English Notes Latest Questions

  1. Imagery: A literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader. For example, “And nodding by the fire, take down this book” Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic mRead more

    • Imagery: A literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader. For example, “And nodding by the fire, take down this book”
    • Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings different from literal meanings. For Example, “grey and weak and full of sleep”
    • Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /n/ in “And bending down beside the glowing bars” and “And paced upon the mountains overhead”.
    • Personification: Personification is to give human characteristics to inanimate objects. For example, “Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled”, as if the love is human and it can move.
    • Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in a verse that does not come to an end at a line break; instead, it rolls over to the next line. Such as,

    “And paced upon the mountains overhead

    And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.”

    • Alliteration: A literary device that reflects repetition in two or more nearby words of initial consonant sounds. For example, the sound of /h/ in “And hid his face amid a crowd of stars”.

    When You Are Old Summary

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  1. The poet has addressed this poem to his beloved, Maud Gonne, who never reciprocated his love. The speaker of the poem dramatizes his unreturned love by giving a future warning to the girl of the present day. He tells her that when she grows old, she will get flashbacks and memories and she will regrRead more

    The poet has addressed this poem to his beloved, Maud Gonne, who never reciprocated his love. The speaker of the poem dramatizes his unreturned love by giving a future warning to the girl of the present day. He tells her that when she grows old, she will get flashbacks and memories and she will regret the rejected love. The poem is full of a lover’s passion, intense feelings, and spirituality. It conveys a message that true love is indestructible and constant.

    When You Are Old Summary

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  1. Conceit: An often unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor whose delights are more intellectual than sensual. The poet uses water as a conceit for social injustice to the lower castes. Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or sRead more

    • Conceit: An often unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor whose delights are more intellectual than sensual. The poet uses water as a conceit for social injustice to the lower castes.
    • Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
    • Personification: A poetic device where animals, plants, or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities. For example,

    The water is witness

    Water Summary

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  1. The writer recounts her childhood struggle beset with water. She condemns the state of the poor and downtrodden that are denied water. A contrasting picture is brought out where some people die without water while others are washed out by the Tsunami. She also comments on water being a bone of conteRead more

    The writer recounts her childhood struggle beset with water. She condemns the state of the poor and downtrodden that are denied water. A contrasting picture is brought out where some people die without water while others are washed out by the Tsunami. She also comments on water being a bone of contention between the states and countries. Ironically, the same violent and destructive water can sit innocently in a Bisleri bottle. The poet’s critical stance becomes more intense towards the end as she refers to a multinational market created for this unique commodity. So, water is instrumental in the struggle for equal rights and privileges.

    Water Summary

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  1. Alliteration: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. For Example, “The nymphs are not elsewhere!”Imagery: Refers to the elements of a poem that engage a reader’s senses. These are the important sights, sounds, feelings, and smells. For exaRead more

    1. Alliteration: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. For Example, “The nymphs are not elsewhere!”Imagery: Refers to the elements of a poem that engage a reader’s senses. These are the important sights, sounds, feelings, and smells. For example, “The tender sunshine leans on Verdant gardens”
    2. Personification: A poetic device where animals, plants, or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities. For example, “gentle sun”
    3. Repetition: the use of the same word or phrase multiple times. For example,

    “If we ourselves cannot be gods

    Then there can be no gods!”

     

    Heaven, If You Are Not on Earth Summary

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  1. The entire poem is divided into 3 stanzas and the first two lines appear to be distinct. The poet feels that heaven cannot be anywhere else except on earth because it is believed that heaven is supposed to be on a higher field far away from earth & it is only the blessed who can reach them. AddeRead more

    The entire poem is divided into 3 stanzas and the first two lines appear to be distinct. The poet feels that heaven cannot be anywhere else except on earth because it is believed that heaven is supposed to be on a higher field far away from earth & it is only the blessed who can reach them. Added to it, nobody who has visited heaven has come back to report the nature of it and it remains a mystery.

    That is the main reason people are advised to do good to reach heaven. The poet feels that heaven cannot be anywhere else other than on earth. He continues with the same idea & further feels that if we cannot be gods, then there can be no gods & the same with heavenly nymphs (Angles).

    Heaven, if you are not on Earth Summary

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