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Showing posts from April, 2021

Thinking Activity: Sense of an Ending

Thinking Activity: Sense of an Ending Hello regards ! Here is my task/activity given by Dilip Barad sir head of the  English  Department  MKBU. # Brief Biography of Julian Barnes : Julian Barnes studied modern languages at Oxford before going on to work for the Oxford English Dictionary. In 1977, he began reviewing books for the New Statesman and New Review magazines, and later became a television critic. He published his first novel, Moreland, in 1980, but his first major critical success was the 1984 novel Flaubert’s Parrot, in which he explored his protagonist’s obsession with certain features of the life of 19th-century French writer Gustave Flaubert Que : Explain how through the memory of Tony Webster, Julian Barnes justifies the universal truth that ‘one cannot know what one does not know’. This novel is based on the memory of the writer (narrator). That is how the narrator recalls his past (memory) and that creates a sequence of accidents and that makes a twist in the story.  Th

Thinking Activity on Poem Ode on Solitude

Ode on Solitude Alexander Pope's poem, "Ode on Solitude", sets a very peaceful mood. The relaxed language that Pope chooses to use makes the calm, routine lifestyle of a farmer seem more appealing than usual. He focuses on the idea of using only one's own means to survive while living completely alone but he does not make it seem boring or melancholy. The various techniques that he uses, such as uniform stanzas, a predictable rhyme scheme and simple language makes it seen as if the speaker is not some poet that is trying to make it seem as if the speaker is not some poet that is trying to take on a foreign voice, describes the farmer in the same language that he would most likely use.          

Thinking Activity on Animal Farm novel

Animal Farm               Old Major, the old boar on the Manor Farm, summons the animals on the farm together for a meeting, during which he refers to humans as "enemies'' and teaches the animals a revolutionary song called " Beasts of England''. When Major dies, two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon assume command and consider it a duty to prepare for the Rebellion. The animals revolt and drive the drunken and irresponsible farmer Mr. Jones from the farm, remaining it "Animal Farm ''. They adopt the seven commandments of Animalism, the most important of which is, "All animals are equal".             Snowball teaches the animals to read and write, while Napoleon educates young puppies on the principles of Animalism. Food is plentiful, and the farm runs smoothly. The pigs elevate themselves to positions of leadership and set aside special food items, ostensibly for their personal health.           Some time later, several men attack Ani

Thinking Activity: From the Amoretti -Sonnet 75

From the Amoretti - Sonnet -75 Introduction:                        Edmund Spencer (1552 - 13 January 1599) was an English poet. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy and one of the greatest poets in the English language. He wrote a companion poem, Epithalamion, that commemorates their marriage. Critical analysis :                       Edmund Spencer's Amoretti was published in 1595 after he met and married his second wife Elizabeth Boyle. Amoretti translates as "little notes' ' or "little cupid's" and we're most likely writing about his wife. A successful love is an unusual topic for Spencer, who usually wrote sonnets about unrequited love. Amoretti, Sonnet 75 is about the ability of love to translate all boundaries; it will live on after death through his words.                       A man wrote his beloved's name in the sand, but it was washed away by the tide. He writes her name again, but as

Thinking Activity on Novel Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness                   The novella " Heart of Darkness" contains the deep title significance related with colonialism. The Heart, which is dark, clearly represents colonialism. As readers we came to know about various experiences of Marlow which contains evil practice, live cruelty, disease of starvation, frustration and domination of authority on ordinary people.                  As per the title, the importance is connected with darkness. The face can be beautiful but the heart reveals the reality of Africa. By the starting of the novel we come to know about the frustration level of people working in the company station. Their act of aimlessly blasting the rocks and then resting under the tree represents their tiredness. Marlow feels that they are suffering from the disease and the disease is 'starvation'.            In the human body, Heart is at the center and nobody can see it, but all can feel it. The same way, from outside, everything looks good an

Sunday Reading Task on poem

Sunday Reading Task *When God Is a Traveller* By Arundhati Subramaniam  (wondering about Kartikeya/ Muruga/ Subramania, my namesake)  Trust the god back from his travels, his voice wholegrain (and chamomile),  his wisdom neem, his peacock, sweaty-plumed, drowsing in the shadows.  Trust him who sits wordless on park benches listening to the cries of children fading into the dusk,  his gaze emptied of vagrancy, his heart of ownership. Trust him who has seen enough— revolutions, promises, the desperate light of shopping malls, hospital rooms, manifestos, theologies, the iron taste of blood, the great craters in the middle of love.  Trust him who no longer begrudges his brother his prize, his parents their partisanship.  Trust him whose race is run, whose journey remains, who stands fluid-stemmed knowing he is the tree that bears fruit, festive with sun.   Trust him who recognizes you— auspicious, abundant, battle-scarred, alive— and knows from where you come.  Trust the god ready to circl

Themes in The Hairy Ape

Themes in The Hairy Ape  By Eugene O'Neill  # Class conflict : The Hairy Ape is the lowest of the low on the ladder of success. Not Darwinian evolutionary success but good old - fashioned capitalist success. What happens when a mere worker comes into conflict with the ownership class? A story as old as time : the Dame upstairs even if she does have nice liberal intentions goes on about her business without paying much of a price, but the worker below responsible for the enjoyment above gets the very life beat out of him.by a hairy ape,no less! The classes come into conflict in most O'Neill plays, but not nearly to the clear point that they conflict as in this one.          # Liberalism : There are many liberals who want to engage the working class and get them what they want.perhaps even most. Then there are those like the mildred who are really not even deserving of being called a liberal. She is a capitalist pig in sheep's  clothing; an upper class wolf feedin

To his Coy Mistress poem by Andrew Marvell

      To his Coy Mistress                By Andrew Marvell Introduction :          Andrew Marvell was an English metaphysical poet, Parliamentarian and the son of a Church of England clergyman. As a metaphysical poet, he is associated with John Donne and George Herbert. He was a colleague and friend of John Milton. To His Coy Mistress is a metaphysical poem written by the British author and statesman Andrew Marvell either during or just before the interregnum. Marvell probably wrote the poem prior to serving in Oliver Cromwell's government as a minister. The poem was not published in his lifetime. Critical analysis of the poem:          " To His Coy Mistress" is divided into three stanzas or poetic paragraphs. It's spoken by a nameless man, who doesn't reveal any physical or  biographical details about himself to a nameless woman, who is also biography- less. The speaker of the poem addresses a woman who has been slow to respond to his sexual advances. In the firs

Thinking Activity Harry Potter : Worksheet

  What is webQuest ? WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which students get all information from the web. Teachers provide their students with the documents that include links to websites to use the information, according to the activity.  The purpose of using WebQuest is to encourage students to use information rather than gathering it and participate in meaningful classroom discussions. WebQuest supports critical thinking through analyzing, creating, and evaluating. Web quest: Harry Potter (Students’ Handout)  Wwyp, carry out following tasks with the help of internet search engines: 1)      Find at least three good web resources for the following topic/s. 2)      Find key arguments for the discourse on the given topic/s  3)      Note down illustrations from Harry Potter for the arguments Topics for web quest: Think critically and develop an argument on any three of the following topics. 1 ) Feminist reading of Harmione’s character in Harry Potter: How do the character portra