LitAide

The poem begins the beginning of a journey, sort of a "pilgrimage". Everyone in the group is so devout and optimistic about the journey. They are vigorous in their pursuit and their energy dwarfs every minor issues and "burdens". After getting through the initial steps, they faced some real hassles or difficulties but it didn't push them. But at that point, the scorching sun played with them and it was also symbolized that the further issues wouldn't be soft on them. Their potential strength is being tested by nature. The narrator reckoned that they had worked out quite well till the time. He and his group learnt a lot from the hurdles of this enterprise and they observed and made notes on the ways of peasants of the regions and their modus operandi. They also kept their eye on agents of both goodness and evil. "Surpants" is an allegory of evil people whereas "goats" represent good people. They crossed three cities where a renowned sage h...

Meursault is the chief protagonist of the Albert Camus's The Stranger. He is bit taciturn and passive about the life's events. Neither life's joyous moments like marriage proposals nor devastating events like mother's death lead to either breakdown or ecstatic for him. In other words, when he gets the news of his mother's death, he doesn't lost his nerves and just want to finish the funeral ceremonies and return to his work. He keeps thinking about his boss's opinion about him taking a leave on this serious business. Marie's proposal to him too produces no jubilant response from him. In fact, marriage is not important to him. He responds to her that he could marry if it gives her happiness. Such is his queer personality. Till he murder of the Arab, he is just a silent spectator moving on his life without any future wishes. We don't find him nurturing any dream nor he has any ambitions. In spite of the novel narrated in the first person by Meursault...

I recently read this novel by Albert Camus, a Nobel laureate for Literature. The novel tells the story of a young man named Meursault, a queer fellow whose detachment from the outside world paves the way for his undoing. The story narrated in the first person by Meursault gives the readers the complete picture of his psyche of which others are ignorant. Yet we are still unsure about his rationale behind the shooting the Arab against whom he doesn't have any personal enmity. Another bewildering fact is his shooting him four times. We don't know if this cruel act is done unintentionally due to the extreme heat of the day. These questions still remain. His indifference or we can say pragmatism, especially in dealing with the events after her mother's demise carves his destiny later. Before her death, she lived in an Old Age Home. Although Meursault had a job and enough space to keep her with him but as he is a young man, it is difficult to hold a conversation with her. It is ...

Nissim Ezekiel is obviously satirizing not only Indian people's eccentricities and strange habits but also their unnecessary flaunting of the English language. Here we see a farewell addressing of a fellow who is poor in speaking English yet he blatantly breaks the linguistic rules and moulds the language to express what he wants to convey. The colloquial style suits the purpose. He makes so many mistakes and sometimes the interpretation alters in a humorous manner but we can clearly comprehend his good intentions and gratefulness. The speaker delivers an adieu speech in honour of Miss Pushpa T.S who is leaving abroad in a couple of days. He praises her and expresses his gratitude for the favours she had done to him and others. He lauds her both internal goodness as well as external demeanour. Her policy of saying no to others is commended. He ends his speech by wishing her adieu and asks for other speakers to speak and in the end, Miss Pushpa herself will "do summing up"...

Nissim Ezekiel, known as the father of modern Indian English poetry, wrote "The Patriot" in an Indianized English. The poem doesn't seem British in style and diction. In fact, there are a lot of Hindustani words used in the poem to give a native and humorous taste. It can be said that it is written keeping in mind of the English-speaking Indians. The poem satirizes Indian conventions yet the narrator is ready to embrace Indian culture and its diversity. The narrator hails and supports the Gandhian principles of peace and non-violence. He is fed up of all "fightings" (conflicts) sprouting in the world. He criticizes people who ignore Mahatma Gandhi and his principles. The narrator then proclaims the "Ancient Indian wisdom" and its authenticity. He takes a jibe at the modern generation's tendencies featuring nothing but excessive flaunting of fashion and imported items. He reveals that he reads Times of India to improve his English language skill...

The poem "Aftermath" is penned by Sylvia Plath. The narrator describes a accident scene where crowd assemble to watch what's going on in the house where a calamity occured. They stare and roam there to get a preview on the inside. They are so occupied with the thoughts of getting real-time updates as if their own house is on the fire. They predict that "some scandal" i.e. something bad might happen in the house. Their only concern to take a look at what happens. "Smoke-choked closet" refers to some secret or private thing. People in the crowd are keen to receive such information. Their contention is not with someone's well-being. The narrator compares them with "hunters after an old meat/ Blood-spoor of the austere tragedies", in other words, these people care and trail hot or sensational news. They are like scavengers, sufficing their appetite on dead. In the next stanza, the narrator refers a lady named "Mother Medea"...

The narrator notices a crow at his window, cawing exactly three times. It exhibits sinister look in its eyes and posture. It stares the narrator in an awkward manner like it is trying to say something to him. He compared it with "a nagging woman" who dominates with her personality and voice wherever she goes. The crow's cawing of exact three times hints the narrator that a visitor is going to come over his house. In Indian culture, there is a belief that a crow's arrival marks the arrival of a guest. Believing it, this knowledge of a coming visitor keeps looming in his head while sleeping. He begins to prepare his house to make way for a visitor. The idea of having a guest prevents him to be attentive to his "muddy clothes". He knows that he will have to compromise on his own terms with the choices or preferences of the guest. The narrator waits all day for his upcoming visitor. He thinks about the belief and wonders if the visitor would be "an angel in...

The recent verdict of the Supreme Court in India struck off Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with Adultery. It reminds me of a famed novel of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" which also narrates the story of a woman who committed Adultery. Hawthorne's novel puts the limelight on the life of Hester prynne who is convicted of adultery and given the punishment of carrying the mark of her sin. The legal system resonates with the Puritan overview of Boston in the eighteenth century, deriving the crime as grave and eager to set an example out of her sentence. They make her stand on Scaffold to show townsmen the committer of the "heinous" crime. But, in spite of her criticism from all strata of people, we find that the narrative or Hawthorne's voice takes pity on her and her crime. His story-telling takes a soft stance on her and even. He through the character of Dimmesdale who was equally a partner of Hester in adultery. The follo...

This poem written by Wordsworth brings a story of an old Huntsman dealing with old age and absence of everything he possessed in his prime days. He was gifted with great physique and speed. But in his later life, he lost not only his youth but fame, friends, animals and resources. The narrator narrates his story and describe his encounter with the old man and aiding him and earning his praise and gratitude Explanation In the town of Cardigan, an old Huntsman lived for thirty-five years. He was a successful Huntsman in his time. His physique too was tall which diminished with time and now he is an old "little man". His countenance is still "red as a ripe of cherry" showing the image of his past awesomeness. He was a productive Huntsman who never had to take agriculture work to support him. His magnificence ruled the vicinity. His horn's halloo (sound) echoed throughout hills and valleys, instructing his hounds in their pursuit of the hunt. Simon was the fi...

The sonnet is one of the 108 sonnets and 11 songs published in the sonnet sequence of "Astrophel and Stella" by Philip Sidney. It is a love poem depicting the narrator's unfulfilled love and his issue of writer's block i.e he is not able to produce new work. Rhyme scheme: Petrarchan (abbaabba cdecde) Astrophel wants to show his true love for Stella in his verse. His love might give pleasure to Stella as women love to torment their lovers. When Stella gets pleasure in Astrophel's love, she might also come to understand his love for her. He believes that this knowledge might evoke pity in her heart for him and she might recognize and reciprocate him with love too. Astrophel is in search of the right words to describe his innermost sad emotions. Moreover, he reads the works of literary masters to get inspiration, so that he can entertain his beloved with his verse (poetry). But all his toil generates no ideas in his mind. He feels helpless due to his inability to ...

The sonnet is penned by Philip Sidney in his sonnet sequence " Astrophel and Stella ". The poem presents the tussle between Astrophel's reasoning and emotion (passion). His heart (emotional side) wants to resign before the ruthless and "vain love". He requests his virtue to take rest and leave him at love's mercy and oppression. He urges virtue to use its sceptre (a royal stick) i.e. correction measure in schools or churches which is well suited for its purpose. Astrophel confesses that he has done a wrong by falling in love with Stella. His couldn't deny its charges because he can't stand against virtue's power. He can convince virtue with the little "reason that is left" in him about his feelings. He believes he can show "true a deity" which resides in his heart and even virtue would also fall in love with Stella. This love sonnet shows the contention of the narrator against love. It's an internal fight inside his mind. ...

Keats reveals that in his journey, he has travelled in some of the most prominent and prosperous cities and kingdoms of the world. There, he also meets many poets who have the grace of Apollo, the Greek god of music and poetic inspiration. He has heard that the great poet, Homer, author of Odyssey and Iliad resided in this great land (ancient Greece). Keats couldn't believe if this land belonged to the bard. It doesn't have "pure serene". Only when he read George Chapman's translation of Homer's work, he comes to imagine the glory of the work and the ancient place which it represents. George Chapman was a 16th-century playwright and a translator. His realization is just like an astronomer when he discovers a new planet. He resembles himself like Hernan Cortez (establisher of Mexico city) when he first envisages a land beyond the Pacific and take a brave step in seeking this land and afterwards this land hosts people from other lands. Keats' fascination...

The poem narrates the story of a newly-wedded bride in her own words who tells about the incidents of her wedding night and the following day. The wind blew heavily that day and the next day witnessed too the same weathering phenomenon. This blowing of the wind symbolises the passion arisen in the heart of the bride. On her wedding night, she is with her husband and then someone knocks the door to call her husband and he leaves his bride alone in the light of "candlestick". It is raining and she felt stupid upon his husband's act of leaving her alone on their wedding night. After his return, he tells her the reason for his departure i.e. their horses were growing restless and he had to tame them. She sarcastically feels that on her special day, every man and creature should be as happy as her husband. For any girl, the wedding is the most special and anticipated day of her life. She wishes to love her husband and receive the same in return. The next day, the newly-wed...

"Church Going" is written by Philip Larkin, a Movement poet. He was a prominent English literary figure of the second half of the twentieth century. In this poem, the poet wrote about the disillusionment of the church and its calming mysterious atmosphere despite its unworthiness. Stanza 1 The narrator visits a church whenever he finds that no one is inside or nothing important is going on in the church. In other words, he wants to be alone and reflects in the church. Perhaps, people might find him there and he doesn't want them to know it. From the beginning of the poem, it seems that he is an atheist who doesn't believe in Christ, but still, he goes to the abode of the god. He describes the interior of the church and things kept there - "little books", "brownish flowers". "Another church" shows his indifferent attitude towards this holy place. An "unignorable silence" prevails there for a long time. He enters the church ...

Stanza 1 The narrator heard the sound of blowing trumpet in a ballroom. It draws his attention and he visits there to watch the show. All the dancers in the room are under the age of twenty-five. They are dancing in couples on the jubilant beat. Stanza 2 He can feel the nervousness caused by the presence of beautiful girls there. The question of entering the ballroom and attending the dance party or being out there bewilder the narrator. In the party, the presence of female sex attracts and cheers him. He points out that the couples dancing in the room are happy in their pursuit. But, at the same time, he disagrees with this thought. He found it "sheer inaccuracy". Stanza 3 One person who prefers to go to the dance party says that he is present there only for Art, a "rough-tongued bell" fascinates him. The narrator makes a point that he is also an individual and he and other people can hear the sound of that unusual bell. It can't be the sole reason for s...