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

    The poet laments the pitiful plight of the Indians and in a way unveils the state of people were now downtrodden. They were in the clutches of the cruel British rule. Tagore expresses his vision of the characteristics of a glorious country. In a way, this is his Utopia. He dwells on the theme of notRead more

    The poet laments the pitiful plight of the Indians and in a way unveils the state of people were now downtrodden. They were in the clutches of the cruel British rule. Tagore expresses his vision of the characteristics of a glorious country. In a way, this is his Utopia.

    He dwells on the theme of not only political freedom but also spiritual freedom, freedom of mind, speech, beliefs, practices and thought. He wants to bring forth the uselessness of blind faith and strong comments on the role of logical reasoning in the prosperity of our country.

    In this poem written in pre-independence days, the poet skilfully writes about blissful heaven where people of his country will be free from prejudices and not fragmented by narrow walls.

    He sketches a moving picture of the nation he would like India to be a nation within the fold of brotherhood, a nation having no apprehensions and no fear of oppression. The poem is a reflection of the poet’s utmost faith in God to whom he pleads to guide his countrymen.

    Read the summary here.

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

    Romanticism emerged as an important movement in English Literature with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth in 1798 AD. It was a direct attack on Neoclassical Age and particularly the Industrial Revolution which resulted in mass migration to urban areas. This mass migration ledRead more

    Romanticism emerged as an important movement in English Literature with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth in 1798 AD. It was a direct attack on Neoclassical Age and particularly the Industrial Revolution which resulted in mass migration to urban areas.

    This mass migration led to a number of problems like poverty, unemployment, low wages, diseases, deaths etc. Romanticism’s main slogans were “Return back to nature” and “Art for the art’s sake”.

    The Romantic literature helped the society to appreciate the beauty of nature and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city-life.

    Imagination was the primary source of literature of that time, The works like Kubla Khan by ST Coleridge, Happy Insensibility by John Keats etc are the products of pure imagination and revolve around nature and its beauty. The Romantics brought to light the suffering of the people to light through their works.

    In addition the writers of the age also quested for God. Coleridge’s “willing suspension of disbelief” made to people to give up their rationality and live in the world of imaginations.

    Read about:

    1. Features of Romantic Poetry
    2. Features of Romantic Prose
    3. Romantic Criticism
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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Charles Dickens is one of the significant novelist of the Victorian Age. Most of his novels were published in the newspapers and magazines in the form of series or episodes. This is why each unit of any of his novels is a complete story in itself. Being born in middle class, his novels reflect the lRead more

    Charles Dickens is one of the significant novelist of the Victorian Age. Most of his novels were published in the newspapers and magazines in the form of series or episodes. This is why each unit of any of his novels is a complete story in itself. Being born in middle class, his novels reflect the life style of his society.

    His novels can be categorised intro:

    1. Comics
    2. Histories
    3. Sentimental Fictions
    4. Social Fictions

    Following are the main features that make Charles Dickens as one of the prominent novelist of his time.

    • Autobiographical Nature; Most of his novels like “Great Expectations“, “A Tale of Two Cities”, “Oliver Twist” have ample of autobiographical elements that reflect the life history of the novelist.
    • Adventure: Adventure is of the primary feature of most of his novels. e.g. In Great Expectations, Pip leads an adventurous life. A number of situations arise a sense of fear, excitement and compassion among the audience and readers.
    • Humour: Comic elements are present in most of his plays. His first novel Pickwick Papers is considered to be the one of the best humorous novels in English Language.
    • Satire: The social novels of Charles Dickens have satirical elements. These novels depict the real picture of Victorian society and also the influence of industrial revolution.
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In:
  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poem The Express by Stephen Spender is an example of new romantic poetry which is quite different from the traditional Romanticism. In the poem, rather than going back to nature (as Romantics like Wordsworth or Keats did), the poet appreciates the running of an Express Train which is the symbolRead more

    The poem The Express by Stephen Spender is an example of new romantic poetry which is quite different from the traditional Romanticism. In the poem, rather than going back to nature (as Romantics like Wordsworth or Keats did), the poet appreciates the running of an Express Train which is the symbol of Industrial Revolution.

    The poet begins with train’s leaving the station like a queen and moves through villages where fields, houses and graveyards surround the track. The train here is presented as joyful and happy which is again a direct attack on Romanticism which presented Industrial Revolution calling it the root cause of all the miseries.

    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

    In Final Solutions by Mahesh Dattani, Ramanik is a secular minded person who believes in communal harmony among different communities. In past his father and grandfather had burnt the shop of a muslim family and began their own business on that place. Ramanik tries to reparate for the blunders doneRead more

    In Final Solutions by Mahesh Dattani, Ramanik is a secular minded person who believes in communal harmony among different communities. In past his father and grandfather had burnt the shop of a muslim family and began their own business on that place.

    Ramanik tries to reparate for the blunders done by his forefather. When Babban and Javed enter his house, he tries to protect them from Hindu Mob. He is abused by the people of his community for giving shelter to Muslims. Even stones are thrown at his house. However he does not let them do any harm to Babban and Javed.

    Javed remains quite harsh to Ramanik and even scolds him for what his community is doing. However, Ramanik remains calm and quiet and even offers him job in his shop. The sense of guilt does not vanish away from his mind and ultimately in the end he hates his shop and drops the idea of visiting it again.

    Read the summary of play here.

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

    Othello by Shakespeare is interwoven with various themes that make the text more interesting and. Shakespeare has skilfully employed these themes that provide a strong structure and base to the story. Adultery Adultery is an underlying theme throughout the story. The female protagonist of the play iRead more

    Othello by Shakespeare is interwoven with various themes that make the text more interesting and. Shakespeare has skilfully employed these themes that provide a strong structure and base to the story.

    Adultery

    Adultery is an underlying theme throughout the story. The female protagonist of the play is wrongly accused of committing adultery. She receives cruel treatment from Othello, her husband and her character is put under suspicion from the very beginning of the story.

    Race

    Othello is one of the most initial black heroes. He rises to power in a white people dominated society and ultimately gets caught in a web created by their trickeries. Othello is treated in a condescending manner by his wife’s father who believes that such a racially different marriage can only be a result of witchcraft and trickery.

    Gender

    Antagonistic treatment of women highlights the gender biased society of that time. A woman like Desdemona is entirely helpless irrespective of her numerous efforts to prove her innocence. Women are treated with cruelty and hostility throughout the story.

    Manipulation

    This is the most major theme of the story as the play revolves around the manipulation of almost all character of the story. Othello is manipulated to the extent of killing his own wife. Rodrigo, too, falls victim to manipulation. Secondary characters like Emilia are also influenced to contribute to the tragic ending of the story.

    Jealousy

    Theme of Jealousy also plays an important role in the play. Rodrigo, who wanted to marry Desdemona, gets jealous of Othello and desires to kill Othello. Iago is also angry with Othello because he has promoted Cassio above him and he is jealous of it. Othello becomes jealous of Cassio when he mistakes him to be in affair with his wife.

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

    To India My Native Land by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio is a patriotic poem in which the poet celebrates the glory which India had in past and laments her capture and slavery in the hands of British. The theme of the poet revolves around these two facts only. The poet gives an insight into the past ofRead more

    To India My Native Land by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio is a patriotic poem in which the poet celebrates the glory which India had in past and laments her capture and slavery in the hands of British. The theme of the poet revolves around these two facts only.

    The poet gives an insight into the past of India in which she enjoyed the freedom and the status of deity. The poets used to sing for her. After the British came, the enslaved India. Her wings were captured and thus she lost her freedom.

    The poet desires to go back into the past and bring the glory of country back i.e. he wants to free India from the slavery of British.

    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 poem "Hunger" by Jayanta Mahapatra is about a small incident which happened in the life of the poet. The poet explains his journey via boat on which the sailor offers his daughter to him for sex so that he may get money in return to feed himself and his daughter. The poet uses ample of images toRead more

    The poem “Hunger” by Jayanta Mahapatra is about a small incident which happened in the life of the poet. The poet explains his journey via boat on which the sailor offers his daughter to him for sex so that he may get money in return to feed himself and his daughter.

    The poet uses ample of images to describe the incident. He expresses his sexual hunger as flesh which was heavy on my back. He describes the sailor’s greed, need and and appearance with words like trailing his nets and his nerves, white bone thrash his eyes, his body clawed at the froth, father’s exhausted wile

    His restlessness is described as mind thumping in the flesh’s sling, Silence gripped my sleeves, sky fell on me and the surroundings are full of flickering dark

    Finally he describes the girl as Long and lean, her years cold as rubber, wormy legs.

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