English Literature

IDEA OF KNOWLEDGE IN IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY Henry Newman's The Idea of a University is a landmark in the field of education. His definition of knowledge or education is truly unique. He treats it philosophically and scientifically rather than emotionally and fancifully. He does not see the subject, like Bacon, from the viewpoint of a utilitarian or pragmatic or expedient thinker. He sees it both realistically and spiritually. His main objective in defining knowledge is the enlargement of mind, the widening and cultivation of intellect and the purification of thought. Knowlwdge : according to Newman, " knowledge is a state or condition of mind". Such knowledge is the permanent attribute of mind. In this essay, Newman is of the opinion that knowledge is something which is a power. He says. "I only say that, prior to its being a power, it is a good; that it is, not only an instrument, but an end. I know well it may resolve itself in...

Concept of Liberty in "On Liberty " In 'Chapter 1' of the famous essay, "On Liberty", Mill gives a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state to impose unlimited control. Mill addresses the nature and limits of the power that can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. Mill expresses the idea of Liberty in such a way that it covers all the spheres of human life and here he means to say that without these liberties one can not be considered to be truly free. However, before justifying Mill's conception of liberty we need to know what we mean by Liberty . The word Liberty refers to the meaning of the state of being free from the excessive restrictions imposed on one's life by a powerful force. As J.G.H Cole says, "The freedom of the individual is to express without external hindrance of personality." And to Ruskin...

--> There are a few variations in English prosody. For the convenience of the readers I explain those briefly below: Spondee : When both the syllables are accented , the foot is called spondee. Ere ha ' lf / my day ' s / in this / da ' rk wo ' rld / and wi ' de Pyrrhic : When both the syllables are unaccented, the foot is called pyrrhic. Ere ha ' lf / my day ' s / in this / da ' rk wo ' rld / and wi ' de Catalectic : If at the end of a trochaic line , there is only an accented syllable , it is presumed that an unaccented syllable has been dropped. In this case the foot is called catalectic . A ' ll the / jo ' ys that / ble ' ss thee. Swee ' t-er/ fa ' r may/ be ' . Acephalous : If in the beginning of an iambic line , there is only one accented syllable, it is presumed that an unaccented syllable has been dropped. In this case the foot is called acephalous. Ha ' t...

THE TEXT Of Friendship IT HAD been hard for him that spake it to have put more truth and untruth together in few words, than in that speech, Whatsoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god. For it is most true, that a natural and secret hatred, and aversation towards society, in any man, hath somewhat of the savage beast; but it is most untrue, that it should have any character at all, of the divine nature; except it proceed, not out of a pleasure in solitude, but out of a love and desire to sequester a man�s self, for a higher conversation: such as is found to have been falsely and feignedly in some of the heathen; as Epimenides the Candian, Numa the Roman, Empedocles the Sicilian, and Apollonius of Tyana; and truly and really, in divers of the ancient hermits and holy fathers of the church. But little do men perceive what solitude is, and how far it extendeth. For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, wh...