she comes to know that Igwezu has lost everything in the city, even his wife, she becomes dumb. The problems of her son affects her more than anything else. We can also see her concerns about Awuchike, which she tells everybody in the house that he is dead. She says this frequently that Awuchike is dead but then even she wants to know about him that what is he doing in the city. So ultimately what matters for Alu more is her family. While on the other hand, for Desala wealth is everything which matters. She left her husband because of wealth. She goes to the Awuchike, the twin brother of Igwezu, without thinking about the feelings of Igwezu to get dumped for his own brother. When Igwezu came back to the village, while talking about Desala with Kadiye, he remembers all the oaths which were taken on the wedding day and all the promises which both of them have made for long and happy life with children. These things are remembered by Igwezu, we didn’t find anywhere in the play Desala talks about all these oaths and promises. Wealth is the only thing which make her happy and for that she is ready to left her husband.

As per my opinion the only thing which make both of them different from each other is their generation gap. Both of them belongs to different generation and both of them are behaving in same manner as their generation people would behave. Alu belongs to the older generation, who believes in family values and hate city for its materialistic lifestyle. While Desala belongs to new generation, who believes village as dark side and have no opportunity to grow and city and materialistic life as the best. They also don’t believe in family, wealth is the only thing which is important to them. This is not true only for women characters, it is also true for the men, as they also think in the similar way.

To conclude, we can say that Soyinka has very aptly captured the conflict between the new generation and the old generation, between city and village, between wealth and family. These all conflict we can find in both the women characters, which are discussed here. We can say that by putting two opposite characters Soyinka is trying to create binaries between old and new ways of living life. May be he is favouring the new way of living life, because we did not find anywhere Desala feeling ashamed about her decision or regretting her decision. Also when Igwezu came back to the village he feels that village also can not fulfil his need and it is not cleared whether he committed suicide or went back to the city, but he did not stay in the village. So, we can say that Soyinka is trying to accepting the new ways of living life.

Work Cited

Soyinka, Wole. The Swamp Dwellers. 1958.

Assignment on Ambiguous Relations in "The Sense of an Ending"

Name: Dharaba Rayjada
Semester: 4
Roll No.: 8
Paper No.: 13 New Literature
Email id: dharabarayjada021@gmail.com
Year: 2017-19
Submitted to: Department of English, Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

In this world, relationships are core of the society. Without relations people are nothing and without relations society can’t exist. But these relations are very clear. What if the relations are ambiguous? What if people can’t understand the base of their relation. It would be better if we say that what if human can’t understand their relation it self. It makes life curious and ambiguous for the person also and for the society also. Same way in the novel “The Sense of an Ending” which was written by Julian Barnes, has described so many relations. Relations which can not be understood or justify. In nutshell Julian Barnes has presented ambiguous relationships in this novel. We will see how relationships are ambiguous.

In this novel there are characters like, Adrian Finn, Tony Webster, Veronica Ford, Sarah Ford, Jack Ford, Jr. Adrian, Margaret, Colin, and Alex. These are the characters in which we can found ambiguity. Let see all characters one by one. Of we starts with friendship then Tony, Colin and Alex were friend and Adrian was included later in the group. Tony was the one who goes to Adrian for friendship. We know that Adrian was intelligent student in the class and to have his friendship will be a kind of status for others a d that is why Tony and other two were interested in having this friendship. But the question is why Adrian was befriend with them. Adrian has never considered them so important. In school he will listen all about those three but he has never get involved in their talk. He has also keep most of his life secret from those three. Tony, Alex and Colin wants appreciation from Adrian but Adrian was never in such need. We can also question that Adrian was never so closed to any three of them but then even why he has asked permission of Tony to date Veronica. So reason of Adrian’s behaviour at some times remain ambiguous.

Tony’s relations with his wife Margaret are also somehow ambiguous. First they both got married and have a daughter then Margaret elope with one restaurant owner then that restaurant owner left her, then again Margaret and Tony started meeting. After some time when Margaret again asks to get back together Tony refuses. After refusal also they both didn’t stop meeting. Then Tony started telling her about Veronica, every time Margaret shows him path but one day she just said that he is on his own now. So what is the meaning of keep telling and meeting ex wife and also not getting back together. So their relations are not clear. If they are only friends then why talk of Veronica bothers Margaret. If Tony don’t want to be again in relation then why he keeps telling everything to Margaret until she told him to be on his own. So their relations are some where in between which can not ne defined and that is why it remains ambiguous.

Relations of Tony with almost everyone is ambiguous. If we starts with Veronica then their relations are quite hard to understand. On the other hand Tony’s relation with Veronica’s mother Sarah also remains in ambiguity. While on this Dr. Arpit Kothari, assistant professor at Manipal University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, has said something like this.

Sarah and Tony had frequent sensual encounters that Tony, with the passage of subsequent
decades, had suppressed this meetings in his memories. The first meeting happened when Tony
came for a weekend visit at Veronica’s place in Chislehurst. It is portrayed that on the first morning
of his visit only Sarah is in the house when he wakes up. As Tony remembers that it was Veronica
who told the rest of the family that he desired to have a long sleep, resulted in leaving Tony back
at home and went for a walk without him. Of course, since Tony was apparently asleep at the time,
he could not have known whether the family walk truly was Veronica’s idea or actually Sarah’s.
Sarah’s mysterious “horizontal gesture at waist level” (SE 95) in response to Tony’s goodbye wave
at the end of the visit indicates to the reader that something unusual has taken place between them.
But Tony has not reminiscence of their encounter. Tony tells us that Veronica is unwilling to have
“full sex” (SE 70) with him, but rather limits their physical intimacy to what he refers to as “infra-
sex.” (SE 71) Even after the breakup of Tony and Veronica, he recollects bouncing into Veronica
at a pub, returning to her room, and having sex with her. He is shocked to know about the
Veronica’s skills at rolling a condom onto him while he is of the opinion that Veronica is a virgin.
Tony of course recalls this as an encounter with Veronica because he cannot bring himself to
accept that it was actually an encounter with Veronica’s mother. The manners of his partner do not
match with that of Veronica, giving a hint to the reader that his partner was actually a far more
practiced woman and not at all Veronica.


Forty years later, as it is learnt in Part two, new memories begin to emerge in Tony’s mind
of other episodes with Veronica that he has forgotten for decades. In one of the memories, he
recalls that he is dancing with Veronica, who actually never danced, to 45s played on his record
player. Another incident he remembers is that when he was with his friends, he observed the
reversal of the Thames in the middle of a night. He suddenly recalls that Veronica was there as
well, and that when the rest of the group ran off with torches (flashlights) to watch the reversal, he
stayed behind and lastly, he recalls his version of memories of his weekend visit to the Ford family.
He remembers that Veronica walked him to his room on the second night of his visit, leaned him
against the door, kissed him on the mouth, and whispered into his ear, “Sleep, the sleep of the
wicked.” (SE 342)


Each of these recollections remains partly suppressed, the facts blurred and ambiguous. It’s
apparent to the reader that Tony recalls each of these incidents as involving Veronica because he
cannot bear to believe the monstrous truth that he had an ongoing but an affair between Tony and Sarah is the only plausible explanation for Sarah’s leaving 500 pounds and two documents (one of
them is Adrian’s diary) to Tony in her will. There arises a question that without any intimate
relationship with Tony, why Sarah leaves him money and documents in her will, as he was her
daughter’s ex-boyfriend forty years ago and that too for a very short period of time. Moreover,
according to Tony’s memory he met Sarah only once when he visited on a weekend to their family.
Barely an association that would be reminisced in one’s will and testimony.

This is quite new reading of the relation between Sarah, Tony and Veronica. On the other hand Adrian also has relation with Sarah. To leave girlfriend for girlfriend’s mother that is sort of way too far step. The possibilities are that Sarah was pregnant by Adrian at very late age. Adrian has also described some relations through mathematical equations. b = s – v + a1 or a2 + v + a1 × s = b?. Here in one equation he omits Anthony (Tony) but in second one he made equation with Anthony. This shows how complicated relations are there.

There are complications in relation of Adrian and Veronica. When they first meet Veronica was knowing many things about Adrian. Adrian was also knowing about Jack, brother of Veronica. But then they both comes in relationship but then Adrian end up with Sarah. So what has happened no body knows. Brother Jack’s behaviour with Tony was also complicated. When Tony visited Ford’s house Jack was not talking much to Tony. He also didn’t came for saying good bye to Tony when he was leaving. But then when Tony email him he replied like they both are friends. He also gives details about the place. May be he is playing with Tony. Brother Jack’s relation with his sister Veronica is also complicated. Once Tony says that may be Veronica was sexually abused by her brother and that is why she is not interested in having intercourse. He also mentioned the unusual cuddle of brother sister. So this is also shows the ambiguity in relations.

This is how Julian Barnes has portrayed complex relations. Where everybody is some how connected with each other but then their connections are not clear at some point. So we can say that in this novel “The Sense of an Ending” Julian Barnes has portrayed ambiguous relationships.

Work Cited

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending. Jonathan Cape and Knopf, 2011.

Kothari, Dr. Arpit. "Deconstruction of the Complex Human Relationships in
Julian Barnes' "The Sense of an Ending"." Language in India (2019): 8.

Assignment on Basics of Communication

Name: Dharaba Rayjada
Semester: 4
Roll No.: 8
Paper No.: 15 Mass Communication and Media Studies
Email id: dharabarayjada021@gmail.com
Year: 2017-19
Submitted to: Department of English, Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Communication is very basic need of day to day life. Not only human beings but Nature also need the communication. Though their way of communicating with each other is very different then humans, but we can’t deny that there is no communication in nature. In general when one person gives some message to the other person we call it communication. Merriam Webster dictionary gave definition of communication like this, “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behaviour” Now it can be extended to the group also and to the non verbal or virtual communication. Apart from this there are other types of communications in many other ways.

According to Denis Mcquail, “communication is a process which increase commonality but also requires elements of commonality for it to occur at all”. If we try to understand this definition in simple language then it means that because of communication the commonality between two groups or people increases. But the definition is not complete in it self. It further says that for incensement of commonality people also requires those elements which can be found common in between of them. We can take example of culture. Whose culture are similar they can have more commonality in their communication. There is one Sanskrit term “Sadharanikaran” which comes closest to the meaning of common or commonness in communication.

Need for Communication

Human beings need for communication is as basic as the need of food or shelter. Without communicating our thoughts with others people can’t survive. They need someone to talk and share. Because of this we can say that the punishment of living alone, which have given to the prisoners are worst and hardest one to give. Communication requires active participation of mind, body, society and nature. Without this effective communication is may be not possible. It is basic need to share experiences of doing something with others. This is why one requires active participation of mind, body, society and nature. Excommunication might lead people to the anxiety, sensory deprivation, depraved judgement, and strange vision. For the basic human growth communication is necessary.

How Communication Works?

There are parts in communication which are important for having meaningful communication. It starts with sender and ends with having feedback from receiver. Sender has an idea, which they wants to give to someone else. Then sender will encode their idea in meaningful way. Then they will choose the channel through which they will exchange their idea with other person. The person on the other side will receive the encoded message. The receiver will decode the message which was encoded by the sender. After decoding it the receiver will get the message and then they will give feedback to the sender. This is how the chain of communication will keep moving.

 
Functions of Communication

As we have seen that it is basic need of humans. One person or society can not move ahead without interaction with each other. This is how there are some functions of communication.

Information Function

Information makes our life better. The more we know the more we have better opinion about the things then others. Communication makes it happens. By various types of communication people get their information and then use it for the betterment of their life or in larger scale for betterment of the society. Having information about nation, war, other countries makes our point of view better. To know about our health care and police system also makes life better in some ways. With these good sides of communication there is bad side also. As information which we have got can be fake or half truth also. So people have to check the authenticity of their information and then they should communicate those information with others.

Educational or instructional Function

The other function of communication is to provide education or to instruct people. It doesn’t matter if the way of providing education is in formal communication or not. Education starts from home. By education or instructions society functions in better way. That is why to do this type of communication is necessary and helpful also.

Entertainment Function

Entertainment is am essential part of people’s life. Through this communication they get their all emotions wash out. This makes people feel happy, sad, angry and many more. Radio, TV, Cinema, Social media, these all make entertainment communication with people.

Persuade Function

Now with the rise of social media and E – news this function of communication has become lot more easy. Now it is easy to convince people in either way of the thing. Mostly this type pf communication is done by politicians. When election comes they persuade people to give them vote. This communication they do by pamphlets, TV news or E – news.

Types of Communication

Communication don’t have only one way, it can happen in multiple ways. So here are some types of communication.

Transpersonal Communication

This types of communication refers to a interaction with spirit or god. It can be good spirit it can be bad spirit. But it has to be something more than human. We can call it spiritual or paranormal communication. People may call it religious or monastic life.

Intrapersonal Communication

This is type of communication which person do with their own self. In this communication person thinks about their own self and also before talking to others they talk with their self. This can be called as one type of meditation also. It is a kind of self evaluation, which help people to be a better human being and also improve their self on their own way.

Extra personal Communication

This type of communication includes communication with animals rather then humans. People who communicate with their pet animals or birds are doing the extra personal communication.

Interpersonal Communication

This is a type of communication in which two person are talking face to face. This is one of the effective type of communication. Because it is face to face communication. It includes person’s body gesture also which help other person to understand the talk in better way. It is also beneficial because both the participants can have instant feedback.

Group Communication

As the name suggest it is a communication which occurs between group of people. It can be formal or informal group. The group can have members according to their convenience. It is also a kind of inter personal communication. The group can communicate which share common interest. Group communication is effective in resolving problems. The role of group leader is important in group communication.

Mass Communication

This type of communication, communicate with large number of people by using mass media. In this communication newspaper, radio, television, and internet can use as mass media platform.

Mass Media

Mass media is very important part of our daily life. It influence our life more than anything else. It is our main source of getting news and entertainment. Now a days we can’t imagine a life without mass media. People use mass media for various purpose. Most use of mass media is done by politicians, business persons and any kind of authority. These people use mass media to influence common people towards them, or to pass their message to the common people. Common people use it to express their idea or to express their sufferings. There are several types of mass media  communication.

Print Media

Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable metallic type in the fifteenth century paved the way for proliferation of the print media. The invention of printing press was something extra ordinary in the field of print media. It has played very vital role to make print media so popular and easily available. Before printing press the books were very costly and because of that only rich family was able to afford the books. But after printing press the movable types of sources were available in very less price and almost every where. This leads to the rise of newspapers, magazines, books and other textual documents.

Electronic Media

Electronic media has started with the rise of radio. Radio stations were established by Brits in India. After that radio has become very popular. Radio were used to give news and then it plays songs also. After that came TV. In radio one can only listen but with TV one can see visuals also. Because of TV, the use of radio has been decreased. Now on TV people used to watch news and many other things. TV were providing entertainment, information and also education. There are some channel which are for educational purpose only. Cinema has also played very vital role as electronic media. It is also used as entertainment and some times it also gives some lessons. This is how electronic media was used in mass communication.

New Media

Online and digital means of producing, transmitting and receiving messages are called new
media. The term encompasses computer mediated communication technology. It implies
the use of desktop and portable computers as well as wireless and handheld devices. Every company in the computer industry is involved with new media in some manner. The forms of communicating in the digital world include CD – ROMs and DVDs. Internet facilities WWW, bulletin boards, email etc.

Social Media

With passing of time use of social media has increased than any other form of media. Facebook, WhatsApp, twitter, blogger, WordPress, these all are the platforms which has rise in really significant way. This media has brought speed in the life. With speed it has came with the risk of fake news. Social media is a platform which has made communication easy.

Work Cited

Pradeep, Dr. Lakshmi. "Introduction to Electronic Media." School of Distance
Education. Calicut: University of Calicut, 2014.

Listening Skill Project

Language is the soul of any society. We can not imagine the world without language. Language contains four basic skills. To learn any new language, acquire these four skills are necessary. These skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. I am the student of M.A  English department, Bhavnagar University. I am in the last semester of my Masters. Me and my classmate Mahir has decided to analyse the listening skills of our juniors, who are in second semester.

Process

We have decided to do one survey to analyse their listening skills. We have done this by using WhatsApp and google form. In WhatsApp we have created the temporary group for this survey. We have added 13 students from which we have received 12 responses. One was having some medical issues and that is why, that person was not able to give responses. So in that WhatsApp group we have given them two audios of two English short films. We have trimmed it in to 2 or 3 minutes audios. One audio was having Indian accents and second audio was having Foreign/Native accents. We have asked participants to listen the audios one by one and write down what they listen. But the condition was they were allowed only once to listen the audios. So in first try whatever they understand they have to write and then give it to us. After their submission of this task we have created a google form and gave it to all participants. There were some questions related to the activity which they have done and they have to respond.

After submission of their first writing, we have analysed what they have written. In the first audio which was having Indian accents, we have expected that all will be able to get everything, but we were wrong. They were making some mistakes in listening. Like in first audio with Indian accents they have made mistakes like...

Narrate – Read, Tell
Lived in – living, live in, living in
At all – at tone, at home
Deer - near
Play by your self – play over your self
With an eye – within eye

These words from audio they have got wrong for example “lived in” becomes “living, live in, living in”. Except for two or three students all others were making these mistakes. Most of the sentences were rightly written. The second audio was with foreign accents. In this audio participants have made mistakes like...

Your not sitting down – you know
I don’t mind standing – I know my standing, stand in
Post Its – postcards, posters
Box – parks, parts
Plenty of room – its your room, painting in your room
Insurance company – trends company
Elroy – All right, all way
It could be – good/glad/nice to meet you

These are the words from audio which they have got wrong. Most of the sentences were half written and the write up which participants have sent was not making any sense.

If we look comparatively then participants are more comfortable with Indian accents. In foreign accents all have made mistakes. In google form we have asked than in which accents they are more comfortable and majority of them have selected Indian accents.

After this in google form we have also asked to give appropriate title to the audio according to their understanding. All of them have given title to both the audios but only few of titles were appropriate.

We have asked then which audio they find hard to understand in just first try and everybody has selected audio with foreign accents. We have not given “both” as option otherwise we are expecting most of them to select “both” option. Here we wanted to create binary to see which is more hard for them.

When we asked them, do they think listening can help in speaking then everybody has selected yes, but when we asked them if they are practicing listening outside classroom then there are few who said no, they are not. So we can say that some of them are still not serious about the necessity of listening skill. Or may be they don’t care to develop their listening skill.

As we have done this survey by using WhatsApp, we asked them, do they think WhatsApp can be helpful in listening skill. Then most of them said yes but some of them said may be. So they are not clear if this social media app can help in listening or not. As per my point of view it does help. Because it has audio recorder, people can talk in audio messages. It has video call also and it supports every type of media to transfer so it does help in listening.

Outcome

After analysis, if we evaluate participants with BULATS parameters then overall we can say that they are at A1 or A2 level. Some have quality of B1 or B2 but large number of students are having A1 and A2 level listening skill. Here they are not quite able to follow the conversation and also facing problem in having meaning from conversation. They are not able to understand some words which are spoken at speed or have similar pronunciations for example, “dear” and “deer”.  So at the end we can say that participants are very poor when it comes to listening. May be they have never focused on this skill. They all are studying English Literature but then even they are lacking listening skill. We can give reason that why this is happening. Because participants have written exams and no oral exams. They are more focused on their writing and reading skills rather then listening or speaking. So the half part of a language is not focused and that is why the language it self is not acquired or learned properly. There is only one solution for this and that is practice it. These are the skills and they should acquire and for that it should be practiced on daily basis. Listening more in target language will give people the basic structure of the language which will help them in speaking also.

My experience

The experience of doing this survey was quite good. It was planned in hurry. It was not pre – planned and that is why we have to face problems. When we have created group we asked participants to listen then write and send it in the group, but we have not thought that other participants in the group can read it and they will read others response and than they will listen than it will not serve our purpose fully. It has happened also. Some have read others response and then they have listen the same thing as others, so they are making same mistakes. Other thing which we have faced is some of them are very lazy in giving responses. We have to ask several times for their response which will hardly take their 8 to 10 minutes. Our google form was also not well thought. We have prepared questions in hurry. For example there was one question that, with which accents they are more comfortable and first we have only put two option either Regional or Foreign. After some responses I have realized that there are some who may be comfortable with both and then I add another option of “both”. One question in google form which askes, whether they have done this activity honestly, is now seems useless and foolish question to me.

So after experiencing all these things I can say that surveys and researches needs planning. Without proper planning you will face problems. It also requires patience. Overall it was good experience and now it will help me to do more effective survey or research next time.

Thank you.

Preface to the Plays of Shakespeare by Samuel Johnson

“Preface to the Plays of Shakespeare” by Samuel Johnson. In this essay Johnson has analyse both the side of Shakespearean plays, good as well as bad. Shakespeare as a writer has a great name in literature. In this essay he has described how Shakespeare was able to make his name immortal. Johnson in this essay says that Shakespeare has created only characters, which are like normal humans. The situations are also same as the problems of normal human beings. In time of Shakespeare all writers were writing about Queens and Kings but Shakespeare has choose to write about normal human beings. It is also written in the essay that Shakespeare was more comfortable with comedy than tragedy. His comedies are far better than his tragedies. It seems like he made efforts in writing tragedies but comedies comes naturally to him. He also has every elements in his plays. There is always something for everyone. These are the good points which Johnson has said about and he has also write some faults of Shakespeare. In bad side of Shakespeare’s writing Johnson has said that in plays of Shakespeare everything happens by chance. There are no Ifs and Buts. Second thing is that Shakespeare is clear about the start of his plays but not the ending. At the end he just made chaos and then either he made every character die or he made everyone meet at the end. This is how his plays ends. Johnson also describes that sometimes plot of Shakespeare’s plays are loosely connected. So this is how Johnson has described the good and bad sides of Shakespeare’s writing.

How Literature Shaped Me?

I can definitely say that because of studying literature for last five years, I am a whole new person right now. Literature or any form of art is a whole new and different world. It enables you to live as many lives as you want in your one life. It also enables you to meet thousands of different people, everyone having their own different personality. This reminds me of one quote by Jhumpa Lahiri, “That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

Literature has helped me to grow as a better human being. It helped me to understand my self and has given identity to some of my weird feelings. If I forced my memory to remember the first work which has left an impression on me, then I remember that it was Leo Tolstoy’s “How Much Land Does A Man Need?”. The answer of this question has drag me out of my comfort zone. From this to the poem “Joe and Woe Are Woven Fine” by William Black, has taught me to accept miseries in life.

Literature is made up of feelings, but it does not make people emotional fools. It does not teach only feelings, it gives you history the way no one gives. It provides you the critical eyesight which only few have. Derrida tells you that you can deconstruct the well built building by finding the loose stone of that same building only. There is no need to attack from outside. Literature has taught me that life is not black or white, it has grey shade. It has rainbow. The symbol of rainbow and queer theory has taught me to accept the things the way they are, even though it looks strange to some. It has taught me that nothing is perfect not even nature. It has taught me that there can be multiple views of same thing. It has taught me that there is nothing like one and only truth, it differs and every point of view should have given place some where.

Literature has made me an individual from the herd of Sheeples. Through Criticism, it has made me see which others can’t. It taught me that constructive criticism is not a bad habit, rather it is good habit of mind. Literature has taught me how to think. When I choose to study literature, I choose to study Humans. Humans are always complicated, but then even can teach you the great things about them. For example Gogol has taught me identity crisis and diaspora. Yank, Vladimir and Estragon has taught me existentialism. Existentialism is a weird feeling, I’ve felt it before but I was not knowing the name of feeling. Literature also has given name to those weird feelings.

Not only feelings, but it has taught me some harsh realities also. For example, Mr. Gessler taught me that how industrialisation has eaten up his business and how quality is sacrificed in mass productions. Pecola through her entire life, has taught me how racism works and how harmful it is. Oliver Twist has told me the situation of orphans in his time. Gulliver has told me about the politics of his time. Hester has taught me to stand alone and fight for our own rights. Lily Briscoe has taught me to follow the passion. Hamlet taught me to think and Othello taught me to act. Doctor Faustus taught me to seek the knowledge. Milton’s Eve taught me to question. Santiago taught me to never give up. Adrian taught me the importance of last art and Tony taught me to doubt our own memories. Harry Potter taught me that chosen one also fails sometimes and they also has to face struggle in their life. These all are characters of literature, but they all talk to me. They show me their world. They show me the history and also give me sense of not repeating it.

In these five years, I have learned so many things, which might take many more years for others who don’t study it. People will underestimate us because of our selection of “Arts and Humanities”, but after studying literature, we grew older mentally, not physically. We understand our self better and we understand others also better. It taught us to put our feet in to the shoes of one who is front of us. This makes us understand the different point of view. Literature also brings unrest to you. When you grow with literature, you are definitely different from others who doesn’t and there should be difference between those who study literature and those who don’t. To adjust your self with people of your same age but with vast difference in thinking makes you feel the anxiety. You start expect maturity of your level into others, but when you don’t find it, it disappoint us. But with this dissatisfaction, anxiety and unrest, we became strong. It taught us to accept. Now literature don’t teach only to accept, it also taught you to refuse and rebel.  With all these things we grow strong,  always stronger than yesterday.


Literature provides comfort to the people but it also has the axe to broke the frozenness inside the peoples’ mind. It drags you out of your comfort zone. It makes you feel the things which has never happened to you. It puts you in the situation of “To be or not To be”. But at the end it also taught you that, “Readiness is all”.

Literature has taught me not to be dependent on someone else. By doing that literature has made me free. Free from every shackles and bondage of life. It has given us wings and vision of Eagle and also the stamina to fly high. Literature has given me the meaning of freedom. So what is freedom? According to me freedom is there, where are choices, then acceptance of your choice and free will to act upon those decision based on that choices.

Literature is like an ocean. You dive in it, go deep in it and it will unfolds those secrets, which are buried inside its heart. After passing five years in literature, I believe that I have looked at ocean from outside only. I know what it looks like on the surface, still I have to dive and go deep in it, to know it more.

At the end I want to say that literature has made me realise the power of the words. It has provide me all feelings. It has expand my imagination and creativity. Literature has made me whole new person. Literature has made me water. Water which flows and which never become rigid.

 “But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away, not ever. The only way out is in” – Junot Diaz, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”.

What is Literature?

Literature is mirror of society. This is what we have first encountered as the definition of literature. Which means that literature is the mirror which shows the real face of society and that is why it is mirror of society. To counter argue this there is other metaphor given to literature which is literature is photograph. Literature shows photograph of society. While taking photograph people forget their worries to show them selves happy in picture and that is what literature does. It shows photographed reality of society. Some say literature is an axe to break the frozenness of society. According to this metaphor people are froze in to the rigidity of society and religion and literature should be the axe to broke that frozenness inside society or people. Another metaphor for literature is X – ray report. Literature is X – ray report of society. It is ugly but it is real. It shows where the problem lies. So some say literature is like X – ray report which shows ugly face of society.

We have seen literature already has many definitions. To define it again will be hard but here I am giving my understanding. Though to define something means to limit something in some kind of boundaries but literature is limitless it doesn’t have frontier. Then even for me literature is a Train. The first station from where train starts its journey, it will be your first book. As soon as you sit in to the train the train starts moving. Now there is no destination, there will be halts. The train will only stop if you stop reading otherwise the literature train will never stop. With the changing of book, the train will also change its appearance. You are suggested to not to judge its ride by look of train. The writer will be the driver of train. There will be other people in the train but those are the characters whom you find in a book. They will change with the book. Now there is also not fix route of train. Sometimes it will take you to utopia and sometimes to dystopia and in between it will also show you the real world, with that it will show you fantasy world also. It will also show you, different types of people. Some are good some are bad but it will be best if they have grey shade. Some you may like some you may not but what important here is your journey. Because you know there is no destination and you have not pick up this train to reach some where. You just pick up this train to travel, travel where that you don’t know and it is also not necessary to know. What necessary is that you pick up the train. Everyone who choose to travel in this train they have their personal one. Your train is only for you. Sometimes it will be electronic train sometimes it will be local train. We can not assure you how your ride will be, because it can be anything. It can be either smooth or roller coaster. It is not necessary that it will give you happiness only. It can give you tears, fears, and at most it can give you unrest also. But what is need to pick up one train, when there is no particular destination and when it can give unrest then why would one wants to travel in such train? Well, because you like to take risk and pick one. You will pick it by your choice and will left it also by your choice. At the end of the day, the journey of this train will give you Something. Not necessarily a thing, but I assure you that you will not return with empty mind or heart, lets not say hand because it might not give any physical things.

Literature is kind of Maze from which, one don't want to come out.