English Literature

Introduction This poem was written in 1819 and published in 1820 along with Shelley's musical drama Prometheus Unbound . Shelley was living in Italy at that time. As Shelley tells us in a note, the poem was conceived and chiefly written in a wood round the Arno, near Florence (in Italy). He wrote it on a day when the stormy wind was collecting the vapours that send the autumnal rains. At sunset, as Shelley had foreseen, there was a violent tempest of hail and rain, attended by an exceptional thunder of of clouds and lightening. It is one of Shelley's greatest poems. It has been called a 'matchless ode'. But it is not easy to understand. The main difficulty in understanding the poem arises from the abundance of similes and metaphors which follow one another with an astonishing quickness. In the course of the poem, Shelley passes from a magnificent realisation of nature's storm and peace to equally great self description. Finally he mingles nature and himself together...

An Introduction to City Branding  We better recognize and value a product by its brand. When we see a branded product, we immediately associate it with the value that the brand of the product retains. The same is true about a city. A city becomes a brand on the strength of its historical heritage, cultural values, architectural marvels, tourist spots, etc. These are the attributes by virtue of which one city is different from the other. When we see a picture of �The Statue of Liberty� anywhere, we instantly identify New York City that it belongs to. Paris, the capital city of France, is an international brand name in the field of art and fashion. Here lies the concept of city branding. And, it is not something new. It came into being long back. City branding is a powerful marketing concept that businesses are utilizing for higher returns on investment.     The History of Kolkata, a Branded City    The history of Kolkata is rich and vibrant. It is what Kol...

The Moon by P.B. Shelley The poem � The Moon � by P.B. Shelley is rich in the notes of romanticism as rainbow is rich in colors. Shelley is one of the greatest romantic poets of his time. Tinged in romanticism from beginning to end, the poem is a romantic portrait of the moon with some realistic colors. In the imagination of the poet P.B. Shelley , the moon is �a dying lady, thin and pale� who is in quest of a true lover across the blue domain of the sky. Imagination beyond measure is an inseparable part of romanticism. The weariness of the moon due to her daily monotonous affair of �climbing the heaven and gazing at the earth� expresses her longing for escape that too is a romantic theme. So the poem � The Moon � is, no doubt, romantic to the core. Romanticism and realism have been harmoniously blended in the poetic treatment of the moon.     Click here for more notes on The Moon  Click here for more English literature notes    

Percy Bysshe Shelley has made romanticism felt through two different tones and notes as well as two different comparisons in the both stanzas of the poem � The Moon �. In the first stanza, the comparison is in between the rising moon and a dying lady, �lean and pale�. This comparison attributes a realistic dimension to the poem. In the second stanza, the moon is compared to a lonely damsel in search of a true and constant lover. The existence of the �weary� moon in the blue regime of the universe is as dull as the �joyless eye�. This comparison adds to the romantic yet melancholy mood of the poem. Though in contrast to each other, the two comparisons are the highlights of P.B. Shelley �s romanticism in � The Moon �.        Click here for more English literature notes    

P.B. Shelley has depicted the weariness and loneliness of the moon through the comparison between the moon and a damsel in the poem � The Moo n �. The damsel is lonely in quest of a true constant lover. Likewise, the moon is lonely during her journey across the blue domain despite being surrounded by thousands of stars. The damsel is weary because of her unending search for a companion. Similarly, the moon is weary because of her monotonous daily duty of climbing the heaven and gazing on the moon. The poet has accentuated the weariness and loneliness of the moon by personifying it with the human emotions, perceptible in the case of the damsel.  Click here for more English literature notes