Thinking Activity on The Scarlet Letter

 Thinking Activity on The Scarlet Letter

Hello readers!

  Here, the intention behind the writing of this blog is to assign the task given by Heenama'am as a academic task, the task is that to think of all the different ways in which you have felt the pressure to conform to standards that others have set, but that you did not feel comfortable with. Express your views in the form of a story or a poem.

first let's see the brief introduction of the novel 'The Scarlet Latter'

Brief introduction of 'The Scarlet Latter'

 The Scarlet Letter; A Romance is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. The novel tells the story of Hester Prynne who conceives a daughter through an affair and then struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Containing a number of religious and historic allusions, the book explores themes of  legalism, sin, and guilt.

Hell is - other people, Reading of the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

          To most of us, having relationships with other people is one of the most important aspects of our lives, part of what gives our lives their meaning. but relationships with others are actually hell.

          To understand this idea we have to take a long detour into the Existentialists' take on the existence of others.

     What about an individual? About their freedom? Importance is given to freedom. According to Satre humans were essentially nihilating beings, creatures who were able to structure their own behavior instead of being determined by nature to behave in pre-established ways.

The Waste Land

 

                     "The Waste Land"

                          By T. S. Eliot

                     Thinking activity

Hello readers! 

This blog is the part of my classroom activity. 

   Here is the task to write an answer or your opinion on these three questions about contradiction of Eliot with Nietzsche and Freud and the use of Indian spirituality/thoughts in 'The Waste Land".

(1) what are your views on the following image after reading "The Waste Land"? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzsche's views? Or has Eliot achieved university of thought  by reading mytho-historical answer to the contempt malaise ? 

 

Of course T. S. Eliot and Nietzsche use different, or totally opposite method to solve the problem of contemporary crisis. One (Eliot) use to be regressive and backward looking as it tries to find answers of contemporary malaise in Upnishad, Buddhism and Christianity, while Nietzsche, sees to be progressive and forward looking in giving solution to the problem of contemporary crisis in faith and self. Here if I share my opinion then I would like to say that Eliot has achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho historical by using Upnishad, Buddhism and Christianity, to answer the contemporary malaise. In "The Waste Land" Like by using myths he present the hollowness of human being in modern times. Of course it's good Nietzsche's use of progressive and forward looking, it's quite helpful to solving the problem of contemporary crisis in faith and self, but here in 'the Waste Land' it's quite apt to use of Upnishad, Buddhism and Christianity.  

2.Prior to the speech, Gustaf Hellstrom of the Swedish Academy made these remarks. 

    What are your views regarding these comment? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy and satisfied life? Or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'? 

  No, it's not true according to me, that giving free vent to the repressed primitive instinct can lead us to happy and satisfied life, because whatever the free vent is but it's still 'repressed' primitive instinct, so how can it's lead us to happy and satisfied life, or yes I agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition. If we live along with some discipline or cultural or moral tradition, then life became more easier than before. 

3.write about allusion to the Indian thoughts in 'The Waste Land's(where, how and why are the Indian thoughts referred) 

In "The Waste Land" Eliot has use allusions of the Indian thoughts. Here he first described how the sexual perversion has over power and the spiritual degradation of hand. So, he leads towards the spirituality by using the Indian culture and Upnishad. 

The Fire Sermon

  Here the use of fire sermon is the Buddha's sermon, to disenchantment- a feeling of disappointment, and also depicted to live with spiritual thought of Buddhism passion towards the life. Here fire is also symbolize lust to know anybody. 

What the thunder said

In this part Eliot use Indian mythology of "Akashvani" The voice of Devine from the sounds of colliding clouds, rude of old wide man. 

River Ganga and Himalya

 "Ganga was sunken, and the limps leaves

Waited for rain, while the black clouds

Gathered far distant, over Himvant

The jungle crouched, humped in silence"

  The Ganga is known for it's purity and for purification, while Himalaya is known for spirituality and peace and Eliot use this Indian context to solved the contemporary problems in spirituality. That is the reason he refers Ganga and Himalays in this poem. 

Three "Da"

Eliot gives three "Da"

1. Datta- to give not only charity but giving oneself for some noble cause. 

2.Dayadhvam- sympathies yourself with me sorrows and suffering of others, come out of your isolation and love into others. 

3.Damyata- self control, control over one's passion and desire. 

Thank you..... 

General characteristics of the 20th century literature

General characteristics of the 20th century literature:

Hello readers!

      The main intention of this blog is that to accomplish the task given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, to summarize the general characteristics of the 20th century literature in your own words. So let's see....

  As we generally know that the year 1901,can be sought to mark the beginning of the modern age, for it is the death of queen Victoria may be taken to signify the end of the victorian age and the beginning of the modern age.

     The modern age is the most complex, complicated, baffing and revolutionary age in the history of the world. It is an age of most amazing astounding and unimaginable scientific discoveries inventions and advancement.

   In this age the major impact of world wars. The post war period was an era of "depression" And unemployment. A large number of books were written during and after world Wars
C. E. Montagu's  Disenchantment, Fiery Particles and Rough Justice
Richard Addington's Death of A Hero.

This age is also called as an age of anxiety and interrogation. The scientific revolution and rational thinking had shaken man's faith in the authority of Religion and church. Men and women showed an extraordinary enthusiasm for speculation, experiment and reform.

     Art For Life's Sake, at the turn of the new century came a number of writers who were sceptical in outlook and were not touched by reverence for custom and established order. They rejected the doctrine of "art for Art's sake". They evolved the creed of  "art for life's sake"

  In this age, the poor were no more helpless creatures. They  had grown conscious of their sad predicament. They posed a great challenge to the social conscience. They became the raw material of realistic novel and drama with or without purpose.

Modernist poems

Modernist poems: Thinking Activities

Hello readers!

    This blog is the part of assigning the academic task given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. The task is that to read these small modernism poems and identify the "Modernism" Symbols, imagery and metaphor, and gave your observation. 

      So, before go to the main point of modernist poems. Let's precisely know about the modernism and the characteristics of the modernist poem. 

What is Modernism? 

   A term for the bold new experimental styles and forms that swept the arts during the first of the 20th century. 

     Modernism called for changes in subject matter, in fictional style, in poetic forms, and in attitudes, and experimenting with representation of reality. So, we can said that modernism a break from old traditions.

Features of Modernist poem :

#Emphasis on the experimental
  Art for art's sake
  Organized non- sequentially
  Ambiguous endings open ending which        are seen as more representative of reality.

#Symbolists
  Focus on creating fresh, original symbols      in their poetry.

#The Images
  Strong imagery alone can carry a poem's emotion and message. Motivated some of the greatest 20th century poetry.


10 a very short modernist poems

Identify modernist metaphors in these short poems :

                      The Embankment
                              By T. E. Hulme

Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy,

In the flash of gold heels on the hard pavement.

Now see I

That warmth’s the very stuff of poesy.

Oh, God, make small

The old star-eaten blanket of the sky,

That I may fold it round me and in comfort lie.

 Perhaps this poem depicted poverty of people by using the metaphor like " Fallen gentleman" , " Finesse of fiddles" , " Flash of gold hills", " Star eaten blanket".

  Here, the ' flash of gold heels on the hard pavement', it's may be depicted, the Flash gold heels but on Hard pavement, so, it's may be depicted for poor it's hard to reach there for them.
 In ' the old star' this may be the metaphor of old gentleman near to the death, he have nothing to eat, depicted by eaten blanket of the sky. 

                       Darkness
                          By Joseph Campbell

Darkness.

I stop to watch a star shine in the boghole –

A star no longer, but a silver ribbon of light.

I look at it, and pass on.

A very short piece of early modernist poetry.

 The title 'Darkness' itself suggest a lot. Here the two words 'star' and 'boghole' is very significant words, the 'star' and ' boghole' are opposite word, 'star' signified Brightness and prosperity, some goodness by shine, But 'boghole' it's represent a hole or depression in a land surface having a miry or spongy bottom, where we can see darkness. When we connect both the person by using ' I' he watch the shine star in the boghole, and look at in and pass on, he ignored it because in his land ( civilized world) something went wrong (perhaps world War effect) something went wrong, and he feels disinterestedness towards the illusionary beauty of shine star by saying that ' A star no longer'. 

                        Image
                            By Edward Shower

"Forsaken lovers,

Burning to a chaste white moon

upon strange pyres of loneliness and drought".

Generally the metaphor of love is used, in this poem, poet used the symbol of chaste 'white moon', as it's connected with lovers. But poet here used it in like opposite side that it  burns lovers and they can't chaste with each other, and their loneliness is there thought they are together. So, here we can interpret that modernist thinks that we all are alone in crowd as well as loneliness among the modern people.

             In a 'station of the Metro
                           By Ezra Pound

" The apparition of these faces in a
           Crow
Petals in wet. Black bough"

      Here, through the very short poem of two lines, suggest a lot, like image of mechanism of by setting a station of the metro.
     The poet also use the metaphor of " "Patals on wet black bought".this poem suggest the busy life of city people as well as the people's lives became more alike sheepal, they have to do same work everyday life nothing is newness in life. It's also depicted busy life, which forgot create new things or new way of life.


                       "The Pool"
                              By Hilda Dolittle

                             Are you alive?

I touch you.

You quiver like a sea-fish.

I cover you with my net.

What are you—banded one?

   When we read this poem, we can see that, this poem is written on modern people's lives, first of all at the very starting of the poem held one question "Are you alive? " By using the metaphor, 'sea-fish', people became more like quiver sea-fish, something make them quiver, we can also see one another metaphor 'net', here net is used for cover or protect the quiver sea-fish, but in real net is used for trap the sea-fish. The very end of the poem ends with again held the question what are you- banded one?.


                            Insouciance
                                 By Rechard Addington

"In and out of the dreary trenches

Trudging cheerily under the stars

I make for myself little poems

Delicate as a flock of dovesin 

Thy fly away like white-winged Doves.

   In this poem, poet use the metaphor of 'dove' for freedom, here he also use some words like 'Trudging' and 'cheerily' gives contrasting meanings, how it's possible. Trudging with cheerily, here poet write poetry himself and said that fly away like white-winged doves, here his poetry is compared with dove's white winged as a pure, free, truth or peace and said to be fly away it's symbolized as freedom.

                 'Morning at the window'
                       By T. S. Eliot

 They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,
And along the trampled edges of the street
I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids         
Sprouting despondently at area gates.         
 The brown waves of fog toss up to me                 
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,         
And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts          An aimless smile that
hovers in the air    And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

   This poem represents negativity, and create the negative image, by using the words like 'Rattling' means vibrating, skaking plates and 'Damp' means in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. The fog and twisted faces gives negative glimes and an aimless or muddy smile suggests an artificiality of modern civilization.

      The Red Wheelbarrow
                  By WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS, 1883 - 1963

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

 This is a very short poem of four stanza is very famous poem by William Carols William. Here by using the two metaphors 'Red Wheelbarrow' and 'White Chicken', this represent the craftsmanship on the modern or Industrial world, of course this is minor things but play a vital role on agriculture as craftsmanship.

            " Anecdote of the jar"
                   By Wallace Stevens

I placed a jar in Tennessee,   

And round it was, upon a hill.   

It made the slovenly wilderness   

Surround that hill.

The wilderness rose up to it,

And sprawled around, no longer wild.   

The jar was round upon the ground   

And tall and of a port in air.

It took dominion everywhere.   

The jar was gray and bare.

It did not give of bird or bush,   

Like nothing else in Tennessee.

        This poem is exaggeration of the picture of jar. And also depicted the industrialization of modern age. By using the metaphor 'jar' poet provides as a vision to look at nature in a good manner.

                        "I"
                         By E. E. Cummings

       The poem is too short but it has too deep and various meanings, here we can see the central theme of loneliness or isolation, here a leaf fall only because of loneliness we can also said that leaf falls with loneliness, loneliness is only company of him.

Thank you.... 

Study the frame with modern time in the films the Charlie Chaplin and The great Dictator.

#Study the frames with a view to modern time in the films the Charlie Chaplin and The Great Dictator :


Hello views!

  Here I am put some frames which is revealed as a allegory or depicted as a situation of modern time.

First, I have to choose the film Charlie Chaplin's, "The Modern Times".

Virtual Teacher's Day Celebration

#Virtual Teacher's Day 2020

Topic : Gothic element in the short story "The Fall Of The House Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe

 Hello readers!

        As we know that Corona crisis is still going on, so it's difficult or risky to open the school and colleges, and 5th September is the Teacher's Day, so how can we remain without celebration!
    In our Department of English, MKBU  university, celebrate the teacher's day VIRTUALLY. And I am also take participate in the teacher's day as a teacher, and it's quite unique or different experience for me, I can learn so many things including how to work with online tools as well as shoot the video or create online test along with auto generated certificate. This virtual teacher's day also live in Facebook page as well as in YouTube.

First of all I would like to share promotional video of virtual teacher's day.

 
So here is my video.....

After watching the video do not forget to appear in online test and get E-Certificate.

Link of the only test is given below

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IlMWkMTQbGFpniL-Q_XiGGqAD6-bXSni7C3LiFxjajI/edit?chromeless=1

The sample of Auto generated certificate :

   
 Facebook views : 438
 YouTube views  : 134
         Current quiz responses : 20



Thank you.... 

The Fall Of The House Of Usher