English Literature Notes

  STRONG ROOTS            APJ Abdul Kalam 1. "We lived in our ancestral house."- Who is the speaker? When was the house built? What kind of house was it? How did the inmates(বাসিন্দা) of the house lead their lives in the house? Dr. Kalam talks about his childhood in ' Strong Roots ' which is taken from Kalam's autobiography ' Wings of Fire' . The house was built in the 19th century. The house consisted of a fairly large terraced(পাকা বাড়ি) house built of limestone and brick and was located on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.The house was a 10 minute walk from the famous Shiva temple. Kalam was born in a middle class Tamil family and lived with his parents and siblings(নিজের ভাই বোন) in their ancestral home. Kalam remembers that his mother Ashiamma used to feed the family members and many outsiders every day. The residents of the house lived a simple and peaceful life. They avoided all unnecessary comforts and luxuries. However Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma n...

                                                -------  GIEVE PATEL 1. "It takes  much time to kill a tree"- Why does it take much time to kil a tree? According to the poet how is the tree finally killed? How does a tree offer resistance to its destruction? How does its resistance fail?  Why does "it takes much time to a kill" a tree? How is the tree finally killed? The poem uses the word 'killed' instead of ' cutting down' a tree to indicate( দেখানো) the importance of the destruction and mutilation(অঙ্গহীনত্ব) of this tragic act.For this the murderer ie man has to follow a perfect procedure (পদ্ধতি). A simple pruning( ছাঁটা) will not be enough as the plant will heal its wounds very quickly.The small branches will regrow (পুনরায় বেড়ে উঠা) and gradually assume( শুরু করা) their original shape and thus resist its destruction(ধ্বংস).To stop this, the pla...

                        KARMA                                         Khushwant Sing 1. Bring out the significance of the title ' Karma '. Or Discuss the central idea of the story ' Karma ' The term 'karma' expresses the Hindu religious concept of the result and subsequent effects of one's actions. The story revolves around the identity of Sir Mohanlal. Sir Mohanlal had a negative view and attitude towards all things Indian and was influenced by the British people and culture. On the other hand his wife Lachmi is a village woman. Although Sir Mohanlal abused Lachmi, Lachmi never complained against her husband. Mohanlal liked British customs and sought the company of the English. When two English soldiers entered the same room, Mohanlal made up his mind to welcome them. But the English could not tolerate the presence of an I...

                          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...

                  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 ...

                                        Leela's Friend                                          R.k Narayan 1 . Discuss the Character of Sidda.  Sidda was a poor boy. He belonged to a poor society.  Sidda was assigned to the house of the Shivashankar Is especially for his cleanliness. He was assigned to do laundry, tend to the garden, run errands, chop wood and take care of 5-year-old Leela. He used to obey Leela's orders.  He was a patient playmate and highly imaginative. He was able at perceiving the mind of children and possessed a present wit. He was a good story teller and could tell amazing stories that filled Leela's mind with wonder. Sidda had to suffer the humiliation of losing the gold chain.  He was subjected to cruel exploitation by the upper class...

                      THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 1. Explain the significance of the title of the story THE COMEDY OF ERRORS By discussing the subject matter of the COMEDY OF ERRORS , we may judge the propriety of its name.The basic story formula revolves around two pairs of identical twins who are separated from each other and happen to meet at the same place.One pair of twins was named Antipholus and the other pair was named Dromio.This creates a massive confusion.These confusions lead to false accusations of marital infidelity.The story of Dromio and Antipholus' dinner at Aadriana's house, the incident of the gold necklace, and encountering the strange situation of the younger Antipholus near Ephesus.Finally all the confusion and misunderstandings are resolved when two pairs of twins, Antipholus and Dromio, come face to face and shock everyone around them.The audience witnesses the dialogue throughout the play and the many unintended bl...

                                 MACBETH  1. Give a brief account of the "Banquet Scene" in "Macbeth". After Macbeth becomes king, he constantly lives in fear of losing his ill-gotten power.  The witches' prediction that Banquo's descendants will be the future king makes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth very uneasy.  Macbeth and Lady Macbeth conspire to kill Banquo and his son. To this end, they hold a banquet where they invite the chief lords, including Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth arranges some hired assassins who kill Banquo on his way to attend the banquet but his son manages to escape.  In the banquet hall, Macbeth mourns Banquo's absence in a peaceful tone, while Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost sitting on the empty chair reserved for Banquo. Distraught, Macbeth begins to act like a lunatic.  But Lady Macbeth tactfully handles the situation and bids farewell to the guests, fe...

                                                                   THE PROPOSAL   1.Describe the character of Natalya. Stepan Chubukov's 25-year-old daughter, Natalya Stepanovna is moderately well-educated in appearance and good at housework.But she is fast passing the age of marriage. When she suspects that Lomov has come to talk about Oxen Meadows, she changes her nature, gets angry and finally kicks him out. But later she learns that Lomov came here for the sake of taking her hand. At once she is seized with hysteria and forces her old father to fetch him. She eventually becomes embroiled in a debate over the superiority of the Squeezer over the Guess.Love-sick yet consumerist, She can be the ideal pair of depressed nature Lomov. 2.Describe the character of Lomov. Ivan Veselevich Lomov, a 35-year-old Russian lan...

                        THREE QUESTIONS                                                   L eo Tolstoy 1. What is the theme of the story 'Three Questions'? Or Justify the title of Tolstoy's story 'Three Questions'. Or What were the three questions? What did the Tsar do to find their answers?  Leo Tolstoy's short story presents three questions which are sometimes encountered by people. In this story a Tsar seeks answers to three questions. What is the most productive time to start any work? Who are the most important people? And what are the essential duties? The moment these three questions began to torment him, he announces that those who will be able to answer will be rewarded. But the Tsar is not satisfied with any scholar's answer as different scholars answer differently of that questions. At las...

                THE POETRY OF EARTH                                         John Keats  1. Discuss the significance of the title of the poem 'The Poetry of the Earth'. The poem ,' The Poetry of the Earth'  is addressing the beauty of the Earth through the lyrics of Grasshopper and the Cricket's song. Here the Grasshopper behaves like a summer poet and sings the summer song.The grasshopper sings when the birds get tired and take shelter in the cool shade of the trees.  "And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run     From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;     That is the Grasshopper’s—he takes the lead  In summer luxury," In winter, when the frost blankets the earth, the crickets are responsible for carrying nature's song along with shrill voice. "On a lone winter evening, when the frost  ...

MEETING AT NIGHT         Robert Browning   1. What is the central idea of the poem "Meeting at Night". Robert Browning believes that love is a power, a strong emotion that can conquer all adversities in life. The poem describes how a man secretly travels to meet his beloved and thinks nothing of the obstacles that may come his way. He is determined to achieve his goal. Every line of the poem expresses the intense emotions of the poet. The poem vividly describes the lover's desperation to reach his destination for which he finally defies all problems and obstacles. Browning proved that love can conquer all. Browning's optimistic philosophy of life proves that love is the guiding light of life that makes humanity proud.  2. Discuss about the significance of the title of the poem "Meeting at Night". Robert Browning's 'Meeting at Night' is a poem about a meeting of lovers at night. The title of the poem emphasizes the mystery present in the poem. ...

                  THANK YOU MA'AM                                          J.M.Langston Hughes 1. What happened to Mrs Jones when she was coming home? What did she do immediately? Do you think she was right in doing that? Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones was returning home from the hotel's beauty shop around eleven o'clock at night. A weak, naughty-looking boy was chasing her and trying to snatch her bag. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.  Mrs. Jones kicked him, told him to pick up the bag and grabbed the front of his shirt tightly. She then dragged him home and fed him. Mrs. Jones' initial behavior was highly emotional. Any woman would do that if she was robbed of her hard earned money. Jones later proved to be a loving mother. Roger thanked her. So her behavior could be considered sympathetic. 2. Discuss t...

  Composed Upon Westminster Bridge                -----------William Wordsworth  1. Comment on Wordsworth's treatment of nature with reference to 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge'.  Nature has always emerged as a living entity to Wordsworth. On his way to Paris very early in the morning, the poet had the opportunity to appear in front of the thrilling beauty of the city of London. The beauty of the city of London from Westminster Bridge fascinates him. So the poet exclaims______ "Earth has not anything to show more fair" To the poet, the city seemed to be clothed a garment of morning beauty. The whole environment is calm, soothing and the air is smoke free. " A sight so touching in its majesty: ThisCity now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare," So all the sights and sounds of nature have an undisturbed appeal of beauty. The   sun has spread the beauty of its radiance over the valley ,mountains an...

                              DAYBREAK                        H.W Longfellow 1) How is the wind personified in H.W.Longfellow's 'Daybreak'? Or How does the wind inspire different objects to welcome the daybreak? Or Discuss about the different activities of the wind in the poem Daybreak. In the poem Daybreak, H.W Longfellow has attributed personality to the wind. He presents the wind as a living entity here. It is the messenger of the morning and the guide of responsibility and accountability. Here the wind rises from the sea and tells the fog to make room for it. The wind calls on the forest to open its dormant leaves. It touches the wings of the birds of the forest and inspires them to sing. It whispers to the field and requests to accept the new one.  So we can conclude that  everything in nature seems to be greeted by the wind on its way to ...

                      STRONG ROOTS                                       Dr. APJ. ABDUL KALAM 1. "I would say mine was a very secure childhood"- Why does Kalam consider his childhood to be materially and emotionally secure? In his autobiographical excerpt, ' Strong Roots' Abdul Kalam illustrates his birth and genealogy. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was the fifth of seven children of Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma. Although his parents were tall and handsome, Kalam was a very ordinary looking boy. His mother's ancestor was awarded the title of 'Bahadur' by the British.They lived in a pucca house on Mosque Street in Rameshwaram. His father kept himself away from comforts.Yet he did not compromise with his children on food, clothing and medicine. Kalam's mother was very careful about his diet and served rice, sambar, pickles, chutney etc.  Thus, we ...