English Notes Latest Questions

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  1. Gulam Mohiuddin
    Gulam Mohiuddin

    Drama, Poetry and Prose are the three main genres of literature, with each of them having multiple subgenres of their, for example: Drama Comedy Tragedy Farce etc. Poetry Narrative Poetry Lyric Poetry Prose Novel Essays Fable Short Stories Biography etc.

    Drama, Poetry and Prose are the three main genres of literature, with each of them having multiple subgenres of their, for example:

    1. Drama
      1. Comedy
      2. Tragedy
      3. Farce etc.
    2. Poetry
      1. Narrative Poetry
      2. Lyric Poetry
    3. Prose
      1. Novel
      2. Essays
      3. Fable
      4. Short Stories
      5. Biography etc.
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  1. Lucifer
    Best Answer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    In the short story When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine by Jhumpa Lahiri, Mr. Pirzada used to keep two watches with him, one on his wrist and the other in his pocket. The watch which he kept in his pocket was without a band and plain silver in colour. While the watch on his hand displayed the time of USA,Read more

    In the short story When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine by Jhumpa Lahiri, Mr. Pirzada used to keep two watches with him, one on his wrist and the other in his pocket. The watch which he kept in his pocket was without a band and plain silver in colour.

    While the watch on his hand displayed the time of USA, the other one was set to the local time in Dacca i.e. eleven hours ahead from that of USA. Lilia used to watch him.

    Lilia comes to know that he is not an Indian but Bangladeshi and his family is there. It was the time of war between Bangladesh (East Pakistan then) and West Pakistan (Pakistan now). Mr Pirzada used to watch TV every night at Lilia’s home to know what-about of his country.

    Read summary of this short story

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

    There are mainly two themes in the poem Night of the Scorpion. Superstition The poem reveals the superstitions that prevail in the Indian Society. A large number of people gather at poet’s house after coming to know that his mother is bitten by a scorpion. However, rather than taking her to hospitalRead more

    There are mainly two themes in the poem Night of the Scorpion.

    • Superstition

    The poem reveals the superstitions that prevail in the Indian Society. A large number of people gather at poet’s house after coming to know that his mother is bitten by a scorpion.

    However, rather than taking her to hospital or curing her, they begin giving their own assumptions. Some of them say that her sins will be forgiven. Some other say that she will not suffer in after rebirth. Some other begin praying for her well-being after her death.

    • Motherhood

    The poem also highlights the motherly love of poet’s mother. She is bitten by the scorpion and spends 24 hours in quite unbearable pain. However after recovering, she does not blame the scorpion and rather says thank God the scorpion picked on me and spared my children.

    Read summary of Night of the Scorpion here.

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  1. Lucifer
    Best Answer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven
    This answer was edited.

    The poem On His Blindness by John Milton is a sonnet having 14 lines (3 quatrains and 1 couplet). The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABBA ABBA CDE CDE

    The poem On His Blindness by John Milton is a sonnet having 14 lines (3 quatrains and 1 couplet). The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABBA ABBA CDE CDE

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

    Lencho, the protagonist of the short story “A Letter to God” is a poor but hard-working farmer who loses all his cropping day due to hailstorm. Having no else choice remaining, he decides to write a letter to God asking for divine help, blessing and some money to feed his family. He hoped that God wRead more

    Lencho, the protagonist of the short story “A Letter to God” is a poor but hard-working farmer who loses all his cropping day due to hailstorm. Having no else choice remaining, he decides to write a letter to God asking for divine help, blessing and some money to feed his family.

    He hoped that God will do help him and is not amazed when he receives money. On contrary he is angry with the Post-man as he thinks that he (the post-man) had stolen some of the money though in reality it was the post-man who gave him money.

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

    Problem play is a genre of drama which takes up important social issues by using arguments among the characters in the play on the stage. These characters express clashing ideas that help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own. It must be noted that inRead more

    Problem play is a genre of drama which takes up important social issues by using arguments among the characters in the play on the stage. These characters express clashing ideas that help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own.

    It must be noted that in a problem play, the playwright never gives a solution. It is left to the audience to understand the situations and bring out a solution.

    Candida by GB Shaw is a Domestic Play. The playwright takes up an issue which is prevalent in society but not discussed. It is the Woman’s Question.

    The protagonist Candida is the wife of James Morell, a famous clergyman who delivers the sermons of morality to the people. He believes that he is an ideal husband and treats his wife well and she cannot live without him.

    However, ironically Morell himself is dependent on Candida and cannot live without her. It is Candida who takes care of all his needs and even the household things. In the play, Candida is not portrayed as a helpless or a traditional “distressed damsel” but as a new woman.

    She is wiser than her husband. She knows all the weaknesses of her husband still pretends to be dependent on him. Her husband who with the intervention of Eugene Marchbanks, comes to know about his love for her, starts fearing of losing her. Being insecure and helpless, he gives choice to Candida to either live with him to go with Eugene.

    Candida being an understanding woman decides to live with him. Hence though Morell is incapable of being her husband and she secretly loves Eugene, she has to live with her husband. Thus this is not a solution. It is left to the audience to decide what would she have done and what it would have resulted.

    Read the summary of Candida here.

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

    The last scene of the play Candida holds significant role in its development. James Morells, Candida’s husband is a clergyman. Initially he thinks that Candida is dependent on her and he is an ideal person. However as soon as Eugene Marchbanks enters the plot, he begins feeling insecure. Eugene makeRead more

    The last scene of the play Candida holds significant role in its development. James Morells, Candida’s husband is a clergyman. Initially he thinks that Candida is dependent on her and he is an ideal person. However as soon as Eugene Marchbanks enters the plot, he begins feeling insecure.

    Eugene makes him realise that he is not capable of being the husband of Candida. It is Eugene himself who should have her husband. Ultimately he gives up the hope of keep Candida with himself and gives her a choice to either run away or live with him.

    Thus Candida is auctioned. This is a satire on the society. Candida, as a woman holds no significance though she is an independent woman. She then makes it clear to Morell that she will live with her because he needs her.

    In Victorian Era, due to the emergence of feminism and empowerment, the women began to question the established authority of patriarchy. In the auction scene, Candida also questions the belief that she has to depend either on Eugene or Morell.

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