Dr.M.Mazumdar

Fifteen Years by R.K. Narayan R. K. Narayan (1906-2001) was born and grown up in a period when English education was already institutionalised in the Indian Sub-continent. Like other Indian writers in English then, such as Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand, he received English education and used to write in English from the beginning of his literary career up to the end. However, he is seen to have used the English language and literary form to scrutinise colonialism and depict the Indian society continually under change due to the colonial rule and post colonial times. Fifteen Years is a humorous essay by Narayan who which is blended with wit and thoughts. In the essay, he points out humorously how it is not possible to banish English from India. He presents his arguments in the form of a dialogue between two characters. One is English language personified as a woman and the other is a judge who opposes English language and wants to banish English from India. In this essay the author points...

The Last Leaf was first published in The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories written by O Henry. Sue and Johnsy are two young female artists who share a studio apartment in the neighborhood of New York City. A pneumonia outbreak is spreading across the city and Johnsy is one of its victims. Concerned about her condition, her doctor and her copanion Sue convene in the hallway outside the apartment to discuss it privately. The doctor gives Johnsy a one-in-ten chance of survival. Those odds he says are only, if Johnsy has the will to live, which he believes she does not. He asks if anything weighs on Johnsy’s mind and Sue tells him that Johnsy wants one day to paint the Bay of Naples. The doctor ridicules the idea, he suggests that her reason for living should be something more serious and important than art. Sue tells him that “there is nothing of the kind” to report. After the doctor leaves, Sue cries hard into a napkin alone. She composes herself before entering the room where Johnsy rests....

An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb. An adverb usually modifies by telling how, when, where, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. An adverb is often formed by adding -ly to an adjective. The different types of adverbs are: Adverbs of manner Adverbs of time Adverbs of place Adverbs of frequency Adverbs of degree Conjunctive adverbs Exercise 1. The desk is made of an especially corrosion-resistant industrial steel. 2. The power company uses huge generators which are generally turned by steam turbines. 3. Jaime won the race, because he ran quickly. 4. This fence was installed sloppily. It needs to be redone. 5. Suzanne sang loudly (loudly modifies the verb sang, indicating the manner of singing) 6. We left it here (here modifies the verb phrase left it, indicating place) 7. I worked yesterday (yesterday modifies the verb worked, indicating time) 8. You often make mistakes (often modifies the verb phrase make mistakes, indicating frequency) 9. ...

1. The Writer: Guy de Maupassant (1850 - 1893) was a French naturalist writer of short stories and novels who is by general agreement considered the greatest French short-story writer. Maupassant’s mother, Laure sent her son to make acquaintance with Flaubert at Croisset in 1867. When he returned to Paris after the war, she asked Flaubert to keep an eye on him. This was the beginning of the apprenticeship that was the making of Maupassant the writer. With Boule de suif published, Maupassant found himself in demand from the world of Publications. 2. The Piece of String      "A Piece of String" is a short story written by Guy de Maupassant, and it was originally published in 1883. In this story, the protagonist a man named Maitre Hauchecome is accused of a crime he did not commit. It reveals how misunderstanding and trivial detail can ruin a person's reputation      There are several themes from Guy de Maupassant's short story "A Piece of String," and some of...

English – Literature – Criticism – Literary Criticism – Literary Theory – Learning – English Literature – English Language Menu Characteristics of Restoration drama with reference to the works of Congreve Posted on August 9, 2024 by dcenglit Restoration drama: An Introduction The Restoration period in English history spanned from 1660 to 1688. With the restoration of Charles II, this era brought about a revival in literature and theatre. Restoration drama is characterized by its wit, social satire, complex plots and intrigues, emergence of professional actresses, relaxation of moral and social codes, changes in visual spectacle of theatre such as elaborate sets, lavish costumes, and introduction of movable scenery. So the Restoration drama plays an influential role in the history of English theatre. The playwrights like Congreve, and Wycherley made significant contributions to this genre. William Congreve: Restoration dramatist William Congreve (1670-1729) was a prominent English Rest...

The Restoration literary movement in English literature spans roughly from 1660 to 1700s to 1770s marked by the return of the monarchy under Charles II and the subsequent shift in literary styles from the spiritual concerns of the Puritans to a greater emphasis on wit, social realism, and classical forms. Key characteristics include the rise of comedy of manners, neoclassical poetry, and early journalism, alongside themes that reflect both the celebration and critique of the newly restored court and society.  Key Features of Restoration Literature Political and Social Context: The literature is deeply influenced by the political events of the time, particularly the restoration of the monarchy after the Puritan Republic and the subsequent Glorious Revolution. It reflects the tensions and changes in English society.  Shift in Style: There was a movement away from the fervent spirituality of the previous era toward more formal and witty writing. This involved an emphasis on neocl...

1.The Hollow Men (Poem) T. S. Eliot 1888 –1965 A penny for the Old Guy                               I We are the hollow men  We are the stuffed men  Leaning together Headpiece filled with straw. Alas! Our dried voices, when  We whisper together  Are quiet and meaningless As wind in dry grass  Or rats’ feet over broken glass In our dry cellar Shape without form, shade without colour.  Paralysed force, gesture without motion; Those who have crossed With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom Remember us—if at all—not as lost  Violent souls, but only  As the hollow men                                II Eyes I dare not meet in dreams  In death’s dream kingdom  These do not appear: There, the eyes are  Sunlight on a broken column  There, is a tree swinging And voices are  In ...

1. Summary  A:- The Darkling Thrush” is a 1901 poem by Thomas Hardy.  It describes the isolated world which the poet takes as the cause of hoplessness and sadness. Whereas, the thrush which is a song-bird referred in the poem sings a song full of hope and happiness. Listening to its song, the poet started thinking that the bird knows something very special which he doesn't know. The poem was written in the end of 19th century and describes the state of Western civilisation. The primary themes in the poem are nature's bleakness and desolation contrasting with a fragile, unexpected glimmer of hope found in the song of the thrush. Other themes include despair, the decline of the previous century, the speaker's isolation and the potential for renewal suggesting a hope for change in the face of societal and spiritual decay. The poem opens by describing a desolate winter landscape, portraying nature as barren and lifeless which mirrors the speaker's feelings of gloom and des...

The Story of a Mother by Hans Christian Andersen (1848) A MOTHER sat by her little child; she was very sad, for she feared it would die. It was quite pale, and its little eyes were closed, and sometimes it drew a heavy deep breath, almost like a sigh; and then the mother gazed more sadly than ever on the poor little creature. Some one knocked at the door, and a poor old man walked in. He was wrapped in something that looked like a great horse-cloth; and he required it truly to keep him warm, for it was cold winter; the country everywhere lay covered with snow and ice, and the wind blew so sharply that it cut one’s face. The little child had dozed off to sleep for a moment, and the mother, seeing that the old man shivered with the cold, rose and placed a small mug of beer on the stove to warm for him. The old man sat and rocked the cradle; and the mother seated herself on a chair near him, and looked at her sick child who still breathed heavily, and took hold of its little hand. “You th...

The Happy Family by Hans Christian Andersen (1848) THE largest green leaf in this country is certainly the burdock-leaf. If you hold it in front of you, it is large enough for an apron; and if you hold it over your head, it is almost as good as an umbrella, it is so wonderfully large. A burdock never grows alone; where it grows, there are many more, and it is a splendid sight; and all this splendor is good for snails. The great white snails, which grand people in olden times used to have made into fricassees; and when they had eaten them, they would say, “O, what a delicious dish!” for these people really thought them good; and these snails lived on burdock-leaves, and for them the burdock was planted. There was once an old estate where no one now lived to require snails; indeed, the owners had all died out, but the burdock still flourished; it grew over all the beds and walks of the garden—its growth had no check—till it became at last quite a forest of burdocks. Here and there stood ...