Often students of CBSE Class XII fail to follow the process that makes a thing of beauty a joy forever . And, CBSE has often asked why a thing of beauty is a joy forever according to John Keats .
The answer is quite clear and interesting . Look at the lines closely :-
" A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases , it will never
Pass into nothingness ; but will keep
A bower quiet for us , and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams ,and health ,and quiet breathing ."
Now, these are the opening lines of his poem 'Endymion: A Poetic Romance'.The story in the poem is of Greek origin in which Endymion ,a beautiful young shepherd and poet,gets a vision of Cynthia ,the Moon Goddess and his love unto her goes on increasing and he sets out for her quest . She appears ever more beautiful to her and her quest turns to be ever more joyful .
It is love that makes a thing of beauty a joy forever because if we love a thing it appears more beautiful to us .Beauty generates love and love generates beauty . Thus both keep on increasing and render an everlasting joy .
That's why Keats uses the word 'loveliness' in the second line . By 'loveliness' he means 'beauty generated by love '. And, how can an increasing thing pass into nothingness ? Only diminishing things can do so .
So is a thing of beauty a joy forever .
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
On 'The Laburnum Top'
This poem by Ted Hughes is important in various ways and even if we simplify our examination of this poem keeping in view class xi students of CBSE ,we cannot escape a comment on it from the feministic viewpoint .
The poem draws the picture of the autumn season in which yellowing leaves make a match with the afternoon sun of September . The autumn , the afternoon and the month of September, all indicate a decadent , sick state of affairs , without any strength or enthusiasm , all its seeds fallen . Where lies the hope ? How does the abominable silence ,suggesting lifelessness come to an end? It ends with the arrival of a goldfinch . She comes with a twitching chirrup and goes hidingly and smoothly ,suddenly and carefully to her nest to feed her youngs and the laburnum thrills with life .This shows the faith of the poet in the feminine strength .Yet ,
can the agile but delicate female force withstand the destructive onslaughts of the agents of death ?
Yes, because the activities of the goldfinch show that the feminine force is very clever and it would somehow carry through the chaotic conditions . With the identity mask and mysterious sound the goldfinch can even terrorise her predators .
The poem draws the picture of the autumn season in which yellowing leaves make a match with the afternoon sun of September . The autumn , the afternoon and the month of September, all indicate a decadent , sick state of affairs , without any strength or enthusiasm , all its seeds fallen . Where lies the hope ? How does the abominable silence ,suggesting lifelessness come to an end? It ends with the arrival of a goldfinch . She comes with a twitching chirrup and goes hidingly and smoothly ,suddenly and carefully to her nest to feed her youngs and the laburnum thrills with life .This shows the faith of the poet in the feminine strength .Yet ,
can the agile but delicate female force withstand the destructive onslaughts of the agents of death ?
Yes, because the activities of the goldfinch show that the feminine force is very clever and it would somehow carry through the chaotic conditions . With the identity mask and mysterious sound the goldfinch can even terrorise her predators .
Monday, September 20, 2010
Certificate in Business Communication in English
Those days I was interested in the corporate world and was willing to become a practising company secretary . But , I lost interest and entered the field of academics .However , after the formation of Eastern English School Private Limited , I designed a course of business communication and a few students joined it and one even successfully completed it and earned a certificate in the second division . But, soon we saw that Cambridge University launched Business English Certificate . I sat for one to see how they had done it . Theirs was not better than ours from the viewpoint of eastern countries but they attracted more students, though still not many, and through the British Library , Patna , they gave it to those who passed their exams successfully. Our company withdrew the course . But now our company is again willing to come forward with this course .The British Library has withdrawn from Patna and it may be an excellent additional certificate for commerce students .
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Eastern English School
CONCEPT
In the wake of post colonialism , it is imperative that we should come to realise the pontentials of our own English and assert it strongly as a means of communication , national and cultural unification and harmony , international understanding and global creativity . If we can digest the concept of American English , why cannot we digest the concept of Eastern English ,i.e.,English in India, Bangladesh , Pakistan , China , Nepal , Srilanka ,etc. as a distinct variety of English with peculiarities of its own ?
And if it is accepted ,can this Eastern English be allowed to take its own course and degenerate or develop into a thousand dialects and turn unintelligible to the western world ? No, English is a global language and British, American , Black, Australian or Eastern , all will have to remain intelligible to one another and thus knowingly or unknowingly contribute into the evolution of a truly global English in course of time .
Besides this, teaching of English to the students of the eastern countries in a wholesome way (making them effecient in the use of English without alienating them unto their own cultures ) is an exciting and challenging task . We gave the foundation of Eastern English School Private Limited in 1997 with this and much more in our minds , two minds are always better .
In the wake of post colonialism , it is imperative that we should come to realise the pontentials of our own English and assert it strongly as a means of communication , national and cultural unification and harmony , international understanding and global creativity . If we can digest the concept of American English , why cannot we digest the concept of Eastern English ,i.e.,English in India, Bangladesh , Pakistan , China , Nepal , Srilanka ,etc. as a distinct variety of English with peculiarities of its own ?
And if it is accepted ,can this Eastern English be allowed to take its own course and degenerate or develop into a thousand dialects and turn unintelligible to the western world ? No, English is a global language and British, American , Black, Australian or Eastern , all will have to remain intelligible to one another and thus knowingly or unknowingly contribute into the evolution of a truly global English in course of time .
Besides this, teaching of English to the students of the eastern countries in a wholesome way (making them effecient in the use of English without alienating them unto their own cultures ) is an exciting and challenging task . We gave the foundation of Eastern English School Private Limited in 1997 with this and much more in our minds , two minds are always better .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)