Dryden as a Critic

Introduction: John Dryden (1631-1700) was a poet, dramatist, and critic. He is called the 'Father of Criticism'. He wrote "An Essay on Dramatic Poesy" (1668) and many other critical treaties on literature. His criticism throws ample light on his conception of the nature and function of poetry.

Dryden's Liberal Classicism: Dryden adjusts the rules of the ancients to the genius of the age. He found no harm in tragi-comedy. He admired the variety and copiousness of the English plays. He ridicules at the three unities. He admits that plot may be the 'foundation' and not the 'soul' of the play as said by Aristotle. He observes objectivity or detachment and reasoning in criticism. He was the first critic to point out that each age has its own genius. He, for the first time introduced the notion that literature is an organic force which grows and develops with the growth of the nation.

Dryden's Views on Poetry: According to Dryden “poetry is just and lively image of human nature, representing the passion and humour, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind”. Dryden accepts that conception of imitation. He does not take it to be the photographic representation of human nature. The word ‘image’ to him means not making a mere copy of life but making a beautiful resemblance of the whole.  Dryden also uses the word ‘fancy’ as Coleridge uses the word ‘imagination’ implying the faculty by which the poet creates. Dryden says that imagination in a poet is a faculty so wild and lawless  that like a high ranging spaniel. And so the fancy outruns the judgement.  Yet according to Dryden the function of literature is to delight and instruct mankind.

Dryden on Dramatic Poetry: Throughout the “Essay on Dramatic Poesy” drama is  treated as a form of imaginative literature. Three Unities: Dryden does not subscribed to the three unities of time place and action. He justifies the violation of unities on reasonable grounds. The observance of unities has a narrowing and cramping effect on French plays. The English dramatists who disregarded unities  presented more ‘just’ and ‘lively’ picture of human nature.  Shakespeare is more true to nature and more delightful than any French play even though he has not observed the unities.

Tragi-Comedy: Dryden defends tragi-comedy which English dramatist ably and artistically wrote. There is in English drama and appeal from the rules of the classics to the laws of nature. In nature Jay and pain go together. Therefore, tragi-comedy is true representation of nature. However, Dryden condemns unnaturalness in some tragi-comedies. By writing tragi-comedies the English dramatists have perfected a new way of writing not known to the ancients.

Unpalatable or Incredible Scenes in Drama: Dryden’s judgement in the inclusion of incredible and unpalatable scene such as battle and death scene on the stage is unreserved. The Greek, Roman and French dramatists carefully avoided them. Dryden liked to avoid scenes of death on the stage. He allows scenes of physical actions such as battle and duels on the stage.  

Dryden on Tragedy: Dryden closely follows Aristotle in his definition of tragedy:  “it is an imitation of one, entire, great and probable action: not told but represented; which by moving in us fear and pity is conducive to the purging (cathartic) of those two emotions in our minds”. Dryden explains that a single action is necessary because two independent stories would distract the attention. But the action should be complete with a natural beginning, middle, and end. Dryden was influenced by Horace and Aristotle with regard to his views on tragic hero and other characters in tragedy. Dramatic characters should emerge clearly from action and speech and they should be true to nature, in accordance with age, sex, and rank.

Dryden on Comedy: Dryden's views on comedy were influenced by Aristotle. Comedy, according to him is a "representation of human life in inferior persons and low subjects. Dryden assigns a much lower place to farce, which was a popular form of the comic plays in his days. The pleasure which both comedy and farce evoke is also different. Comedy arouses laughter to restore normalcy and good behaviour. But farce is a kind of bastard pleasure taken in at the eyes of vulgar gazes, and at the ears of the beastly audience. According to Dryden, the function of comedy is this: "the first end of comedy is to delight, and instruction only the second". He prefers comedy of wit or manners to comedy of humours.

Dryden's Place in Literary Criticism: Dryden's place as a critic is unassailable. He lived in an age of changing critical values but still he kept up his balance of mind and placed criticism on a high and sound footing for the guidance of future generations. In fact, his Classicism was later modified and produced by modern critics like T.S. Eliot.

The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins)

 About the Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman (July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935), also known by her first married name Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was an American humanist, novelist, writer, lecturer,  advocate for social reform, and eugenicist. She was a utopian feminist and served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. She has been inducted into the “National Women’s Hall of Fame.” Her best remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” which she wrote after a severe bout of postpartum psychosis. 

Introduction: “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins is about working of woman’s psyche which was not at all a matter to be considered and treated in Perkins’ period. The story, of course, has a contemporary relevance for it contains the theme of feminism and working of women’s psyche.

Discussion:

Plot: “The Yellow Wallpaper” is written as a series of diary entries from the perspective of a woman who is suffering from post-partum depression. The narrator begins by describing the large, ornate home that she and her husband, John, have rented for the summer. John is an extremely practical man, a physician, and their move into the country is partially motivated by his desire to expose his suffering wife to its clean air and calm life so that she can recover from what he sees as a slight hysterical tendency.

The narrator complains that her husband will not listen to her worries about her condition, and treats her like a child. She also suspects that there is something strange and mysterious about the house, which has been empty for some time, but John dismisses her concerns as a silly fantasy. As part of her cure, the narrator is forbidden from pursuing any activity other than domestic work, so as not to tax her mind. She particularly misses the intellectual act of writing and conversation, and this account is written in a diary that she hides from her husband. They move into the room at the top of the house, which the narrator supposes is a former nursery since it has barred windows and peeling yellow wallpaper.

This repellent yellow wallpaper becomes a major force in the story, as the narrator grows obsessed with deciphering its seemingly incomprehensible, illogical patterns. She continues to hide the diary from John, and grows more and more convinced that the wallpaper contains a malevolent force that threatens the whole home. From her room, she can see a shaded lane, the bay, and an overgrown garden. When she can escape the attention of her husband and Jennie, his sister, she continues her study of the wallpaper and begins to imagine she can see a mysterious figure hiding behind the top pattern. She tries to convince her husband that they should leave the house, but he insists that she is improving and sees indulging her concerns as encouraging a dangerous, fanciful nature, when what is required is self-control.

The narrator’s depression and fatigue continue to worsen. Her fascination with the wallpaper takes over her life. In a series of increasingly short diary entries, she describes her progress in uncovering the secrets of its pattern, as she grows increasingly paranoid about the intentions of Jennie and John. She believes that the figure is a creeping woman, trapped behind the bars of the top pattern, and becomes determined to free her, and to keep the secret of her existence from her husband and his sister. She surprises Jennie examining a scratched groove on the wall, and doesn’t believe her excuse that she had been looking for the source of the yellow stains on the narrator’s clothes. She begins to keep secrets even from her diary, and makes an initial, nighttime attempt to remove the wallpaper on the eve of their departure. Later, when all the furniture has been removed from the room except for the gnawed and heavy bedstand, she locks the door and throws the key down onto the front drive, and then proceeds to tear and tear at the parts of the wallpaper she can reach.

Here, at the story’s climax, the perspective shifts as the narrator’s mental breakdown becomes complete, and in her madness she is convinced that she is the woman who was trapped behind the wallpaper. She begins to creep around the room in an endless circle, smudging the wallpaper in a straight groove. John breaks into the room and discovers her, and faints at the sight. She continues to creep endlessly around the room, forced to go over his prone body.

Themes:

Mental Illness and its Treatment:

Reading the series of diary entries that make up the story, the reader understands that the narrator has slowly descended into madness which is visible by her mounting paranoia and obsession with the mysterious figure pattern in the yellow wallpaper.  As the portrayal of a woman’s gradual mental breakdown, the story offers the reader a window into the perception and treatment of mental illness in the late nineteenth century.

Gender Roles and Domestic Life:

Alongside its exploration of mental illness, “The Yellow Wallpaper” offers a critique of traditional gender roles as they were defined during the late nineteenth century. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a prominent feminist, who rejected the trappings of traditional domestic life and published extensively about the role of women in society, and saw the gender roles of the time as horribly stifling. 

Outward Appearance vs. Inner Life:

Another major theme in the story lies in the contradiction between outward appearance and inner life. The story gives the reader a glimpse into its writer’s inner life. This, in turn, allows us to watch as the narrator’s husband misinterprets her condition while she begins to consciously deceive both him and his sister, Jennie.

Self-Expression, Miscommunication, and Misunderstanding:

“The Yellow Wallpaper” is the simple story of a woman who is unable fully to express herself, or to find someone who will listen. The narrator senses that the act of writing, which she has been forbidden to do, is exactly what she needs to feel better. In fact, writings, according to her is self-expression. Since she is unable to communicate with her husband, this diary becomes a secret outlet for her.

Conclusion:

Thus. “The Yellow Wallpaper” centres around the mental, emotional, and physical harm caused by the limited role women were allowed to play in society and their own family during the Victorian era. The narrator is not allowed for self-expression, autonomy or a voice in her marriage and so she becomes mentally ill and emotionally shattered. This self-expressed semi-autobiography clearly indicates that women must be given freedom for their self-expression.  

As You Like It (William Shakespeare)

 Introduction:

“As You Like It” by William Shakespeare is a pastoral comedy with major themes of love, gender, sexuality, and injustice. Duke Frederick usurps the dukedom from his brother, the rightful Duke Senior, and banishes him. Several of the characters seek refuge in the Forest of Arden where they learn of love and forgiveness in nature.

Plot:

Orlando and Oliver are brothers who are fighting bitterly over their inheritance. Oliver is the older brother so after the death of their father, he assumes control of the wealth and the household. Oliver convinces Charles who is Duke Frederick’s champion wrestler that Orlando is unworthy, setting Charles up to badly hurt or kill Orlando in their match.

Meanwhile, in the Forest of Arden, Duke Senior has fled there to escape his brother Duke Frederick, who usurped the throne. His daughter Rosalind is still allowed at Frederick’s court because she is best friends with his daughter Celia. Rosalind confesses her attraction to Orlando after the match. Frederick returns after the match and accuses Rosalind of conspiring against him for her father, and throws her out of court. Celia and Rosalind decide to move to Arden together in disguise: Celia is “Aliena” and Rosalind is a man named “Ganymede” They also bring Frederick’s jester Touchstone with them. They purchase a cottage with some sheep and settle down to a quiet life. They befriend a shepherd named Silvius who is in love with a woman named Phoebe. At the same time, Orlando learns of a plot against his life by his brother Oliver, so he and Adam also set out to live in Arden.

Frederick is furious at his daughter’s departure, so he orders Oliver to find Orlando Orlando runs into Ganymede one day and confesses he is lovesick over a girl named Rosalind, not realizing that Rosalind is Ganymede in guise. She pledges to help him get over his lovesickness if he comes to woo her each morning. Ganymede runs into Oliver, who reveals that Orlando saved him from a poisonous snake and a lioness. Meanwhile, Oliver and Aliena stumble across each other and fall in love instantly, and Touchstone falls for a goat herder named Audrey. Later, Rosalind, still disguised as Ganymede, secures a promise from Phoebe that she will marry Silvius. She also gets Duke Frederick to agree that his daughter could marry Oliver if she were around to do so. The two girls take off their disguises, and the four couples: Orlando and Rosalind, Celia and Oliver, Silvius and Phoebe, and Touchstone and Audrey, wed in the end. Frederick announces that on his way to attack Duke Senior, he met a holy man that made him reevaluate his life. He puts down his arms against his brother and returns the throne to him.

Themes:

Gender Fluidity

In “As You Like It” a woman disguises herself as a man in order to keep herself safe and manipulate those around her: when Rosalind retreats into the forest, she becomes Ganymede, and gets closer to Orlando through her use of disguise. This cross-dressing suggests that gender is fluid

Love

As with most Shakespearean comedies, a central theme of “ As You Like It” is love and desire. The play presents a number of romantic pursuits throughout its five acts, culminating with four marriages at the very end. Furthermore, Phoebe, for instance, marries Silvius simply because she has promised to do so, suggesting that their relationship is born of duty rather than emotional connection.

Foolishness

The play's often ironic representation of love reveals its deeper investment in the nature of foolishness and folly. Many characters are presented as absurd or ridiculous, including Orlando and his Petrarchan conception of courting. Notably, the character who speaks most wisely about this foolish behavior is Touchstone. 

Change and Transformation

“As You Like It” appears to have some sort of transformative power over the characters. When characters enter the Forest of Arden, they experience major changes – some physical, like the transformation of Rosalind into Ganymede, and others psychological, like Lover and Duke Frederick, who dispel with their malicious behavior.

Family and Inheritance

“As You Like It” features two notable representations of sibling relationships: the first is between Orlando and his oldest brother, Oliver, and the second between Duke Frederick and Duke Senor. In fact, the only "healthy" familial relationship that seems to exist in the play is between cousins Rosalind and Celia.

Conclusion:

“As You Like It” is a romantic comedy in its treatment of some sweet songs that add special charm and melodious atmosphere in the play. A romantic comedy is a play in which the romantic elements are mingled with comic elements. Thus, Love is a central theme in “As You Like It”. Throughout the play, several types of love are experienced, including love at first sight between Orlando and Rosalind, Phoebe and Ganymede, and Oliver and Celia.

 

 

Dusty Distance (Suniti Namjoshi)

 Introduction: “The Blue Donkey” by Suniti Namjoshi consists of more than seventy small fables and poems. All these prose and poetic pieces are satires which criticise the contemporary society. Written in comic tone, the prose and poetic pieces have animals and birds as their characters but in reality, they are human beings who behave like animals. The title character, “Blue Donkey” was gay and happy when it was young but later it turned into grey like other donkeys, because it experienced cut throat competitions in the world for its survival. In the short fable, “Dusty Distance” the Blue Donkey goes from one place to another to find its fortune as a poet. But she realizes that it is not easy to make career as a poet and so it settles down for a part-time job for half a carrot.

Blue Donkey’s First Encounter: When the Blue Donkey is young, she likes to become a poet. So, she sets off on a long dusty road to make her fortune. Soon she meets a woman who offers her job for a carrot. But the Blue Donkey who she strongly believes that her life lies on her poet career denies the woman’s offer and travels further to find her poetic career.

The Blue Donkey’s Second Encounter:

The Blue Donkey then accidently meets a wayfarer. In curiosity, she asks the man about his profession. He says that he has no profession but he is interested in encountering ‘life’. So, the Blue Donkey asks him what he will do, if he finds ‘life’. He answers that if he finds ‘life’, he will grapple her, tie her hands and feet and then take her to his home. Hearing the man’s account the Blue Donkey is enthralled. So, she further asks him about his plan with ‘life’ and the man answers that he will chop up, grin down and put her into delicate mince pies and sell them in the market. Understanding his intention from his answer, the Blue Donkey escapes from him by saying that she is only a poet and not a ‘life’.

The Blue Donkey’s Third Encounter:

The Blue Donkey travels further and then enters into a countryside which is full of greenery. There, the Blue Donkey meets a Beautiful Lady who gracefully reclines on a tree. She asks the lady what she is doing and the lady answers that she is reading poetry because she is fond of poems, for they blow fresh air into life. Hence the Blue Donkey is very much pleased to introduce herself as a ‘poet’ to the lady. She also asks the lady to read some of the poems from the book. But the lady says that she knows only French and German and not the language of “Blue Donkese”. The answer of the lady has a lot of implication in it. The Blue Donkey understands that its language is alien to human beings. So, she goes back to the lady whom she first encountered to accept the job for just half a carrot. Like this, being a diasporic Indian, in the western country, Suniti Namjoshi finds it difficult to promote her writing. Like Namjoshi, the Third World writers find it difficult to establish their career as writers in the First World. In the First World, the postcolonial writers are treated as “others” due to the racial differences.

Conclusion:

Like the Blue Donkey, many of the writers from the Third World countries experience unwelcoming reception in the First World countries. Hence it is difficult for them to establish themselves as writers and like the Blue Donkey, they are ready accept any odd job for their survival.

 

The Gold Frame (R.K. Laxman)

Introduction: The story, “The Gold Frame” like most of R.K. Laxman’s earlier works, deals with the topics of false prestige in a frank and humorous manner. The author tells the story of Datta, a framer who splatters paint over a photograph of an elderly and respected gentleman that a customer requested it to frame. After destroying the client’s photograph, Datta fabricates a scheme in which he would deceive the customer by using another photograph. Datta is not only deceitful, but also dishonest in not taking full responsibility for his acts.

Datta: The Modern Frame Works was a big wooden packing case sandwiched between two other stores. The plot revolves around Datta, the owner of the Modern Frame Works. He was a slender man with silver-rimmed glasses and a complexion like seasoned wood. He was a quiet, diligent individual. He kept to himself and avoided casual friends and meaningless conversation.

The Unintentional Splashing: One day, Datta was approached by a customer who wished to have an old photograph framed in the finest possible way. He admires, respects, and praises the elderly guy, leading one to assume that the man in the image was a perfect human being. Then Datta steps in to guide the client in choosing the right frame. He picks a cut mount for his picture with Datta’s assistance. The buyer speaks as though framing the portrait is his life’s goal, and so he is ready to pay the amount that Datta demands. Finally, he leaves after settling the fee and the date of delivery.

Generally, Datta’s customers arrived either days in advance, dissatisfied, or returned months later. Some never showed up at all, and their photographs were left in a box unclaimed. Datta would not start working till his customers arrived twice before the delivery date. After 10 days, his tall and rustic-looking client showed up to inspect the progress. When Datta saw his client was interested in the frame, he pulled it out and tried to frame it. Just then, Datta splashed enamel paint over the customer’s treasured portrait by mistake. He attempted to remove the blotch with a piece of cloth, but it started to rip away.

Humour from the Tragedy: Datta was terrified about the repercussions. Datta considered various options, such as framing another image. Fortunately, he met one with whom he could take a reasonable risk. Datta, perplexed, frames a square frame while the buyer ordered an oval frame. This somehow saves Datta. He also gets saved because the customer questions the frame rather than the photograph itself. This generates amusement.

Datta’s ingenuity is revealed in this narrative by R.K. Laxman. The customer is portrayed as an idiot by R.K .Laxman. The customer accepts the price, even if he believes it is unreasonable. The customer’s ignorance, rather than Datta’s own experience or intelligence, saves him. 

Conclusion: The storyline implies that Datta has still been caught out despite his lie. The reader is bound to believe that R.K. Laxman is emphasizing the value of honesty. The story is ironical that the customer has found a minor fault instead of a major fault. He did not find the fake photograph and Datta gets a narrow escape. Thus, the story ends in a twist full of humour.

Money Madness (D.H. Lawrence)

 Introduction: The intriguing and insightful poem "Money Madness" by D.H. Lawrence explores the complexity and negative aspects of a fixation with money. Lawrence, in this poem examines materialism, greed, and the negative implications of placing material worth above all else in life.

Man’s Craziness: D.H. Lawrence's 'Money Madness' is a strong case against money's weakness. Lawrence begins the poem by stating that money craziness is a shared experience. He establishes the fact that money madness is widespread and rampant. However, Lawrence is quick to point out that just because the craziness is widespread, money-madness of an individual cannot be justified. Because communal craziness is only conceivable after individual crazy exists. As a result, the poet emphasizes that money-madness is a worldwide phenomenon. If the entire universe is insane, then every single person is insane as well.

Power of Money: He bemoans the fact that individuals are so frightened of losing their money if they give it generously. We are heartbroken if we lose even one pound. People shiver with fear and despair when they are given a quantity of money as large as ten pounds. We have become imprisoned by the shackles of financial power. It causes us to bow down and adore it. It has the ability to affect our ideas and actions.

Effect of  Money: Society terrifies the poet. When a guy is obsessed by money, he loses sight of what is truly essential in life. Financial difficulties are source of anxiety. Often, a man's wealth is used to evaluate him. Man makes others eat dirt in order to amass wealth. If man holds more money, he makes others eat dirt or beg for bread. But it is insane to place such a high value on something that may be lost in the blink of an eye. The more money you have, the more difficult it is to give it away. Money gives stress to a person, therefore man cowers before the money not before god.

Lawrence’s Suggestions: Lawrence thinks that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has the right to food, shelter, warmth, and freedom. But we shall continue to be puppets in the hands of money. Eventually, the entire planet will be consumed by hostility, hatred, jealousy, and insanity. It will continue to wreak havoc on people's lives. So, the society should ensure about the basic needs such as food, and shelter to everyone on this earth. Otherwise, financial catastrophe would take away the lives of men and the earth may turn into place where no man would be found. Hence Lawrence thinks that it is right time for him to give awareness to people about the negative impacts of money in men’s lives.  

Conclusion: “Money Madness” is a biting critique of today's consumerist society, which is centred on material prosperity and money. People nowadays are so consumed by the drive to amass wealth by staking morality. So, he advises people to get out from the condition of money-madness and to become sane and rational.

Art of Memory (A.K. Ramanujan)

About the Author: A.K. Ramanujan (1929-93) was a poet, folklorist, critic, translator, and cultural historian. His poems reflect his traditional Hindu upbringing as well as the experiences that he encountered in a Western culture. His poems are poetic sketches with inherent comments on people and situations.

Introduction: In the essay, “Art of Memory”, A.K. Ramanujan describes how ‘arts of memory’ are closely connected with the ancient classical and oral traditions. He wonders at our forefathers who were able to recite “Vedas” and “ragas” by-heart. It means that many of our narratives of ancient period had multiple functions and they triggered the memory part of the brain of our ancestors. But, according to Ramanujan, amnesia or ‘Apasmara” is a curse on mankind. So, he recommends ‘meditation’ – ‘an exercise to recall’ to keep everything in one’s memory.

Multiple Memories: One’s remarkable feat of memory can be assessed based on his ability to remember many things at a time. For example, if one is “Astavadhani” then he can do eight different tasks simultaneously and if one is “Satavadhani”, then he can perform hundred different tasks simultaneously. This is possible if one should have “mindfulness and memory.” Such “art of memory” was part of our ancient classical and oral traditions. In ancient time, “Vedas” were orally transmitted from one generation to the next through the ‘art of memory’- exercise. Various gestures and bodily movements were also exerted by the reciters of “Vedas” which along with the phrases stored in the receivers’ motor memory.

Meditation: According to Ramanujan man can remember and recall even his previous birth, if he practises meditation. To justify his point of view, he gives many examples from our ancient texts. The enlightened sage like Buddha is said to be called “trikalanjani’ because he was able to see the past, present, and future in clear details. Hence, according to Ramanujan ‘remembering’ is not “a mere show off” but it was the means for “enlightenment or salvation”. Meditation can be done by ‘remembering and recalling’. For example, one must remember the happenings of the day, one by one, in reverse order and about the previous day, and about the week, and about the month and then about the year and so on. Such practice is called ‘exercise of recalling’ which is humanly possible. The concept of “Karma” given in the Hindu Buddhist and Jain texts say that one’s memories have a pattern called “Samskaras” or “Vasanas” which means the past deeds can be remembered and recalled in the present birth. Plato calls this process “anamnesis.” But many of us forget the “Vasanas” of the previous birth. So, we are alienated from our ‘self’ because our ‘self’ is largely constituted in our ‘memory’.

Apasmara: Madness or Apasmara is a misremember or a disorder of memory. Lord Siva stepped on a demon called Apasmara during his cosmic dance. This shows that one should overcome ‘apasmara’ for his salvation. However, Gods themselves fell preys to ‘apasmara’ or disorder of memory. For example, “Marchan” is the wonder tale found in “Kathasaritasagara” in which Indira Peterson points out that celestial beings were cursed to born as human beings through the act of ‘apasmara’ but later they returned to their original forms through ‘remembering’. One of the tales in “Kathasaritasagara”, states that the celestial beings were cursed by Goddess Parvati to born as geese, king and queen. But by performing meditation they could recall their previous birth and flew back to their heavenly abode.

Like this, when Lord Vishnu took the incarnation as a boar to save the earth goddess, he became the father of many piglets and remained in that state for many years. In fact, he forgot his godly position and so Siva released Vishnu from that incarnation by making him remember and recall his original godly status. In the same way, Lord Vishnu was released from all his avatars such as Rama, Krishnan and Balarama through meditation or remembering.

Conclusion: Thus, in this essay, Ramanujan highlights the ancient classical and oral traditions of India which enabled people to remember or mediate things in life. So, he recommends ‘mediation’ to overthrow ‘apasmara’ and to find out one’s ‘self’.

 

I Have A Dream (Martin Luther King)

 Introduction:

Martin Luther King fought for the rights and privileges of the Negroes in America in non-violent manner. In 1963 he addressed a mammoth gathering of 2, 50,000 people in America of many faiths, races, and creeds. He stressed the path of non-violence in his address.

The Emancipation Proclamation:

King begins his speech by mentioning the Emancipation Proclamation that was signed by Abraham Lincoln one hundred years ago. No doubt, the proclamation was a beacon of light to the Negro slaves during that time. The proclamation brought hope to millions of black people. But King complains that things have never changed, because Negroes are still suffering. Negroes are still languishing in the corners of the American society. They are treated as exiles in their own land.

The Promise of Equality by the Constitution:

The constitution and the Declaration of Independence granted the Negroes an equal status. King compares this to a bank cheque. But according to King, the cheque or 'right to life' given to them is only on the paper level, because even after hundred years, the life of Negroes in America is still the same. Hence, he compares the freedom offered to them as a 'tranquilizer', a pharmaceutical image. He cautions that the 'freedom' offered to them would slow down their spirit, like the tranquilizer. So, he asks them not to rest until they are granted all their 'Citizen Rights'.

Means and Ends:

In the second part of his address King stresses that Negroes should not practice 'wrongful deeds' to gain their 'rightful place'.  They should oppose the physical force of the government with their 'soul force' or 'spiritual force'. They should regard the Whites as their brothers. At the same time, they should not be satisfied with their marginal success. They should fight for their voting rights, unlike the Negroes in Mississippi. They must give voice against the torture given to their men in prison. He advises them to bear in mind that 'suffering is redemptive'.

King' Dream:

Like the 'American Dream', King also dreams for an equality of all men in America without bothering their creed and race. He wishes that in Georgia, their people must be free from racial discrimination, at least in the next generation. King also dreams for a change in the socio-political life of Mississippi, then it would become an "oasis of freedom and justice" in future. In Alabama, the black children must play with the white children is also King's dream. Thus, he dreams for a removal of social and economic discriminations from America. Here, the music image 'harmonious symphony' is apt to describe the equality of the White and Black in America.

Conclusion:  Thus, King in this address dreams for a society of Universal brotherhood to be flowered in future.

A Little Boy's Dream (Katherine Mansfield)

 About the Author: Katherine Mansfield (14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) was a New Zealand writer and critic. She is considered to be an important author of the modernist movement. Her works are celebrated across the world, and have been published in 25 languages. Mansfield wrote short stories and poetry under a variation of her own name, Katherine Mansfield, which explored anxiety, sexuality and existentialism. New Zealandian identity is the predominant tone in her works. When she was 19, she left New Zealand and settled in England, where she became a friend of D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, Lady Ottoline Morrell and others in the orbit of the Bloomsbury Group. Mansfield's in the poem, "A Little Boy's Dream" portrays the meaning of life through the dream of a little boy.

Analysis of the Poem: 

Dream: Life is filled with dreams. Kids always remain happy in their lives because they keep on dreaming constantly. “A Little Boy’s Dream” depicts the dream of a little boy who is sailing all alone on a boat. Katherine Mansfield by using the child as the subject managed to connote a deeper hidden meaning. By way of depicting the dream of a little boy, the poet is actually telling the biggest reality of life. All of us have to walk all alone in our life’s journey. Here leading our life is referred to journey. In our life, we are surrounded by the people we love and the people who love us but still when we are born and when we die, we are alone.

Journey: The poet by the means of a dream visualization of the boy, explains the biggest truth of life. The little boy says “Sea and sky, sea and sky, quietly on the deck I lie, having just a little rest”. Here the poet means that only the sea and sky are walking with him which are actually non-living things. She also means that human life is mortal and Nature is immortal. Living things in the sea, like fish for instance, also make a distance from the little boy. This is also a truth of real life. Only the nature walks with us when we are alone, all the living beings stay away. Nature is as a matter of fact, a man’s best friend. The little kid in his dream is sailing to a far-away unknown lands, in a similar manner we lead our life to the unknown destiny and during the course of life we learn the reality one by one without knowing the future of us. Of course, we are completely unaware of the circumstances which we have to face in the future but still we keep on moving.

Duty: The little boy understands the truth of life in his dream itself. He also says “I have really done my best, In an awful pirate fight, but we captured them all right.” Here the poet means to say that in our journey called life, we give the best we can, as a result of which the outcomes occur. If we do not work for making our lives better, we will stay the way we are.

Love: The poet also explains the significance of a mother’s love in the poem. The child wakes up from his dream and is scared to have witnessed loneliness. Seeing the child’s embarrassment, his mother comes and embraces him. When the mother embraces her the fear of the child is gone.  Now the child feels that he is safe and secured in the embrace of his mother. Thus, the poet epitomizes mother’s love which is selfless than the love that one experience from kith and kin around him.

Conclusion: The poet makes the child acquainted with the realities of life through a dream. Like the child, the individuals also in some way or the other, sooner or later get acquainted with what life is really all about.

Part II English (Composition - Semester III)

 

Curriculum Vitae
Choose and Fill Ups:

• 1.      A summary of the application at the start of the CV acts as a statement of objectives.
• 2.      Generally, how many references are to be mentioned in a CV?    Two.
• 3.      Which is not compulsory to mention in a job description CV?   Nationality.
• 4.      “Curriculum Vitae” is a word form which language?   Latin.
• 5.      Apart from your name and contact details, the most important part of your CV is Educational details.
• 6.      A CV is longer professional document of an individual.
• 7.      A CV contains one’s experience, certificate and personal details.
• 8.      The best CV format is the reverse-Ch (Chronological) one.
• 9.      Generally a CV may not contain a nationality/ ethnicity of the CV holder.
• 10.   A student’s CV is a representation of his/her scholarly identity and  achievements in his/her field.

Short Questions and Answers:

• 1.      What are the features that make a CV look feasible?

The headers sch as ‘Personal Profile’, ‘Experience’, ‘Achievements’, ‘Career History’, and ‘Personal Details’ and the relevant information in ach header make a CV look feasible.

• 2.      How do you write your CV? Design it.

Curriculum Vitae Name   Address and other contact details   Objective   Experience 1.      Employment details  a.      Designation b.      Job responsibility and achievement Education 1.      Courses studies in reverse chronological order. 2.      Academic Achievements   Reference

 

3.      What are the four types of CV?

Functional, Chronological, Skill-based, and Targeted.

4.      What is the purpose of writing a CV?

CV is written to sell he/she to a prospective employer.

5.      What type of information should a CV contain?

CV should reflect that he/she possesses the right education, skills, experience, behavior, attitude and morality, professional competency and communication skill that the employer is seeking.

Memos, Notices, Agendas and Minutes

Choose and Fill Ups:

• 1.      Which document is prepared before a meeting to list the items to be discussed or acted upon?    Agenda.
• 2.      Which of the following would be found in the New Business section of a Minutes?   CEO Reports
• 3.      Articles of Association is the most important document of a company.
• 4.      What do the Notices convey?  Announcements.
• 5.      It is mandatory for all companies to have any memorandum or articles of association.
• 6.      The heading component of an Agenda has the name of the company/ organization, type of meeting, the date, time and venue of the meeting.
• 7.      The last component in a business meeting minutes is call to order and adjournment.
• 8.      A memorandum usually abbreviated as Memo.
• 9.      All members should sign the MOU in case of private company.
• 10.   Memos are generally circulated within the organization and companies.

 

Short Questions and Answers:

• 1.      What is a Memo?

A Memo is a formal written message to people within an organization to meet a specific need.

• 2.      What is the purpose of writing a Memo?

Memos are written to inform, explain, persuade, warn, and seek explanations for misconduct by an employee within an organization.

• 3.      How do you appraise a notice?

If a notice contains (i) heading or subject, (ii) body, (iii) date of issue and (iv) signature or name of issuing authority with designation then the notice is a good notice.

• 4.      How do you write an Agenda?

An Agenda is an outline of the business to be carried out during the meeting. It contains the list of events to be executed during the programme in time sequence.

• 5.      Assess the importance of writing minutes

Minutes of meeting is important for documenting details such as what the group discussed, reports that were reviewed, the decisions taken proposed activities and future topics of the next meeting. These details allow those who were present to recall important information and prepare for future meetings.

 

 

E-Mail

Choose and Fill Ups:

• 1.      How do you send a copy of an e-mail to a new recipient?   Forward.
• 2.      Which is the main folder om E-mail?       Inbox
• 3.      People who receive e-mails are Recipients.
• 4.      Internet scammers do tricks to collect the personal information of people are Hackers.
• 5.      What does SMTP stand for? Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
• 6.      You can star an e-mail in you want to remember and also put it into a special folder for easy access.
• 7.      The first part of the e-mail address identifies user’s name.
• 8.      E-mail is a technology that allows you to send and receive message over the internet.
• 9.      The E-mail ID of the secondary recipient of must be entered into CC/BCC field.
• 10.   Unsolicited E-mails may be filtered and separated into spam.
•  

Short Questions and Answers:

• 1.      What does “BCC” stand for?  

Blind Carbon Copy

• 2.      What is the purpose of emotions in E-mail communication?

They get the reader’s attention. Besides, they emphasize an important message and inject spirit into your communication.

• 3.      What are the ‘3Ds’ in E-mail management?

Delete it, Do it, Delegate it or Defer it.

• 4.      What does it mean when an E-mail “bounce”?

The reasons may be 1. the email address does not exist, 2. The inbox is full, 3. Server outages, 4. poor sender reputation due to spam complaints, 5. flagged content in the message content and 6. a restrictive DMARC record for your seeding domain.

• 5.      What are the ‘5Cs’ of effective email writing?

Clear, Complete, Concise, Courteous and Correct.