English Literature

The atmosphere is one of the distinct characteristics of the poem Lord Ullin�s Daughter . The poem starts with an agitated atmosphere that arrests our attention. A chieftain of the highlands rushes to the seashore with his beloved and orders a boatman to row them across the sea without delay. He promises to give the boatman a silver pound. The chieftain�s restlessness and anxiety are evident here, though why he is in a hurry is not clear. It arouses the boatman�s curiosity to know who they are. Then the chieftain introduces himself as the chief of Ulva Isle and his beloved as Lord Ullin�s daughter. Expressing his anxiety the chieftain tells the boatman in a troubled voice that they have been on the run for three days to escape the wrath of her father. Adding to his agitation and the upset atmosphere are Lord Ullin�s horsemen chasing the love birds. The chieftain keeps worrying over the thought that if he is slain, what will become of his boney bride. He is being chased by Lord Ullin�s...

The poem � The Lake Isle of Innisfree � is a collage of visual and sound images which are expressive of the poet W.B. Yeats � yearning to stay close to nature. �Small cabin�.of clay and wattles� �nine bean-rows�, �honey-bee�, �bee-loud glade�, �midnight�s all a glimmer�, �moon a purple glow�, and �lake water lapping� are the prominent visual images in the poem. These visually appealing images are used to reflect the peaceful, soothing natural ambience of the place of Innisfree. The palette of sound images includes �linnet�s wings�, �cricket sings� and �lake water lapping with low sounds�. These sound images are carefully chosen to reflect the musical ambience of Innisfree.   

The place of Innisfree is close to W.B. Yeats � heart for several reasons � natural beauty, pleasant environment, soothing ambience and peaceful surrounding. Innisfree is amidst natural artifices. The place appeals to the poet�s heart since it is very close to nature. Days and nights are cozy there. The place is abuzz with the music of crickets and linnets. Silence and peacefulness are nearly synonymous. A place that is free of noise is supposed to be peaceful. However, the silent and placid ambience of Innisfree is eloquent with the music of linnets and crickets. Such music is pleasant to the poet in the place far from the madding crowd.                  

Chandara is the protagonist in the story �Punishment� written by Rabindranath Tagore. In most of his short stories, dramas and novels, the protagonist is a female character. For instance, Ratan in �The Postmaster�, Nirupama in �Dena Paona�, and Binodini in �Chokher Bali� are a few to name among the most famous protagonists created by the Bard of Bengal. In the story � Punishment �, the plot of the story revolves around Chandara and her intentional acceptance of punishment. The character of Chandara is an embodiment of self esteem, a true characteristic of human beings. In rural backwaters, women depend on their men in all aspects. They take their duty for husbands and children as the only reason to live on. Unlike those rural women, Chandara is conscious of her existence as an independent being.  She does not let her husband control her. She does not hesitate to quarrel with husband�s sister-in-law; she does not mind the unjust restrictions imposed on her by her husband; she does n...

The Golden World refers to the Forest of Arden which represents the Conventional pastoral world without any artificial idealization of its unalloyed bliss. In this idyllic region, the passage of time is not measured by minutes or seconds, and therefore hours of worries and anxieties do not trouble one. Here as life is not burdened with duty, nor fraught with toil and moil, all spend their time happily and freely in a state of fanciful idleness. Life in the Forest of Arden away from evils and envy, intrigues and iniquities at court is in harmony with nature. In As You Like It , the Forest of Arden with its natural artifices is a haven of ease and contentment, peace and rest to Duke Senior who seeks pleasure even out of the bowl of melancholy and believes: Life exempt from public haunt Find tongues in trees, books, in running brooks Sermons in stones, and good in everything. The Forest of Arden is free from the disgraces of reality like corruption, war, strife and avarice but cannot brea...

The cunning frog pressurized the nightingale to practice more and longer in order to improve the tonal quality of her voice, by taking advantage of the bird�s innocence. He also set his eyes on better billings by making a show of her performance. The foolish bird danced to the tune of her master and lost the sweetness of her voice due to long hour of practice. The hoarse and quivering voice began to leave the audience annoyed and tired. To see a dip in ticket sales, the frog teased her as �brainless bird� and instructed her to puff her lungs out of passion. One day a vein burst due to excessive stress on the lungs, and the poor bird died .        

The frog was cunning, greedy and jealous of the nightingale. To stay unrivalled in the Bingle Bog, he deliberately chalked out a plan and executed it smartly to cause the bird�s death. The frog presented himself as a noble critic and advised her to get trained by him. Flattered by the frog the bird began to practice for long hours and could not see through his trick. The frog insisted on practice for long hours to improve her tonal quality, and the bird danced to his tune. Consequently, her voice became hoarse and lost its charm. She became pale and sad. One day a vein burst due to excessive stress on her lungs during practice, and the poor bird died. Thus the frog drove the innocent nightingale to death. The bird herself is responsible for her death. She was not confident of her talent. She believed in the frog more than in herself, and followed his instructions blindly.  For more notes on this poem, contact me at writeurown@gmail.com