Critical Analysis | English Literature | English Literature Zone

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer

Literature, Critical Analysis, Indian Literature, Summary

Introduction

‘The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales’ is a famous literary work written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14^th century. It is an Introduction of stories that the pilgrims tell as they journey to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The Prologue itself is a poetic masterpiece and provides a vivid description of the diverse group of pilgrims who are travelling together.

The General Prologue is the First Part of ‘The Canterbury Tales’.

The Prologue begins with a description of the season of spring which symbolizes renewal and the start of a new journey.

“Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,”

Analysis Of General Prologue

Chaucer, the narrator of the play is also a character in the story, describing how he encounters a group of 29 pilgrims at The Tabard Inn in Southwark, a suburb of London. These pilgrims come from various social classes and professions, representing a wide range of medieval society.

At dinner with the pilgrims, the host proposes a plan to the group. He says, that on the way to Canterbury, each pilgrim must tell two tales and then two on the return journey. The Host will be the judge of the tales he says. He goes on to say that the pilgrim with the best tale will get a free dinner at the tavern when the journey ends. Moreover, he also states that anyone challenging his judgement will have to pay the bill for the whole pilgrimage.

This excites the pilgrims and all of them agree to this proposal. Moreover, they also swear to follow the rules of this game. They ride out of Canterbury the next morning when the tale-telling session begins.

However, a pilgrim immediately opposes the Host authority. The Monk is invited to tell another story after the previous one is finished, but the drunken Miller wants to move on or leave. The Host’s authority is subsequently questioned in the following scenes. After all, when a drunken pilgrim and a group of mysterious strangers are together something terrible will happen. Throughout the trek, the pilgrims tell us a variety of tales.

But they soon begin insulting each other directly. For instance, the carpenter becomes insulted when Miller recounts a demeaning story about him. He fabricates a story to degrade Miller as a result. This keeps repeating, the Host’s struggle to resolve the conflicts arising continually. However, it ends only after twenty-four tales instead of the intended one hundred and twenty. It ends with a sermon which the Parson gives. It is about sin and repentance and ends with Chaucer’s departure.

Thus, the Canterbury Tales helps in giving an overview of the Characters through the general Prologue. It will help further in getting to know the pilgrims in a better manner and their mannerisms.

The prologue begins with a description of the season of spring which symbolizes renewal and the start of a new journey. The narrator who is also a character in the story, describes how he encounters a group of 29 pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, a suburb of London. These pilgrims come from various social classes and professions, representing a wide range of medieval society.

The narrator and 29 other pilgrimages decide to begin on their spiritual and religious quest the next morning. But before the pilgrimage starts, the narrator makes a point to observe and analyze every individual and create a persona based on their visible and discernible choices, manners and appearance.

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales Character Analysis

Chaucer begins to sketch the different characters beginning with the knight and his Son the squire.

The Knight – The Knight is a worthy man. He has noble qualities like Chivarly, Truthfulness, Honor, Courtesy and Charity. These are the codes of virtues that are supposed to have in a knight in the medieval era.

After the Prologue it is the knight who begins the first tale. He narrates a romantic story of a woman and two knights who fall in love with her.

The Squire – The squire is the son of the knight. He is around twenty years old. He has a passion for playing flute and singing. He narrates the story of a mysterious knight who comes to the court of Tartary with gifts.

The Yeoman – He is a servant to the knight and travels with him. He skillfully looks at the knight’s arrows and carries with him a great deal of weaponry used by his master. He is shown as a pious man with the mention of possessive silver St. Christopher on his chest. He doesn’t narrate any tale.

The Prioress – The name of the prioress is ‘Madam Eglentine’ As she is a nun, she often sings religious songs. She speaks French well, which was the standard language during the 14th century. She carries a golden brooch with shiny impressions that say:

“Amor vincit omnia
Love conquers all.

She narrates the tale of a child who sings on the Virgin Mary is killed by Hateful Jews who don’t like singing.

Nun – She is the secretary of Madame Eglantine, the Prioress. She narrates the life of St. Cecilia as her contribution to the pilgrimage.

The Monk – The Monk has a high rank in a monastery. He is handsome to look at. He looks at things differently and often keeps aside the Old traditions. He describes a series of tragedies about Lucifer, Sampson, Hercules, Nabugodonosor, Balthasar etc.

The Friar – The Frior’s name is Hubert. He is a joyful and lustful person. He is the best beggar who knows very well how to extract money from people. He starts to tell of summoner when a debate boils up between him and summoner.

The Merchant – According to the description the merchant is a solemn gentleman with great bargaining Skills, without having any need of debts. He narrates the story of a blind man, who longs for a union and marries a fair young girl who becomes unfaithful for her husband.

The Clerck – He is a studious man who was educated in Oxford University and has a passion for books. The tales of the Clerk is about a man of aristocratic class who wants to know about the devotion of his wife Griselde by Conducting several tests which are harsh.

The Sergeant – The sergeant of the law is full of dignity and speaks words of wisdom without any stuttering. The man of law can write legal writings that contain no flaws or errors whatsoever. He narrates the story of a woman named Constance, with numerous tragedies in her life that she overcomes by having faith in Christianity and God.

The Franklin – The Franklin is the company of the Sergeant. He is so careful about the food he takes and Selects the food and drinks based on the season. Franklin narrates a desperate tale about her husband, accepting to get associated with another man.

The Haberdasher, The Carpenter, The Weaver, The Drier, The Tapestry marker

All these appear uniform in clothing. Each of them is knowledgeable and suitable for an elder man. The five men do not contribute a tale to the Canterbury Tales during the pilgrimage.

The Cook – The cook goes with them. He can do anything concerned with the kitchen. He has an ulcerous sore on his skin. He narrates an abruptly ending story of Perking Reveller who is an apprentice.

The Shipman – The Shipman wears a cloth made of wool that only covers the body to the knees. He is very experienced at sea. He tells the story of a woman in need of money to pay off the debts her husband has made. The barque that he owns is called the Magdalene.

The Doctor of Physic – The narrator says he is skilled in medicine and surgery and knows astronomy. He knows the cause of every illness. He tells the story of Virginius, a bold knight instead of offering her daughter to sin kills her and makes her blessed by God.

The Wife Of Bath – The partially deaf woman who married to five men is the most boisterous of all the travellers. She has a great skill at making clothes and her head is clad with linen. Her travelled places, include Boulogne, Rome, St. James of Compostella and Cologne. In this way, she is an experienced traveller. He gives out a feministic note on different things such as marriage, men and women and even interprets the Bible in her own way stating that there is no. decree written in the book about marrying once.

The Parson – The Parson is a holy man in the town where he lives. Due to his devotion, he bounds only to tell the truth and earns only little to live. He says,

“That if Gold rust, what would iron do?”

It means if the priest whom we trust becomes corrupted, what would an ordinary man do?. The person is the lost of the travellers to narrate the tale and he discusses about penitence, confessions, seven deadly, sins, etc. and they end with Chaucer’s retraction.

The Ploughman – The Ploughman is Parson’s brother. He loves his neighbours. He helps the poor, without expecting any reward. However, he does not narrate a tale.

The Miller – He is big, muscular and a champion at wrestling with immense power. He carries along with him a shield and a sword. He narrates the tale of a student who longs to indulge in an affair with a carpenter’s wife.

The Manciple – He is described as the financial operator who buys religious provisions. Although he is not highly educated but he can certainly manipulate his way around those who are full of wisdom. The Manciple’s tale is about crows in relation to the story of Phoebus where a crow speaks of his wife’s unfaithfulness.

The Reeve – The Reeve is a slender, choleric and short-tempered man. He narrates the story of two Oxford students who humiliate a miller with villainous intents.

The Summor – He has a way of tricking people and suffers from skin disease. The tale seems as a response to the Friar’s tale and describes the professions of Friar in the manner of parody.

The Pardoner – He is a friend and peer of Summoner. The pardoner tells the about the death of three rioters in the form of an allegory. The cause of death in avarice.

The Host – The lost member is to be described in the prologue. Harry Bailly or the host is the owner of the Tabard Inn, where the journey starts. He is one to come up with the idea of tale telling game and plays a major role in calming down the company whenever there seems to be a possibility of an argument. The original idea of the host was that each of the travellers should give out two tales, but in the Canterbury Tales the numbers differ and some of them don’t even tell a lie.

Conclusion

Thus through ‘ The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales’ Chaucer provides detailed descriptions of each character, highlighting their appearance, clothing and personality traits. He offers insightful commentary on their individual characteristics, often satirizing the flies and vices of each person. Through this detailed portrayal, Chaucer provides a social commentary on Medieval society, exposing the corruption, hypocrisy and greed prevalent during that time.

It also showcases Chaucer’s mastery of characterization and his keen observations of human nature, providing a rich and colourful portrait of Medieval England.

Related Tags: The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales Summary, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer Summary, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales Analysis, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales In Literature, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer In Literature, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales Critical Analysis, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer Analysis.

Are you struggling to keep up with your English Literature Coursework? Do you need detailed, customized English Literature Notes to help you better understand the texts you’re studying? “Look no further! Our customized paid notes will help you achieve your study goals quickly.

Literature Notes

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer Read More »

Hayavadana By Girish Karnad | Hayavadana Themes & Analysis

Literature, Critical Analysis, Novel

Introduction

“Hayavadana” is a play by Indian writer Grish Karnad. It was first published in 1971. The play was originally written in Kannada and Karnad translated it into English himself. Karnad writes ‘Hayavadana’ inspired by Thomas Mann’s – The Transposed Heads and Thomas Mann was inspired by an 11th-century Sanskrit text ‘Kathasaritsagaro’. It is the story of two best friends ‘Devadatta and Kapila’ or their love Padmini. It is also the story of a man with the face of a horse, who is seeking to become human.

‘Hayavadana’ is based on the idea that humans are imperfect and thus have several limitations. The play also deals with women’s emancipation. It is divided into two parts.

Some Important Characters

Devadatta – One of the play’s two main protagonists. Son of Brahmin and he is a poet and political observer. He is a close friend of Kapila but end of the play feels jealous when he sees there is a mutual attraction between Kapila and Padmini

Kapila – One of the play’s two protagonists. Son of Ironsmith and a muscular and dark man. When Padmini chooses to remain with Devadatta’s head on Kapila’s body, Kapila goes into the forest and withdraws from society. He and Devadatta kill themselves in Solidarity by the end of the play.

Padmini – She is a beautiful young woman who is the object of desire of both Devadatta and Kapila. She chooses Devadatta because she is attracted by his intelligence. She is also very attracted to the physicality of Kapil.

Bhagavata – Narrator of the play.

Hayavandana – He is a man with the head of a horse born from a woman who married a horse and bore his son.

About Grish Karnad

Girish Karnad is an outstanding Indian English and Kannada Playwright. He is one of India’s brightest shining stars and earned international acclaim as a playwright, poet, actor, and translator. Karnad is the recipient of ‘The Sahitya Academy’, ‘Padmashri’, ‘Padmabhusan’, and ‘Janpith Award’. Among his best-known plays include – ‘Yayati, ‘Tughlaq’, ‘Naga-Mandala’, ‘Tale-Danda’, ‘The Dream of Tipu Sultan’, and many more.

About the Title Of Hayavadana

The title of the Hayavadana has a significant meaning, ‘Haya’ means horse, and ‘Vadana’ means head. The central character of the play is a man with the head of the horse. The title gives an idea of the story.

Theme of Incompleteness depicted in the play Hayavadana (Conflict between Body and Mind/ Theme of Identity Crises)

The play Hayavadana presents the theme of incompleteness. There is the conflict between body and mind portrayed. There are also tangled relationship that reveals the unclear nature of human personality. In this play, there are two intimate friends, Devadatta, the man of intellect and Kapila, the man of physique. Devadatta married Pamini but Kapila falls in love with Padmini. In a comical scene, Padmini changes their heads, giving Devadatta’s. Hence the result of confusion of identities.

At the beginning of the play, a mask of Ganesha is brought onto the stage and kept on a chair. Worship is done and Bhagavata signs verses in praise of Ganesha, accompanied by the musicians. So from the very beginning of the play, we find the use of the word ‘Incomplete ess. Ganesha is considered the destroyer of obstacles and the lord of perfection and success.

Bhagavata, the narrator finds in Lord Ganesha the picture of incompleteness because he has an elephant head and a human body. The theme of incompleteness is presented at three levels – Divine Level, Human Level, and Animal Level.

A scream of horror is heard off the stage by Bhagavata. An actor comes running in trembling with fear. He tells Bhagavata that he has seen a man with a horse head. It’s Hayavadana, a man with the head of a horse. ‘Haya’ means horse and Vodana means head. He is the son of the princess of Karnataka. She was a very beautiful girl who fell in love with a white horse. Hayavadana felt incomplete with this horse head and wanted to rid of it.

In the city of Dharmpura, there were two best friends called as the only son of revered Brahmin, Vidyasagar. He is attractive in appearance, fair in colour and unrivalled in intelligence. The other one is Kapila. He is the son of iron-smith, Lohita. He is dark and plain to look at and he has immense strength and Physical Skills. Bhagvata describes their friendship as Lava and Kusha, Ram and Lakshmana and Krishna and Balarama.

Bhagavata Calls them “One mind one heart”. Devadatta falls in love with Padmini, she is the beautiful daughter of a merchant in Dharmpur. Devadatta falls in love fifteen times and he fails to get married to any one of the girls. His 16th Love also seems to be a failure. He swore that he would sacrifice his two arms to the goddess Kali and head to Lord Rudra if Padmini became his wife.

Devadatta and Pamini get married Kapila frequently goes to Devadatta’s house. Padmini is attracted towards Kapila. One day threesome planned a trip to Ujjain. Padmini and Kapila go out to the temple of Rudra and Devadatta walks to the temple of Kali. He offers his head to the Goddess.

When Kapila and Padmini returned to the cart, Devadatta was not there. Kapila goes to the Kali temple and finds Devadatta dead. Now Kapila also cuts off his head, thinking people will say he has murdered Devadatta for Padmini. It is darker when Pamini reach the temple and She stumbles over the bodies.

Finding both of them dead, Padmini lifts the sword to sacrifice her too. But goddess Kali appears and interrupts her. Padmini falls at her feet and begs for their life. Goddess Kali grants her request. Eagerly, Padmini puts the head back. But in her excitement, she mixes them up so that Devadatta’s head goes to Kapila’s body and vice versa. After their exchange of bodies, they are excited and happy. But the problem ensues when Kapila’s head claims Padmini as his wife.

Kapila broken hearted goes to the forest. Now, when Devadatta has Kapila’s body, Padmini gets complete satisfaction. Padmini again starts craving for Kapila’s body. Padmini sends Devadatta to Ujjain fair to bring dolls for the boy. She herself goes out in the forest where Kapila lives. Padmini wanted to join Kapila but he refused.

Thus, in the play ‘Hayavadana’ Girish Karnad presented the theme of incompleteness at three levels – divine, animal, and human. Fundamentally human beings are incomplete and imperfect.

How different is Padmini’s Attraction to Kapila and Devadatta?

Pamini is responsible for the rivalry between Devadatta and Kapila. She marries Devadatta because she loves his mind. Even while she is pregnant with Devadatta’s child, she begins to long for Kapila’s muscular body. It is her split desire which causes Devadatta to kill himself followed quickly by Kapila.

Padmini changes the man’s head accidentally. She appears to get the best of both when Devadatta’s head is attached to Kapila’s body. As the men’s bodies slowly return to their farmer states, she begins to yearn again for a different life. When the two men kill each other at the end of the play, she laments that they have once again left her alone. She tells the Bhagavata to take care of her son and performs Sati, throwing herself on the funeral pyre.

Panini is the central female character in the play ‘Hayavadana’. She is unconventional. She is beautiful and is also a strong woman who is able to demand what she wants. When Devadatta, the intellectual who marries Pamini, describes her to his friend Kapila, he says that her face is like a white lotus. Her beauty is like the magic lake. Her arms are like the lotus creepers.

Kapila offers marriage on behalf of Devadatta to Padmini, and she immediately accepts. After marrying, she is unhappy with Devadatta, who is an intellectual. Kapila says to his friend Devdatta that Pamini is as fast as lightning and sharp. She is not for the likes of Devadatta what she needs is a man of steel. Panini is too sharp and demanding for her husband, and she yearns for the muscularity of Kapila. She says of Kapila that he has an unearthly shape. Such a broad back – like an ocean with strong muscles.

Padmini demands a husband who is not only smart but physically appealing and when the two men kill each other in a fight, she appeals to the goddess Kali to help her. It is then that Padmini carelessly reattaches Devadatta’s head to Kapila’s body. Thereby creating what she thinks will be the perfect husband. While events do no turn out the way she expected.

Padmini is unusual because she connects Kapila’s head to Devadatta’s body and does the same with Devadatta’s head by fixing it on Kapila’s body. She was doing this in an attempt to create the perfect man. It should be noted that Kapila and Devadatta were very close friends, they were also quite different, especially with regard to the argument that the head is superior to the body.

Kapila supports the idea, that the body is more superior to the head since he is a wrestler. Devadatta holds the opposite since he is a learned poet. Padmini and Kapila fall in Love and make the situation complex because Padmini is Devadatta’s wife. It is after the death of both Devadatta and Kapila that she changes their head and their bodies. The situation after exchange brings about confusion in the bodies and eventually, Kapila’s and Devadatta’s heads return to their initial personalities. Changes end up in failure for Padmini who attempts to create the perfect man, both physically fit and intellectually superior.

Conclusion

Thus the whole story of “Hayavadana” moves around Pamini’s dreams of perfection. Actually, it is a foolish idea of her for a perfect man in mind and body together. Padmini suffers behind the Patriarchy bars. So the play is ‘Rebellion’ against tradition and Patriarchy. It also shows human dissatisfaction with life and physical and sexual desire which blinds the eyes of truth.

Are you struggling to keep up with your English Literature Coursework? Do you need detailed, customized English Literature Notes to help you better understand the texts you’re studying? “Look no further! Our customized paid notes will help you achieve your study goals quickly.

Literature Notes

Related Tags: Hayavadana, Hayavadana Summary, Hayavadana By Girish Karnad, Hayavadana Analysis, Hayavadana Themes, Hayavadana Characters.

Hayavadana By Girish Karnad | Hayavadana Themes & Analysis Read More »

The First Century After Beatrice Summary And Analysis

Literature, Analysis, Critical Analysis, Critical Appreciation, Novel, Summary

Introduction

The First Century After Beatrice is a thought-provoking novel by the Lebanese-French writer Amin Maalouf. It was published in 1992. This Novel is written in French Language but it is translated in English by Dorothy S. Blair. The story is set in the near future, where a pharmacological company, tries to make a drug, by which parents can choose to only have sons.

The novel explores the consequences of a world where that bean can ensure the birth of a male infant. This drug led to a drastic decline in the female population. The story is told from the first-person point of view of an entomologist. This novel explores the potential consequences of our choices. It is a warning about the dangers of gender bias and the importance of gender equality.

About Amin Maalouf

Amin Maalouf was born in Beirut, Lebanon on February 25, 1949. He is a renowned author and journalist who has gained international recognition for his works. Although his native language is Arabic, he writes in French, and his works have been translated into over 40 languages. Maalouf’s writing often reflects his multicultural background, addressing themes of identity, displacement, and the clash of cultures.

He wrote various Fiction and Non-Fiction Books. His famous Fiction books are Leo Africanus, Samarkand, The Gardens of Light, The First Century after Beatrice, The Rock of Tanios, and Ports of Call, etc. Of his several works of nonfiction, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is probably the best known. He received the Prix Goncourt in 1993 for his novel The Rock of Tanios, as well as the 2010 Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.

Summary and Analysis Of The First Century after Beatrice

The narrator was a young French Entomologist. He discovers a Scarab Beans. It is claimed the beans, derived from the scarab beetle, have magic powers; specifically, the power to guarantee the birth of a male infant. He discovers the incidence of female birth has become increasingly rare. He is left with no doubt that the world has entered into a critical phase of its history. He is trying to understand the consequences of the bean, which has led to a drastic imbalance in the male-to-female birth ratio.

Entomologists came from Cairo (the Capital Of Egypt). Clarence was a young beautiful Journalist who visit Entomologist for an interview about Egyptologists. He likes Clarence after the first meeting. After some meetings, they quickly realized that they had a lot in common. They both loved nature and they were both passionate about their work. They started dating and soon fell in love. They got married.

They trying to have a child. They have been trying for years, but Clarence has been unable to conceive. The drug is said to help women conceive, and it is especially effective for women who have been unable to conceive in the past.

Entomologists and Clarence decide to try the drug, and they are thrilled when Anne becomes pregnant. They name their daughter Beatrice.

Beatrice grows up to be a bright and beautiful young woman. She is also very intelligent, and she is determined to make a difference in the world. She studies hard in school, and she eventually goes on to become a scientist.

Beatrice’s work as a scientist leads her to study the effects of the drug that leads to born male infants. She learns that the drug has had a devastating impact on society. The male-to-female birth ratio has become so imbalanced that there are now only a few women for every man. This has led to a society that is dominated by men, and it has had a negative impact on women’s rights.

Beatrice is determined to change things. She starts a movement to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug, and she works to promote gender equality. She eventually succeeds in getting the drug banned, and she helps to create a more just and equitable society.

As the narrator’s daughter, Beatrice becomes increasingly concerned about the future of humanity. He sees how the drug has led to the rise of a society that is dominated by men, and he fears that this will ultimately lead to the destruction of the planet.

“The First Century after Beatrice” novel is set in the near future, but it is not too far removed from our own reality. The technology that is used in the novel is already being developed, and the social and political issues that are explored are already present in our world.

The novel is told from the first-person point of view of the Entomologist. This gives the reader a unique perspective on the events of the novel. Entomologist is a complex and sympathetic character, and his journey is one that is both personal and research about Scarab Bean.

The novel is a warning about the dangers of gender bias. It shows how gender bias can lead to inequality, injustice, and even violence. The novel is a call for action, and it urges readers to work to create a more just and equitable world.

Maalouf’s novel explores the consequences of a world where female births become rare due to a mysterious drug. The people want to bear male infants because they think that man’s working capacity and power maintain the generation of the future. Females got kidnapped because of the male population rise and decreased population of girls.

The story follows the narrator, a French entomologist, and his lover, Beatrice, an English historian, as they witness the social, political, and ecological upheavals caused by the gender imbalance.

The novel is a compelling blend of science fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as it portrays the personal and global effects of a dystopian scenario.

“The First Century after Beatrice” novel raises important questions about the value of human life, the role of women in society, the ethics of biotechnology, and the impact of environmental degradation. The author uses his background as a Lebanese-French journalist and historian to create a realistic and diverse setting, spanning from Paris to Cairo, and from India to Brazil. The novel also shows violence because of the increase in gender inequality.

The novel is written in a clear and elegant style, with vivid descriptions and engaging dialogues. The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own motivations and dilemmas. The plot is fast-paced and suspenseful, with twists and turns that keep us hooked until the end.

Conclusion

“The First Century after Beatrice” has received critical acclaim for its thematic depth, masterful storytelling, and exploration of complex existential questions. Amin Maalouf‘s ability to seamlessly blend history, philosophy, and personal introspection, along with his elegant prose style, has made this novel compelling and thought-provoking.

Thus we can say that “The First Century after Beatrice” novel spans several decades, from the late 20th century to the early 22nd century. It depicts a dystopian scenario where women are reduced to a minority and subjected to violence, exploitation, and oppression. The novel also explores the themes of gender, identity, culture, religion, and history. It raises questions about the value of human life, the importance of males and females in society, the role of science and technology, and the responsibility of individuals and nations in shaping the future of humanity.

“Stay informed and entertained with daily updates on International news, jobs, entertainment, sports, and business. Rozana Updates is Your source for all the latest happenings.” Check it now.

Rozana Updates

Keywords: The First Century after Beatrice summary, The First Century after Beatrice critical appreciation, The First Century after Beatrice analysis, The First Century after Beatrice critical analysis, The First Century after Beatrice pdf

Are you struggling to keep up with your English Literature Coursework? Do you need detailed, customized English Literature Notes to help you better understand the texts you’re studying? “Look no further! Our customized paid notes will help you achieve your study goals quickly.

Literature Notes

The First Century After Beatrice Summary And Analysis Read More »

The Sun Rising By John Donne | The Sunne Rising Critical Analysis

Literature, Critical Analysis, English Literature, Poem Analysis

Introduction

The Sunne Rising, also known as The Sun Rising is a metaphysical poem as well as a love poem set in the speaker’s bedroom. The poem was written by John Donne who was a great English essayist, Poet, and philosopher of the 18^th Century. He is also known as the founder of Metaphysical poetry. John Donne’s other famous metaphysical poems are The Flea, The Good Morrow, and Holly Sonnets.

structure Of The Poem

Present Poem The Sun Rising is a thirty lines poem with three stanzas containing ten lines. With irregular line length and regular rhyme scheme of ABBACDCDEE. The meter is also varied.

Themes Of The Poem

The Sun Rising poem revolves around the themes of love and appreciation. Love has never-ending power, and it is not bound to any restrictions of nature. The poet is addressing the sun directly. Love and friendship are not bound by the motion of the sun. He praises and accolades the beauty of his beloved.

The Sun Rising Poem Analysis

In the first stanza poem has a dramatic situation, the same as most often in his poems. The speaker gets angry with the rising sun and tells the sun not to disturb him and his beloved in making love. The tone of the poem is striking and angry. The poet addresses the sun by saying – you are a fool, busy and uncontrollable.

When we (means lovers) are in bed why you disturbed us through your rays and peep into my room? Here poet raises a question. Do you want lovers to go according to your motion? No, and never, love is associated with such barriers. Go and wake up late school boys, huntsman and farmers go to work. Poet further says:

“Love all alike, no season knows nor clime;
Nor hours, days, months, which are the rays of time.”

Here poet means love is not bound by climate and neither seasons nor it is connected with the pieces of times, hours days, and months.

The second stanza is about the wholehearted appreciation of the beloved. He can fade the sun into clouds in one second by closing his eyes but he does not lose sight of his beloved. The poet exaggerated in the fifth line by saying my beloved eyes are shiner than you. He says whether east India or west all the things are laying with me. In order to enjoy your go and come yesterday.

In the third stanza, the poet continues the direct address towards to the sun. He says my beloved is my state and I am the king of that state. This means the poet firmly says that he is like a king as he possesses the beauty and true love of his beloved. For him, all the honors and wealth are nothing in comparison to his beloved.

Pitying the sun the speaker says the sun is fully not happy as the loving is, shine its job is to keep the world warm, and in its old age it wants easier work, so all it has to do is to shine on the speaker’s bed where his beloved is lying. This way his job is easily fulfilled as for the speaker his beloved is the world and by shining on the bed I it is shining on the world, which we can understand by these lines:

“Shine here to us and thou art everywhere;
This bed thy center is these walls thy sphere;”

Poet means to say for the sun their bed is the center of the world and the walls of the room are the orbit of the Sun.

Conclusion

Thus in the poem, The Sun Rising the poet highlights the importance and significance of Love. Love is more powerful and brighter than the Sun. Although John Donne is not a romantic poet. His poems can be divided into two groups. Love poems as well as divine or holy poems. The present poem The Sunne Rising is the perfect example of a Love Poem.

Are you struggling to keep up with your English Literature Coursework? Do you need detailed, customized notes to help you better understand the texts you’re studying? “Look no further! Our customized paid notes will help you achieve your study goals quickly.

Literature Notes

– Varsha Singh

The Sun Rising By John Donne | The Sunne Rising Critical Analysis Read More »

Partition By W H Auden Analysis | Partition Poem Analysis

Literature, Critical Analysis, English Literature, Poem Analysis

Introduction

The poem Partition by W. H. Auden deals with the historical event of the partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan. Cyril Radcliffe parted the subcontinent on the idea of outdated maps and incorrect census inside a brief interval of seven weeks. It is a political and historical poem. The poem was first published in Auden’s 1969 collection City Without walls.

About Poet

W. H. Auden was an English poet, playwright, critic, and liberalist of the 20th century. He exerted a major influence on poetry. As a poet, Auden was much influenced by the poetry of Thomas Hardy, William Blake, and G. M. Hopkins. Most of Auden’s poems are based on love, politics, social concern, religion, and personal morals.

The Poet published over 20 collections of poetry during his lifetime and became best known for his writing style and technique in writing. Among his world-famous poems included – The Unknown Citizen, September 1: 1989, Autumn Song, Night Mail, If I Could tell You, and The Shield of Achilles. Awards and honors which Auden got as achievements in his life are – Bollinger Prize, National Book Award, and Pulitzer Prize.

Auden Criticise in the Poem

The poem Partition is a criticism of the method of Partition and a criticism of Cyril Radcliffe. Partition was a job that was heroic and of an epic dimension but it was done away in such haste, such a short time, with such carelessness that resulted in the catastrophe, the tragedy that is called partition. This act of partition was done in such a way as to split a piece of log. Around 12 million people displace and millions were left homeless. The trains through which migration was done were so full and there was hardly space to breathe in it. Over one million were killed on both sides of the border.

Cyril Radcliffe arrived in India on July 8, 1947. He has never seen the subcontinent before, never knew the geography, never knew the population of statistics and still, he was given the task of splitting the subcontinent into two parts – India and Pakistan. This was an epic dimension task but it was done in such haste, and carelessness that it resulted in a monumental tragedy.

Themes of The Partition

The violence and Hubris of British colonialism, Partition are the main themes of the poem. Cyril Radcliffe’s decision resulted in mass migration and widespread violence as countless Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs were forced to seek safety in religious majorities on the other side of new boundaries. With this context, the poem highlights the devastating effects of British Colonialism.

Analysis Of The Poem

The poem starts with the line that Radcliffe was unbiased when he arrived in India. Radcliffe was unaware of India’s cultural traditions and the communal tension prevalent in India. Radcliff is a person who had never come to India and now he is called for partition. He was a complete stranger. Auden says that partition was among people, who were fanatically different, they had a different diet and different God.

Radcliff was told in London that we have no time left for mutual reconciliation and rational debate and that this line will be not drawn. The decision had already been taken now. You are being called to fulfill the formalities. Two sides can’t come together. The solution lies in their separation only. It means that in Radcliffe’s mind, it was already settled that there is no chance left of stopping this partition.

Auden mentions that letter which was written by Lord Mountbatten to Radcliffe, in the letter evidence can be seen that Mountbatten doesn’t want to see Radcliff. Even he had given authority to Radcliff to divide and draw the line himself. For the help, they provided accommodation to Sir Radcliffe and two Hindu judges, and two Muslim judges to seek advice were given to him. The final decision rested with Radcliffe.

Next Auden says that Sir Radcliffe was living in a lonely mansion under police protection. Because the police were scared that orthodox people of any side can attack him or assassinate him. He got down to work and the task was of setting the destiny of millions of people living on both sides just by tracing a single line of land. People had to leave their sources of income school houses except they were out of their land and their state was in the hands of the Radcliffe line.

Auden criticizes the way partition was done because the maps given to Sir Radcliffe were out of date and even the census was also incorrect due to this he faced many difficulties. But Auden mentions that there was no time to verify and examine maps for the census.

Radcliffe was setting the faith of millions of people with incorrect defaulted papers.

In the month of June and July, India’s weather is very hot so Auden talks about the climate of the Indian subcontinent. Due to the hot climate, a bout of dysentery kept him constantly in the toilet. As Redcliffe came from England it was difficult for him to adjust to India’s climate. But he has given a certain time of 5 to 7 weeks in which the frontiers were to be decided and India was to be divided for good or something bad to come. It means that Radcliffe was facing some health issues and in spite of that, he was told to finish that work.

In the last stanza Auden depicts that Radcliffe goes back to England and life any other lawyer he forgets the case. He quickly forgets what he has done in India and he moves on in his life. He said in a club and told his friends that he will never visit India because he is afraid that he might be shoot by anyone.

Conclusion

Thus, Auden used very simple and direct language in the poem- “Partition” which is all about how unjust the partition of India was an unknown person was called an unknown land to draw a line that will decide the fate of millions of people and outdated information and pressure unrooted many people from their housed and decide their faith and death.

– Varsha Singh

Partition Poem By W. H. Auden

Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission,
Having never set eyes on the land he was called to partition
Between two peoples fanatically at odds,
With their different diets and incompatible gods.
“Time,” they had briefed him in London, “is short. It’s too late
For mutual reconciliation or rational debate:
The only solution now lies in separation.
The Viceroy thinks, as you will see from his letter,
That the less you are seen in his company the better,
So we’ve arranged to provide you with other accommodation.
We can give you four judges, two Moslem and two Hindu,
To consult with, but the final decision must rest with you.”

Shut up in a lonely mansion, with police night and day
Patrolling the gardens to keep the assassins away,
He got down to work, to the task of settling the fate
Of millions. The maps at his disposal were out of date
And the Census Returns almost certainly incorrect,
But there was no time to check them, no time to inspect
Contested areas. The weather was frightfully hot,
And a bout of dysentery kept him constantly on the trot,
But in seven weeks it was done, the frontiers decided,
A continent for better or worse divided.

The next day he sailed for England, where he could quickly forget
The case, as a good lawyer must. Return he would not,
Afraid, as he told his Club, that he might get shot.

Are you struggling to keep up with your English Literature Coursework? Do you need detailed, customized notes to help you better understand the texts you’re studying? “Look no further! Our customized paid notes will help you achieve your study goals quickly.

Literature Notes

Partition By W H Auden Analysis | Partition Poem Analysis Read More »