English Notes Latest Questions

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The final stanza of the poem Kubla Khan by ST Coleridge is about the willing suspension of disbelief. The poet sees in the dream, a damsel (a virgin girl) with dulcimer (a musical instrument) who belongs to Abyssinia (She is Black) and is playing for Mount Abora.  According to the poet, the symphonyRead more

    The final stanza of the poem Kubla Khan by ST Coleridge is about the willing suspension of disbelief. The poet sees in the dream, a damsel (a virgin girl) with dulcimer (a musical instrument) who belongs to Abyssinia (She is Black) and is playing for Mount Abora. 

    According to the poet, the symphony and song of her musical instrument are so charming that he desires to revive it in himself. And using it he would be able to build Kubla Khan’s dome in the air (i.e.in imaginations) that will have those caves of ice.

    Those who would see him building imaginations will cry that he has drunk the milk of paradise i.e. he has achieved the supreme happiness that an ordinary person cannot achieve. The lines are quite symbolic as they depict the power of imaginations and how a poet can achieve anything in them.

    Read the summary of the poem Kubla Khan here.

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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Candida is the eponymous protagonist of the play Candida by GB Shaw. The word Candid means frank and so she is. Right from the beginning, we can understand how caring and wise she is. In scene 1, she comes to her own home from her parents’ home to take children’s winter clothes. Finding everything iRead more

    Candida is the eponymous protagonist of the play Candida by GB Shaw. The word Candid means frank and so she is. Right from the beginning, we can understand how caring and wise she is. In scene 1, she comes to her own home from her parents’ home to take children’s winter clothes. Finding everything in on ordered condition, she begins arranging all the things.

    In the play she is depicted as strong which is on contrary to the traditional belief that men are strong and bold and women are weak. In this way, the play questions the discrimination with the women on the basis of gender.

    Shaw has tried to change the gender roles to show the strength of woman. James Morell, Candida’s husband is a clergyman who considers himself to be ideal husband because he believes that Candida is dependent on him. But later on it becomes clear that Candida is not dependent on him. She can sustain herself and has ample of other opportunities (like marrying Eugene Marchbanks).

    During the auction scene, it is Candida who decides to live with James and not because she cannot live without him but because he cannot live without her.

    On the other hand, James Morell is weaker and less wise than Candida. He is totally dependent on her and cannot live without her. As an emancipated or new woman, Candida can be considered to be the ideal of Victorian Era.

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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poem Looking for a Cousin on a Swing by AK Ramanujan is about an immature sexual encounter of the poet with his cousin and her desire for the same after she becomes adult and mature. During their childhood, they came into contact with each other physically on a swing in the village and the girlRead more

    The poem Looking for a Cousin on a Swing by AK Ramanujan is about an immature sexual encounter of the poet with his cousin and her desire for the same after she becomes adult and mature. During their childhood, they came into contact with each other physically on a swing in the village and the girl felt the poet and was sexually aroused.

    The poet then cites the example of a fig tree to symbolise their immature love like that of Adam and Eve yet they were innocent about it. After growing up, his cousin memorises that sexual encounter and desires to achieve it in the city. Being quite lustful she is ready to submit herself to anyone who would touch her genitals and also have sex with her.

    The poem is quite symbolic. The poet here is critical of the rites and rituals of his community. Love and marriage between cousins are not allowed in Hinduism and because of this poet and his cousin probably separated. Whether she is married or not, it is not clear. However it quite known in the poem that her sexual desires have not been fulfilled.

    She is longing for that immature touch of the poet and those pleasurable feelings of the swing. Being thirsty for sex for long, she is now ready to submit to anyone who would give her pleasure and fertilize her.

    Read the summary of this poem here.

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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    "Blowin’ in the Wind" written by Bob Dylan is a protest song which raises rhetorical questions about peace, war and freedom. Bob Dylan believes that the answers are there, however, no one dares to find them. It deals with the ill effects of the Civil Rights Movement during the Vietnam War. Dylan wasRead more

    “Blowin’ in the Wind” written by Bob Dylan is a protest song which raises rhetorical questions about peace, war and freedom. Bob Dylan believes that the answers are there, however, no one dares to find them.

    It deals with the ill effects of the Civil Rights Movement during the Vietnam War. Dylan was the views that the government focuses on war and ignores the violation of African Americans.

    Read the summary of the poem here.

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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The moral lesson of the story The Fence by Jose Garcia Villa is the importance of forgetting the past and forgiving others. Forgiveness is a way to the reconciliation of differences. On the other hand, hatred keeps the fire of revenge and angriness live. The lesson of the story is that our decisionsRead more

    The moral lesson of the story The Fence by Jose Garcia Villa is the importance of forgetting the past and forgiving others. Forgiveness is a way to the reconciliation of differences. On the other hand, hatred keeps the fire of revenge and angriness live.

    The lesson of the story is that our decisions and actions have profound and long-lasting impacts & it is not good to carry ill will when those consequences and impacts are disastrous.

    Committing mistakes is an integral part of Human’s life and to forgive these mistakes and errors makes a person a good human and also gives one opportunity to repent his mistake. If we learn to forgive one another it will make our relations strong and also build trust.

    Read the summary of The Fence by Jose Garcia Villa here.

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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    1. Celebrating Indigenous Judicial System “God Lives In The Panch” was during the rule of Britishers in India. In this story, author is criticising the judicial system of the Britishers saying that Indians already had a rural judicial system (Panchayat) where impartial enquiry and judgments are alreRead more

    1. Celebrating Indigenous Judicial System
    “God Lives In The Panch” was during the rule of Britishers in India. In this story, author is criticising the judicial system of the Britishers saying that Indians already had a rural judicial system (Panchayat) where impartial enquiry and judgments are already prevalent. When one is appointed as a Panch or as the head of the Panch, he forgets his earthly ties and gives judgement in accordance with the norms of morality, legality and ethics.

    2. Friendship & Property Disputes
    The short-story also deals with themes of friendship between Jumman Sheikh and Alagu Chowdhari and property disputes between them. Through these multiple themes, author is trying to present different facets of India but what he intends to champion primarily in this short story is the role of the Head-Panch in a Panchayati system and his responsibilities.

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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poem "Loss of India" by Zulfikar Ghose is about the dark side of the Independence of India. The poet was born in Mumbai, India but migrated to Pakistan during the partition. Immediately after the independence, the country was divided into India and Pakistan followed by bloody communal riots betwRead more

    The poem “Loss of India” by Zulfikar Ghose is about the dark side of the Independence of India. The poet was born in Mumbai, India but migrated to Pakistan during the partition. Immediately after the independence, the country was divided into India and Pakistan followed by bloody communal riots between Hindus and Muslims.

    The main theme of the poem is that we are still slaves though we celebrate independence day. As soon as the British left, the greedy leaders left no stone unturned to grab the power. Mahatma Gandhi – the symbol of peace, was killed by Godse – a Hindu terrorist.

    Read the summary of the poem here.

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