English Literature Notes

                          AS YOU LIKE IT                                     W. Shakespeare  1. "The inspiration that the youth got from the ladies worked wonders for him..... " Describe the wrestling match between Oliver and Orlando in the light of this statement . The wrestling match helps to develop the play. Orlando is about to face the best wrestlers backed by the King. Duke Frederick, fearing that Orlando might lose his life in this unequal contest, begs Celia and Rosalind to dissuade him from participating in the contest. But the women's sympathetic words make Orlando more determined. Celia wants the inexperienced young man not to get hurt, while Rosalind is more concerned about the unknown young man as they are both victims of bad luck. This inspiration from the young women makes the young man more fearless and he defeats his opponents. The wrestling match plays a very important role since that is when the love story between Rosalind and Orlando begins. The moment

                  ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY                                        Arthur Rimbaud  1. Justify the title of the poem - 'Asleep in the Valley'. Or. How does the poet express the futility of war through his poem 'Asleep in the Valley'. The central theme of the poem 'Asleep in the Valley' is the futility and meaninglessness of war. Rimbaud himself has witnessed the horrors of war as a soldier and in this poem he reveals his strong anti-war attitude by expressing the tragic aspects of war. The poem presents us with a picture of a young soldier who rests in a small green valley among flowers and buzzing insects. He lies open mouthed with one hand on his chest and a soft smile on his lips.This peaceful picture suddenly changes when we find two red holes on his body.  Bullet marks on the side of his body placed the soldier in a discriminatory position with a beautiful view. The beauty of nature is destroyed by the brutal violence of war.  The soldier's