Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Yesha ma'am from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. Check out Yesha Bhatt's Blog (Click here) for more information and knowledge about Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and other works and writers. In this blog I am going to discuss The Frankenstein novel by Mary Shelley. 

MARY SHELLEY:- 

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was born on 30 August 1797 in London, England and died on 1 February 1851 in London, England. She is very famous, respected and one of the earliest female writers and romantic novelists of English literature. She is known for her best work Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus published in 1818. She married Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816 after Shelley’s first wife had committed suicide. Mary has 4 children. She was the only daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, the early feminist (one who works on behalf of women's rights) and author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. And her father William Godwin, the political writer and novelist, both of whom objected to the institution of marriage. Mary's mother died after ten days of giving birth to Mary. After her husband’s death in 1822, she returned to England and devoted herself to publicizing Shelley’s writings and to educating their only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley. 

WORKS:-

• History of a Six Weeks’ Tour (1817)
• Falkner (1837)
• Frankenstein or modern Prometheus (1818)
• Lodore (1835)
• Selected letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 
• The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1830)
• The Journals of Mary Shelley - 1814-1844
• The last man (1826)
• Valperga (1823)
• Mathilda (1959)
• The Mortal Immortal (1833)
• The Penny Dreadfuls: Tales of Horror: Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Picture of Dorian Gray (by Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, and Oscar Wilde)
• The Dream (1832)
• Maurice (1998)
• Dracula (1897)
• Rambles in Germany and Italy (1844)
• Proserpine & Midas (1922)
• Mary and Maria (by Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft) 
• Mounseer Nongtongpaw (poem - 1808) and others...

QUESTIONS OF THE FRANKENSTEIN NOVEL:-

1:- WHO DECIDES WHAT BEAUTY IS? IS IT FOR REAL OR SUPERFICIAL?

🌸Beauty, this word has different meanings from person to person. But if you ask me what Beauty is? According to me I clearly can say there are so many meanings of beauty like inner beauty, outer beauty, beauty in nature, beauty in our sight, beauty in our thoughts and everything which delights our soul is beautiful. 

"Beauty is power, a smile is its sword."

- John Ray

"Let us live for the beauty of our own reality."

 - Charles Lamb

"Beauty is truth's smile when she Beholds her on face in a perfect mirror."

- Rabindranath Tagore 

"If the path be beautiful, lat us not ask where it leads."

- Anatole France

"Beauty awakens the soul to act."

- Dante Alighieri

"Things are beautiful if you love them."

- Jean Anouilh

"The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express. "

- Francis Bacon

"Personal beauty is a greatest recommendation than any letter of reference."

- Aristotle 

Through all these quotes by great writers, philosophers and others, we can clearly see how the standard of beauty and meaning of beauty changes from person to person. If we ask what is the outer beauty? Someone says that outer beauty means what we can see at first sight, like personality, how they wear their clothes, how they behave, and how they look. And inner beauty deals with our inner personality. What we think and that's reflected in our behaviour. And directly inner beauty has a connection with love. 

In Frankenstein this theme of beauty is something important that reflects the true image of society. Creature made by victor is someone whose outer look decides how he is and he is good or not. He is really good hearted in the beginning of the novel but he becomes more and more crucial when people judge him by his outer look. Even Victor rejects him cause he is afraid when he sees his creature for the first time. So, how can we expect from others that they can accept the creature? 

So, the people of society decide what is beauty and what is not by their outer look according to this Novel. But we should note that inner beauty is more important than outer duty.

2:- WHAT MADE CREATURE MONSTER?

🌸 The centre of the novel or any work inspires by surrounding atmosphere or by our experience. Here is the same thing we can see clearly. If I want to say in a line that what made this creature a monster, I say that behaviour and rejection which this creature experienced by the people made him a monster. Even when he helped The DeLacey Family, he is treated as evil monster. Old person of the family is blind that's why he sees monster's heart not his outer look. But when his son come he beat the creature and get him out of the house. This is creatures bitterest experience that made him monster. First his own creator rejected him but he thinks that other people accept him but he proves wrong. Even writing, thinking and speaking learn by his own. If victor accepted him in never be the monster.

3:- VILLAIN IN FRANKENSTEIN.

🌸When we talk about villain or antagonist of the story we picturised that the perticular person is bad in deeds. They don't have any positive side and always doing wrong thing without any reason. But here is different meaning of villain that what brings so many deaths in this novel.  So, here Questions arrive who and how become villain in this novel.

• First let's look to Victor:-

Victor is a creator of the creature and that's why it's normal that creature expect from him that he take good care of him but it isn't happen. Victor reject his own creation so creature has no option and go out in the world to find a person who don't judge him and admire him. And cause of victor's rejection he go outside and face so many problems and cause of all what happened with him he became monster. So if we see from the point of you real villain is Victor. He should know that if he make something you should accepted it doesn't matter how it is. 

• Creature:-

If we see only outer meaning of the novel Creature of the victor consider as a villain of the novel but is he really a villain? According to me no he isn't and why so I have reason that in starting of the novel he is really like child who don't know anything and try to survive he actually has a good heart and we can see that when he helps this family in their work but what is the result?? That he got beaten up.  And the rejection from the everyone he feel very neglected and that is the reason he kill victor's loved ones to feel Victor the same rejection that he gave to monster. So I cannot consider creature as a real villain of the novel.

• Society:-

Society is the word from everyone can relate effectively. Society is the one who thinks that it has every rule and power to decide all peoples life. In this society made rule that, illogical rule I can say that who is not beautiful from outer side doesn't have any right to live in the society or between the society. It's not fault of ourselves but some particular person in the society who hammering this rules. Of course I say Victor is the villain of the novel in a sense but he do this experiment for people sake that no one will died in the future and if they died through experiment people can alive again. So this hungerness of life what him make do this experiment. So in the other sense he also is not a truly villain of the novel. But this society prove as real villain of the novel or our life. 

4:- WHY VICTOR WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT HIS DREAM EXPERIMENT AND ITS RESULT?

🌸 If a person do something with so many hope he or she have vision for succession of his or her work. And if a person failed in there were they loose all his hopes. And that's one of the reason that particular person is not able to face result of their work. In this novel Victor is also face the same problem. He has so many hope that he can alive dead person. But after the succession of his creation. He really afraid and start to regret that what he done. It thinks that he can't accept his own creation how can others accept him. And if everyone knows that Victor means he made this creature everyone hates him. Victor cannot resist the ugliness of his creation and rejects him. And it's became a main reason with he is not able to accept his dream creation and it's result. 

 

5:- SEARCH FOR LIFE.

🌸 In this section of life searching Robert, Victor and creature are the central of this idea. Robert Robert set out to reach the tip of the North Pole and where he find Victor in ice. After Victor describe him that how creature kill his all loved ones and he is in his way to find creature and kill him. And creature is also in the way to kill Victor. These three person are has some call to complete. Of course for Robert is life's dream is to reach at the end of the north pole and that's why here is considered as a search for life for Robert. Victor and creature has only one girl to kill each other. However, After victors death creature regrets his thought to kill him. But for Victor there is only one thing to do now in his life to kill to creature. And for Victor research of life is to kill creature. At the same time creature has go to kill Victor and its become his search of life. According to me that's how they three are describing their search of life.

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources which I mentioned after the perticular lines. 

For the movie review of the Frankenstein (1994) Click here.

Religious Fervour and 'A Tale Of A Tub'

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a Sunday reading given by Kavisha ma'am from English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. In this blog I am going to discuss about Tale of a Tub by Johnthan Swift and try to related to Indian or different religious fervour. 

• For better understanding on shitla satam visit this site (Click here).
• And also visit Kavisha ma'am blog site (Click here).

TALE OF A TUB:-

A Tale of a Tub written by Johnthan Swift. This work is considered as a prose, Satire and first major work but also a failure in Swift's life. He composed this work between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704. His Satire style in this prose is really appreciated and witfull. If one don't have critical and satirical type of mind they don't even know that this is not only a story of 3 brothers and coat but it's a hidden satire on religion. It is said that he is Anglican Church in this work but mostly people think that he satiring every religion.

This work is divided in chapters as follow:-

For Original text of A Tale of a Tub by Gutenberg Click here.
In first he dedicated this work to John Lord Somers and gave him a message but at that time no one knows that he was Johnathan Swift. And than he gave message to the reader as a bookseller that:-

It is now six years since these papers came first to my hand, which seems to have been about a twelvemonth after they were written, for the Author tells us in his preface to the first treatise that he had calculated it for the year 1697; and in several passages of that discourse, as well as the second, it appears they were written about that time.

As to the Author, I can give no manner of satisfaction. However, I am credibly informed that this publication is without his knowledge, for he concludes the copy is lost, having lent it to a person since dead, and being never in possession of it after; so that, whether the work received his last hand, or whether he intended to fill up the defective places, is like to remain a secret.

If I should go about to tell the reader by what accident I became master of these papers, it would, in this unbelieving age, pass for little more than the cant or jargon of the trade. I therefore gladly spare both him and myself so unnecessary a trouble. There yet remains a difficult question—why I published them no sooner? I forbore upon two accounts. First, because I thought I had better work upon my hands; and secondly, because I was not without some hope of hearing from the Author and receiving his directions. But I have been lately alarmed with intelligence of a surreptitious copy which a certain great wit had new polished and refined, or, as our present writers express themselves, “fitted to the humour of the age,” as they have already done with great felicity to Don Quixote, Boccalini, La Bruyère, and other authors. However, I thought it fairer dealing to offer the whole work in its naturals. If any gentleman will please to furnish me with a key, in order to explain the more difficult parts, I shall very gratefully acknowledge the favour, and print it by itself.

In this he sais to readers that this work is came to him anonymously and recently I found that the author is died and that's why I am publishing this book.

And than he explained The Epistle Dedicatory To His Royal Highness Prince Posterity. And now he move towards to Preface and than start to explain the central or main part of the book he divided this into 11 cheaters and than he talk about History of Martin. 

JOHNTHAN SWIFT:-

Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667 in Dublin, Ireland . And died on 19 October 1745 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He has so many pen names or pseudonym name like:- Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier, Lemuel Gulliver, Simon Wagstaff, Esq. His notable work includes A Tale of a Tub, Drapier's Letters, Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, etc. He mostly published his works under this name so that it's seems anonymously. According to Wikipedia He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.

SHITLA SATAM:-

Shitla satam know as a Festival in India. Everyone celebrate shitla satam as a Diwali, Holi, Navratri and other festivals. Shitla satam or I can say this festival's Devi is Shitlamata. 

In this photo we can clearly see that Shitla Devi holds Broom in her hand so can we say that this society always picturised women as a household workers. A frame or a Devi which they worshiping picturised as a work. I better say it's also looks like irony to me. 

What written in this photo also intresting that it is a important festival in Indian culture and worshipped as Devi as a Goddess. And on this day WOMEN fast for the whole day. So, here we also can add a feminine words.  As the same there were also other photos too. 

In this video we can see that, let's side for a time that what a stupid idea that some disease is a God that if you are not worshipping them you will get some kind of pox. But at the same time we can notice that Shitla is as a Mata not as pita. The second noticeable thing in this picture shitala Mata sitting on a donkey. Donkey considered foolish animal in earth indirectly society call female foolish as per my thinking. 

In the next picture Bhakt of the shitla Mata picturised her so many aspects.

~•• REGRESSIVE RITUALS AND PROGRESSIVE RATIONAL THOUGHTS:-

---SMALLPOX:-

According to Stefan Riedel, MD, PhD about smallpox written in Did you know? (Click here to know more) 

He says that smallpox inoculation is an ancient Indian tradition and was practiced in India before the West. In kitab of al-jadari wa'l-hasba (On the variola and the measles) by the great physician and alchemist Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (865 to ca.923 AD) gives an idea that these diseases and their differentiation in the Western world. But at the same time small in china noted earlier that Islam history in Chou hou pei chi fang (Handy therapies for emergencies) by great physician and alchemist Ko Hung about 340 AD, and revised by Thao Hung-ching (also a great physician and alchemist), in the around 500AD.

He further says that In ancient times in India smallpox was prevented through the tikah (inoculation). But around 1803-04 the British government banned this process. It's banning, undoubtedly, was done in the name of 'humanity', and justified by the Superintendent General of Vaccine (manufactured by Dr. E. Jenner from the cow for use in the inoculation against smallpox). For the antidote against small pox is WORSHIPPING THE GODDESSES. S. C. Dube (1955) says that in ancient times disease was regarded as a punishment from the god and goddesses, or the work of evil sprites, or supernatural powers.

There are some writing about smallpox as follows:-

• In 1731, Coult was in Bengal and he observed it and wrote:-

--- The operation of inoculation called by the natives tikah has been known in the kingdom of Bengall as near as I can learn, about 150 years and according to the Bhamanian records was first performed by one Dununtary, a physician of Champanagar, a small town by the side of the Ganges about half way to Cossimbazar whose memory in now holden in great esteem as being through the another of this operation, which secret, say they, he had immediately of God in a dream.There method of performing this operation is by taking a little of the pus (when the smallpox are come to maturity and are of a good kind) and dipping these in the point of a pretty large sharp needle. Therewith make several punctures in the hollow under the deltoid muscle or sometimes in the forehead, after which they cover the part with a little paste made of boiled rice. When they want the operation of the inoculated matter to be quick they give the patient a small bolus made of a little of the pus, and boiled rice immediately after the operation which is repeated the two following days at noon.The place where the punctures were made commonly festures (sic) and comes to a small suppuration, and if not the operation has no effect and the person is still liable to have the smallpox but no contrary if the punctures do suppurate and no fever or eruption ensues, then they are no longer subject to the infection.The puncture blacken and dry up with the other pustules.The fever ensues later or sooner, according to the age and strength of the person inoculated, but commonly the third or fourth days. They keep the patient under the coolest regimen they can think off befor the fever comes on and frequently use cold bathing.If the eruption is suppressed they also use frequent cold bathing. At the same time they give warm medicine inwardly, but if they prove of the confluent kind, they use no cold bathing, but (keep) the patient very cool and give cooling medicines.I cannot say anything of the success of this operation or their method of cure in this disease, but I intend to inform myself.

• Dr. J.Z. Holwell wrote:-

--- Generally so inconsiderable and trifling, as very seldom to require this indulgence. Their regimen is ordered to consist of all the refrigerating things the climate and season produces, as plantains, sugar-canes, water melons, rice, gruel made of white poppy-seeds, and cold water, or thin rice gruel for their ordinary drink. These instructions being given, and an injunction laid on the patients to make a thanks giving Poojah, or offering, to the goddess is a pund of cowries, equal to about a penny sterling, and goes on to another door, down one side of the street and up on the other, and is thus employed from morning until night, inoculating sometimes eight or ten in a house. The regimen they order, when they are called to attend the disease taken in the natural way, is uniformly the same. There usually begins to be a discharge from the scarification a day before the eruption, which continues through the disease, and sometimes after the scabs of the pock fall off, and a few pustules generally appear round the edge of the wound; when these two circumstances appear only, without a single eruption on any other part of the body, the patient is deemed as secure from future infection, as if the eruption had been general. Thus far the system of practice pursued by the Bramins will, I imagine, appear rational enough, and well founded; but they have other reasons for particularly prohibiting the use of these three articles, which to some may appear purely speculative, if not chimerical. They lay it down as a principle, that the immediate (or instant) cause of the smallpox exists in the mortal part of every human and animal form; that the mediate (or second) acting cause, which stirs up the first, and throws it into a state of fermentation, is multitudes of imperceptible animalculae floating in the atmosphere; that these are the cause of all epidemical diseases, but more particularly of the small pox.That the great and obvious benefit accruing from it, consists in this, that the fermentation being excited by the action of a small portion of matter (similar to the immediate cause) which had already passed through a state of fermentation the effects must be moderate and benign; whereas the fermentation raised by the malignant juices of the animalculae received into the blood with the ailment, gives necessarily additional force and strength to the first efficient cause of the disease.

These all are detailed in do you know? Site as pin it above.

Here is a video on smallpox available in YouTube:-

Source:- World Health Organization South-Asia region

CONNECTION BETWEEN A TALE OF A TUB AND SHITLA SATAM:- 

Not only in India but in every country, not only in this age but un every age there is believe on God or Goddesses that they can fix everything. And this connection or believe on God lead us to different religion. And in every religion there is a founder and leader of the particular religion. Here Jonathan Swift describe three religion through A Tale of a Tub. First is ROMAN CATHOLICISM, second is LUTHERANISM or ANGLICAN CHURCH and third is CALVINISM. Through this work he criticises evry religion in a sense. In his work every person follow the perticular religion and it's belief like that in Sheetla satam people follows blind belief of  yaar particular religion. Like above I mentioned in did you know article, S. C. Dube (1955) says that in ancient times disease was regarded as a punishment from the god and goddesses, or the work of evil sprites, or supernatural powers. People think that propitiation of the god or goddesses was the sure antidote against these diseases. Worship of goddess is also connected with the smallpox and organized annually in the South. The village community organizes this annual worship of Pochamma on Thursday or Saturday in the month of Shravan (July-August). The Muslims also participate in this festival but don't participate in worship, as they dont believe in Hindu god, but were as afraid of the village gods and goddesses as the Hindus. So it's not matter which religion we are following but there is something which is scientifical genetical aur physical that we connected with religion in tried to run away from situation by afraiding of mighty or God in which start worshipping them. So here Jonathan Swift's A Tale Of a Tub has some similarities with Shitla satam.

Note:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources which I mentioned after the perticular lines. 

Teacher's Day Blog 2022 & 2023

TEACHER'S DAY 2022:-

Hello Lovely Visitor, In India there were so many events and days in a year for celebration like Diwali, Holi, Navratri so on. But Teacher's day is celebrated with full enjoyment and love only by students. No, i am not going to take lacture here in this blog. But i request you to visit my Channel on YouTube, and watch the video. Topic of the Teacher's day I choose is an Irony a term in Literature, which is used not only books and study but also in day to day life too. So, below you can find PPT related to Irony, read This PPT and appear in the quiz which also linked below. After appearing in the quiz you will soon get Certificate for the Quiz prepared by me. 😊 Keep Learning. Keep loving Litrature. Learn to think critically. Have a great journey of life.

Here is a YouTube video:-

Here is a PPT:-

Here is a Quiz:-

Click Here For Quiz

Here is a Ted.ed Video:-

Click here 

TEACHER'S DAY 2023:-

Hello Everyone,

Happy Teacher's Day to you all!!

This video is a part of a Teacher's Day celebration 2023 in which students of English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar make a video on Literature related topics and share their knowledge with everyone. In this video my topic is Criticism, I am going to discuss a basic idea of Criticism and how it's influenced me from years till now. I also make a little quiz based on this video and after feeling up that form you are provided with a certificate made by me. For more information you can read my blogs also. 

Here is a YouTube Video:-

Here is a Quiz:- 

Click here 

Here is a Ted.ed Video Link:-

Click here 

Here are my other Blogs based on this topic:-

I.A. Richard: Practical Criticism - Figurative Language (click here)

Archetypal Criticism by Northrop Frye (click here)

Aristotle's Poetics (click here)

Credits:-

Camera Person:- Drashti Joshi

Place:- Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar

Script & Speaker:- Pooja Bhuva

Thank You 💫

ThAct: History Puritan + Restoration age

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

In this blog I am going to discuss Poet, prose writers and others related things to Puritan age, which is given by Dilip sir from The English Department and it's a part of a syllabus, paper number 105/History of English literature.

For the original texts, more materials, presentation and blogs visit this sites:-

• Material website
  
• Dilip Barad's Blog
  

PURITAN AGE:-

In the 17th century there was a movement called Puritan movement which gave us so many great works. In this age, writer of written age divided into groups like:-

• Cavalier Poets
• Transitional poets
• Metaphysical poets
• Spenserian Poets

CAVALIER POETS:-

Cavalier poets were the poets connected with the royal court. During the 17th century, a group of poets called Cavalier poets contributed to poetry. Ben Johnson was the model for them. They dealt with the theme of love. Their poetry was more realistic and Frank. These are some characteristics of the Cavalier poets:-

• Lyrical style
• Lucidity of expression
• Theme of love
• Realistic and Frank treatment
• Sophisticated, lucid style
• Followed classicists like Ben Johnson
• Balance and control style 
• Use of wit, paradox and irony
• Avoided metaphysical conseits, excessive logic and arguments.

Here are some famous figure of the Cavalier poets as follow:-

• Richard Lovelace
• John suckling
• Thomas carew
• Andrew Marvell
• Robert Harrick
• Edmund Waller

TRANSITIONAL POETS:-

Transitional poets also known as 'precursor of romantic poetry'. Those 18th century poets who show some characteristics and elements related to romanticism and also not ignoring the old convections are called transitional poets. 

Here are some famous figure of the Transitional poets as follow:-

• Bishop Percy
• Robert Burns
• James Thomson
• Oliver Goldsmith
• Thomas Gray
• Thomas Chatterton
• James MacPherson
• George Crabbe
• William Collins
• William Cowper
• William Blake

SPENSERIAN POETS:-

17th century poets who like to follow Spencer and his style of writing known as Spenserian poets.

Here are some famous figure of the Spenserian poets as follow:-

• Phines Fletcher
• Giles Fletcher
• George Wither
• William Brown
• William Drummond

METAPHYSICAL POETS:-

The term 'metaphysical' was used for the poetry of John Donne and his followers who wrote poems on the same line. This kind of poetry differs from lyrical or romantic poetry of the Elizabethan age. The metaphysical poetry came into existence as a reaction against romantic excesses of the Elizabeth and poet. Donne's poetry is marked by concentrated passion, intellectual agility and dramatic power. His poetry is introspective and analytical. Dr Johnson called Donne's poetry metaphysical in modern age. T.S. Eliot, F.R. Leavis and and others re-evaluated John Donne's poetry and put it on a very high pedestal. 

Here are some famous figure of the Metaphysical poets as follow:-

• John Donne
• George Herbert 
• Richard Crashaw
• Henry Vaughan
• Andrew Marvell
• John Cleveland
• Abraham Cowley

JOHN DONNE:-

LIFE AND MARRIAGE:-

John Donne was English poet, scholar and soldier. He was born on 22 January, 1572 in London, United Kingdom and died on 31 March, 1731 in London, United Kingdom.

Donne's life was as tormented one as his poetry. His poetry and life both are full of passions and tansion of moods. It is marked by his passionate youth, uncertain approach to religion, his errors and fumblings, is piety and devotion. Donne's father was a healthy iron merchant of London. Donne's parents were Roman Catholic. So, obviously he was  educated in Roman catholic schools. Then he went to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

He started his worldly career as a secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton. Egerton's second wife brought with her the daughter of her brother named Anne More. Donne fell in love with her. Donne was 29 while Anne was only 17. River secretly married at the end of 1601. Donne was arrested for the act and impressioned. Donne realised that the marriage with Anne More had brought Misfortune in his life. By inspiring this incident he wrote:-

"JOHN DONNE, ANNE DONE, UNDONE"

John entered Anglican Church in 1615 and became the dean of St.Paul's church in 1621. He continued to hold this prestigious position until his death in 1631. He was the first Anglican Preacher and his sermons were very popular. He summed up his spiritual progress in these words:-

"JACK DONNE, DOCTOR DONNE, DEAN DONNE"

WORKS:-

Apart from easy, superficial, romantic style, he brought intellectual element in his poetry. His works include poems, satires, elegies and lyrics. His love poems, 'The songs and sonnets' were written in a vivid and startling  language. A vein of satire runs through in his love poetry. The rhythm is highly dramatic. He used unequal lines, very often quite short. He was a psychological poet who presented complex thought processes. All his poems are intentionally personal. His famous poems are as follows(by clicking the title of the poem you can find whole poem for better understanding):-

• The Sun Rising
  
• The Canonization
  
• Lovers Infinitenesse
  
• The Anniversary
  
• A Valediction : Forbiddin Mourning
  
• Twicknam Garden
  
• Love's Growth
  
• Love's Alchemy
  
• The Flea
  
• A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucius Day

His religious poems express his intense struggle and psychological complexities. 'Holy Sonnets' were written after 1610. This 19 sonnets are intensely personal. They reveal the struggle of his mind before taking order in the Anglican Church. Dryden wrote that Donne's poetry effects metaphysics. Donne also wrote satire and elegies. T. S. Eliot re-evaluated John Donne and put him on a high pedestal. All works of Donne appeared after his death. Edmund Gosse published 'The life and letters of John Donne' in 2 volumes in 1899 and H. J. C. Grierson published 'Poems of John Donne' in 2 volumes in 1912.

JOHN DONNE AS A LOVE POET:-

The definition of love changes poet to poet. According to Lewis, there are three levels of Donne's poetry:-

• The celebration of simple appetite
• He thinks that love is God and lovers are clergies 
• The poems of love celebrating virtuous love

Lewis further says that Donne's love poems have five major themes:-

• Sorrow of parting
• The miseries of secrecy
• Falseness and inconstancy of the mistress
• The fickleness of his own nature
• The contempt of love itself

Donne's love poetry is quite complex. Donne was a scholar and his love poetry carries the element of his erudition and scholarship. He adored love and the beloved with her beauty. Love is according to him perpetually in flux, it is physical, sensual and realistic. He can be called an atheist of love. He says that love is not permanent. Lovers can be indifferent and untrue and women are more untrue than men. 

Donne had his own experience of love. His love to Anne made him Undone.

Donne's poetry is not simple like Burns' poetry of love. It is reflective and philosophical. In Donne's poetry we quickening of the brain, the vision extending in range. The greatest of Donne's poetry lies in is experience of the passion ranging from the lowest to the highest. 

Note:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources, books and websites. 

Words:-1167

Photos:- 2

Quotes:- 2

Movie Review:- Life Of Pi

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

In this blog I am going to review a movie name Life Of Pi based on the Novel 'Life Of Pi' By Yann Martel In 2001. This blog is a part of a SR:- Film Screening given By Yesha Bhatt from English Department, MKBU. 

This is a link of Yesha Bhatt's Blog (Click Here ).

ABOUT THE MOVIE:-

This movie is directed by Ang Lee, produced by Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark and written by David Magee. This movie was released in 2012. Starcast of the movie are Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Tabu and Adil Hussain in lead roles. 

WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE NOVEL?

✨This movie is based on Yann Martel's Canadian philosophical novel Life Of Pi in 2001. And also won the MAN BOOKER PRIZE for fiction in 2002. Life of Pi tells the magical story of a young man who survives a harrowing shipwreck and months in a lifeboat with a large Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is a transformative novel, an astonishing work of imagination that will delight and stun readers in equal measure. It is a triumph of storytelling and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God. A casual reading of this book will reveal a tedious, drawn-out story of a boy, his family, and living against the odds with a tiger. A more in-depth read will have you examining the role of faith in providing a moral compass for humanity, animal survival instincts, and if we as humans can transcend our base nature when faced with impending death.

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wide, wild Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, one zebra (with broken leg), an orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker and Pi – a 16-year-old Indian boy. As the ‘crew’ begin to assert their natural places in the food chain, Pi’s fear mounts, and he must use all his wit and daring to develop an understanding with Richard the tiger.

Life of Pi takes the reader on an extraordinary journey – geographical, spiritual and emotional. A rare thing, here is a novel that will change your view of the world. (Summary by THE BOOKISELF Click here to know more)

👀WHICH VERSION OF THE STORY IS MORE APPEALING?

Normally in one movie or any particular work has only one story in it but here it's a bit suspicion with the question that which version of the movie is more appealing? So let me clear it first in this novel, protagonist narrates two stories. And which story we believe it's upon us.

🍁FIRST STORY:-

Piscine Patel our protagonist PI is living with his family. His family owns a zoo and running it in India. Pi's father is aware about cruelty of Animals but pi doesn't know about it and thinks that animal should treated as human. To Show the real identity and cruelness of animals his father force him to see tiger kill and eating a goat.  It's interesting to see in the novel that protagonist follows more than one religion through the entire novel and his family don't Hesitate about it but his religion doesn't Accept it.

Ahead in the story is family decide to sell the animals and go to Canada on a cargo ship named Tsimtsum. And after sometime during the voyage, terrible storm occurs and and pi excitedly go to see the storm in the ship deck and tossed overboard and into a lifeboat by the crew.

On the very next morning he finds himself with badly injured zebra, a vicious hyena, and a matronly orangutan named Orange Juice. In this life boat there is also a tiger which Pi met him already in his childhood. And the name of the tiger is Richard Parker. As the story move further hyena killed zebra eat it. And then try to kill orangutan, orangutan gives a good fight but unfortunately Hyena kill him. And then he tries to kill Pi also at that time tiger makes himself visible and kill The Hyena. Now in the boat only tiger and Pi remaining alive. 

Now what happens with this two both in a one ship tiger and human stuck together it's the whole story. Moving forward, He thoughts that hunger and thirst will kill him before tiger will. He discovers provisions stored in the lifeboat, including biscuits, water, water purifiers, a whistle, and a handbook for surviving at sea. With the help of Survival tool he made second type of a craft.  In some points he is able to train Richard Parkar in save his life. On the way of finding some Island or place to go in the sea there are so many beautiful scenes which describing a showing in the movie as follow:-

This night scene of the movie make this movie more interesting and beautiful to see. 

This Scene of flying fishes is not very common. But this movie gets very beautiful way to present it. 

Moving forward, Parker and Pi eventually find the an Island made entirely of trees, roots, leaves, fresh water, and plants. but soon pie get the idea that it is a carnivorous being, and consumes everything which lives on the island. Pi and Richard Parker return to the lifeboat and the ocean. After sometime, Parker and Pi reached to Mexico. There Parker returns to wild forest and never seen again. And Pi brought into custody and ask some questions by officers. The story which Pi told them they find it unrealistic, is stuck to this story but they didn't accept it. Then he offers second story. 

🍁SECOND STORY:- 

The lifeboat with a crew member of the sunken ship, his own mother, and a foul-tempered French cook who eventually kills both Pi’s mother and the crewman. Pi tells of how he then stabbed the French cook in the throat and watched him die. This second account seems to satisfy the skepticism of the questioners, but they admit to Pi that his account of surviving with the tiger aboard the lifeboat is a better story. (Second story got from cliff notes, to know more Click here )

🌈So, some people can't accept something which they don't see from their on eyes. But it doesn't mean that it is not true. As the same this officer can't accept the real story. According to me, of course it is difficult to believe, but first version of the story is more appealing to me. 

🍃SIGNIFICANCE OF TIGER AND ISLAND:-

In a story, movie, life or anything which we are surrounding has some kind of significance in it. In this story I like to deal with significance of Tiger and Island. 

TIGER:-

Tiger symbolises itself for strongness and powerfulness. But in this novel it signifies or symbolises as I can say as a God. Yann Martel write that LET ME TELL YOU A STORY WHICH MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN GOD. So, through this line we can imagine that he is highly influenced by spirituality and also try to present in this novel. He symbolises tiger as a faith in God. Normally, a tiger behave cruelly to the humans as if they are a good meal. Not only to the humans but to all other small animals too. But throughout the novel we can clearly see that most of the time he simply sit in the side of a boat. PI like this tiger and at the same time fear from it too. As the same we respect and love God but we have fear in our mind in a way. So, as a the he symbolises faith in God and he aslo signifies as a guide and partner in the boat. 

 

ISLAND:-

What we understand or think by Island, probably a place where has lives and give everyone source for living and peaceful. Well, that's true and here in this novel that also we can see but there is also a surprise for Pi and Parker in this Island. This Island is carnivorous one. If we read the novel carefully we will know that this kind of tree always addicted to swallow what living on its land and it's always funny and suspicious at the same time that if it is carnivorous Island how there were so many animals living on that Island. There are so many opinions about the significance of the Island in the novel like Island signifies Life that how First and form outer side it seems so beautiful and easy but as we know more and deeply it consumes ourselves. It also symbolises spiritual journey of the Pi throughout the novel. At first it seems perfect place to stay, Pi find food for eating and place sleep but when he find that a tooth in the tree he realises that it is a carnivorous tree. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOUBT IN IT?

As I already said that in tiger significance that the role of the tiger is like God and its automatically connected with spirituality and religion. Of course religion is not connected with the God. But nowadays we connected religion and spirituality together and fight for our religion made by human. 

Now what is spirituality describe into this novel. Character of Pi is seem to be very spiritual not from the starting but as grown up you find faith in God. As in the novel Yenn Martel speak through the character of Pi that let me tell you a story that makes believe in God. And the character of Pi started to tell the story to the man who comes to know about him. The tiger symbolise as a God or a faith in God. How we respect God and at the same time has fear of God likewise Pi like reached Parkar and also afraid of him.

Now when we talk about spirituality there is also religion in some manner. In this novel The character of Pi follow more than one religion. We can see in the starting part of the novel that he is doing namaz and also doing Pooja. But it is good to see that his family didn't interfere in more manner in his experience is of different religions. But his own religion has problem by his following of different religions.

So, as per my understanding I can find this differences, significance, and symbols in this novel that what it represents. 

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources which I mentioned after the perticular lines. 

Words:- 1802

Images:- 7

Videos:- 4

The School Boy by William Blake

WILLIAM BLAKE:- 

~• William Blake (1757-1827) was an English poet and painter.

~• Blake is a seminal figure in the history of both poetry and visual arts of the romantic age.

~• His prophetic poetry owes its origins to the fact that tradition and materialism did not influence his vision.

~• He was considered one of the leaders of modern anarchism.

~• Some of his well known works include song of Innocence and experience, Gates of Paradise, Marriage of Heaven and Hell, America, The French Revolution, Jerusalem and Milton.

~•••~THE SCHOOL BOY~•••~

I love to rise in a summer morn,

When the birds sing on every tree;

The distant huntsman winds his horn,

And the skylark sings with me:

O what sweet company!

But to go to school in a summer morn, -

O it drives all joy away!

Under a cruel eye outworn,

The little ones spend the day

In sighing and dismay.

Ah then at times I drooping sit,

And spend many an anxious hour;

Nor in my book can I take delight,

Nor sit in learning's bower,

Worn through with the dreary shower.

How can the bird that is born for joy

Sit in a cage and sing?

How can a child, when fears annoy,

But droop his tender wing,

And forget his youthful spring!

O father and mother if buds are nipped,

And blossoms blown away;

And if the tender plants are stripped

Of their joy in the springing day,

By sorrow and care's dismay, -

How shall the summer arise in joy,

Or the summer fruits appear?

Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy,

Or bless the mellowing year,

When the blasts of winter appear?

ABOUT THE POEM:-

~• The School boy is a romantic poem because it paints a perfect image of nature.

~• The school boy believes that school is negatively impacting on him due to strict rules and limitations in a classroom.

~• It considered how going to school on a Summer Day 'drives all Joy away.'

~• The child in this poem is very beautifully give reasons why I do not like going to school.

ELABORATION OF THE POEM:-

~• I love getting up early in the morning in the summer.

~• And whenever I wake up in the morning, there is a bird singing on every tree.

~• And somewhere Huntsman are playing their horn.

~• And skylark is singing with me.

~• And from all this I feel very good company.

~• But now I have to go to school on this summer morning.

~• This took away all my happiness.

~• I have to spend my whole day with sighing and dismay only under the cruel eyes of the teachers.

~• I am just sitting in and waiting for the time there.

~• Now I do not get any pleasure in books.

~• Now I feel like the dreary shower of teacher's speech.

~• A bird is born to sing songs in happiness.

~• But how can you say it to sing the song by imprisoning him.

~• How a child can fly by his wings in a scary environment. 

~• O mother and father! If birds were nipped then how will the flower be blown?

~• If blossoms are blown, where will the cherries rise from?

~• If we stripped the tender plants, how will they grow?

~• You have left them in a time of utter sorrow. 

~• If all this happens, happiness that will get up in the summer will end.

~• And how does the energy come after summer?

~• Thus how the plants would be able to get the fruit which has been destroyed.

~• How can the summer be blessing when the blasts of winter appear.

CONCLUSION:-

~• School boy compares the children with the spring plants which have been destroyed.

~• According to him, like the flowers, the children too need freedom for efficient growth.

~• If there freedom is snatched away and their joy-buds are cut off because off Schools.

~• They will never be able to get properly educated and hence serve the society.

~• The poem is thus a criticism on the way the schools impart education. 

SR:-Post-truth

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

In this blog I am going to discuss the concept or we can say the word Post-truth which is given by Dilip sir from The English Department and it's a part of a Sunday reading. Thinking is a must for any kind of Debate, Doubt and Solution. So, to know the true way of thinking check out my blog on Thinking Skills by Professor Milan Pandya.

For the original texts, more materials, presentation and blogs visit this sites:-

• Material website
• Dilip Barad's Blog

WORD:-

POST:-The word has so many meanings like upright support, job, employment , lookout, station, mail service (noun), situate, position, advise, inform (verb) etc. Post also used a  suffix like post-modernism, post-graduate, postpone, postmortem, post-Colonial etc. TRUTH:-We all are aware of the word truth that simply means honesty, loyalty, reality, validity (noun).

Now let's see the meaning of the word when it's combined. Post-truth is an adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’.

WORD OF THE YEAR:-

The German tradition, Wort des Jahres (Word of the Year) was started in 1971. Each December, a German word or word group is named in a linguistic review of the year. The oldest Word of the Year "aufmüpfig" (German word) means Rebellious, insubordinate and this word was chosen because of the Characterization of the 1960s counterculture, especially the German student movement.

As the Word of the year some there were also terms called Word of the Decade, Word of the Past Millennium, Word of the 20th Century, Un-Word of the year, Youth Word of the Year, word of the month etc. As the Oxford Dictionary gives Word of the year there were also many Dictionaries, Society and others choose Word of the year like  American Dialect Society, Australian National Dictionary Center, Collins English Dictionary, Macquarie Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Oxford, Grant Barrett, Dictionary.com etc. 

POST-TRUTH WORD OF THE YEAR(2016):-

According to Wikipedia The Word of the Year need not have been coined within the past twelve months but it does need to have become prominent or notable during that time. There is no guarantee that the Word of the Year will be included in any Oxford dictionary. The Oxford Dictionaries Words of the Year are selected by editorial staff from each of the Oxford dictionaries. The selection team is made up of lexicographers and consultants to the dictionary team, and editorial, marketing, and publicity staff.

From 2004 Oxford Dictionary started to give word of the year under the rules which i described above. The word of the year 2004 was CHAV. Interestingly in 2012 the very famous word of this century, GIF, was declared as a US word of the year. In 2015 surprisingly 😂 (Face with Tears of Joy emoji) this emoji was declared as a US and UK word of the year. After the word of the year 2016 Post-truth Oxford Dictionary declared Aadhar as a Hindi Word of the year 2017. 2020 is considered as a blank year in UK and US word of the year. And the recent 2021 word of the year was vax.

Oxford Dictionary declared POST-TRUTH as a word of the year on the basis of the Brexit referendum in the UK and the presidential election in the US.

WHAT IS POST-TRUTH?:- 

"When the mistakes fall disproportionately on one side, it is no respect for the notion of truth to pretend that everything is even."

- Lee McIntyre

Source:- Pinterest

"The mob believes everything it is told, provided only that it be repeated over and over. Provided that its passions, hatreds, fears are catered to. Nor need one try to stay within the limits of plausibility: on the contrary, the grosser, the bigger, the cruder the lie, the more readily is it believed and followed. Nor is there any need to avoid contradictions: the mob never notices; needless to pretend to correlate what is said to some with what is said to others: each person or group believes only what he is told, not what anyone else is told; needless to strive for coherence: the mob has no memory; needless to pretend to any truth: the mob is radically incapable of perceiving it: the mob can never comprehend that its own interests are what is at stake.”

 - Alexandre Koyré

Post-truth is a term referred to as a documentation of and deals with disputes over public truth claims. The term was used academically and publicly before 2016. But the Oxford dictionary made it more popular after 2016.The French philosopher Bruno Latour has been criticized for contributing to the intellectual foundations for post-truth. In 2018, the New York Times ran a profile on Bruno Latour and post-truth politics. Hannah Arendt has been cited as an important conceptual resource for post-truth theory. 

"What these problem-solvers have in common with down-to-earth liars is the attempt to get rid of facts and the confidence that this should be possible because of the inherent contingency of facts."

- Arendt writes 

Carl Sagan's words are thought to be a prediction of a "post-truth" or "alternative facts" world. For more details you can also watch a video based on Post-truth.

Source:- Eng Lit Mirror

• For more details of Post-truth click here.

SOME OF THE EXAMPLE OF POST-TRUTH:-

• One of the best examples of Post-truth is a trendy one of Donald Trump lies. 

Source:-xplrd 

• The very known and Our favorite Shushant Singh Rajput died a few years ago and Aaj Tak News telecast or we can say published a fake news of the last word of Sushant Singh Rajput that we can see in the below picture.

• Nowadays most of the students of the English Department getting Requests from fake accounts of  HOD, Dilip Sir on Instagram and many students who don't know that it's a fake account get trapped and accept the request. 

• This is an example of a Corona time report published by THE HINDU newspaper on bets study. 

• Not only These newspapers but the Dainik Bhaskar is also on the way. Dainik Bhaskar published fake news using a poor girl, now facing public criticism online.

• The news and all the Drug cases which happened a few years ago were full of rumours and fake News which we can't deny and published by several newspapers.

For more Understanding of Post-truth click below:-

• BBC News on POST-TRUTH 
• Dilip Barad's Blog on POST-TRUTH
  

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know in the comment section ☺️. 

Words:-1102

Images:-6

Videos:-2

Quotes:-4