Sweet Warrior by Edmund Spenser

 (e-Content developed by Dr N A Jarandikar)

Sweet Warrior by Edmund Spenser

About the poet: Edmund Spenser (एडमंड स्पेन्सर) is an important English poet. He belonged to the 16^th century England. At that time, Queen Elizabeth was ruling over England. So the period in history is known as the Elizabethan period (एलीझाबेदन पिरीयड). Edmund Spenser, William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe (ख्रिस्टोफर मार्लो), Ben Jonson, and Philip Sidney are the major writers of the Elizabethan period.

Edmund Spenser is considered as the first important poet of the modern English language. Spenserian stanza (स्पेन्सेरीयन स्टँझा) (स्टँझा: कडवे) and Spenserian sonnet (स्पेन्सेरीयन सॉनेट) (सॉनेट: सुनीत/१४ ओळींची कविता) are the unique gifts given by Spenser to the English language. The Faerie Queene (फेअरी क्वीन) is his longer poem dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. Amoretti (अॅमोरेटी) is his famous sonnet sequence and Epithalamion (एपिथॅलेमिअन) is an ode (ओड: कवितेचा एक प्रकार). Spenser’s both these works are addressed to his beloved and wife Elizabeth Boyle (एलिझाबेथ बॉइल).   

About the poem: “Sweet Warrior” is a poem written by Edmund Spenser. The poem is written in a sonnet form. The poem is a part of the sonnet sequence Amoretti. The poem is 57^th sonnet in the collection. The poem is addressed to his beloved Elizabeth Boyle.

The speaker in the poem addresses his beloved as “Sweet warrior” (वॉरियर: योद्धा). The speaker requests the beloved to stop the war of love. He appeals her that it is the high time to end this war. Due to continuous fight with her, his powers have become weak, and his wounds (वुन्ड्स: जखमा) have become very painful. His heart (हार्ट: हृदय) has been pierced (पिअर्स्ड: भेदणे) by thousand arrows (अॅरोज: बाण) that have been shot through her eyes. And yet she is not ready to stop this war. So according to him his beloved is very cruel (क्रुएल: निष्ठुर). He asks her “What joy do you get in defeating him”. He repeatedly asks her to stop this war so that his wounds will be healed (हील: जखम भरून येणे).

Thus in the poem, the beloved is a warrior and the lover is a defeated soldier (डिफिटेड सोल्जर: पराभूत सैनिक). The speaker is asking her not to play with him the cruel games of love. His appeal is to accept his love.

Form of the poem: There are fourteen lines in the poem, so the poem “Sweet Warrior” is a sonnet. In the Spenserian sonnet 14 lines are divided into three stanzas (08lines each) followed by a couplet (two lines). Love is a major theme of a sonnet form.

Question Bank:

1.   The poem “Sweet Warrior” is written by _____.

2.   The poem “Sweet Warrior” is in the form of _____.

3.   The poem “Sweet Warrior” is addressed to _____.

4.   The poem “Sweet Warrior” is taken from the collection _____.

5.   Edmund Spenser is ______.

6.   In the poem, _____ is addressed as “a sweet warrior”.

7.   The speaker/poet appeals his beloved _____.

8.   The speaker’s heart is torn due to thousand arrows shot through _____.

9.   According to the speaker, his beloved is _____.

10.                The speaker asks the beloved to _____ so that all his wounds will heal.

 

(Answers: 01. Edmund Spenser; 02. sonnet/Spenserian sonnet; 03. a beloved/ Elizabeth Boyle; 04. Amoretti; 05. an Elizabethan poet; 06. the beloved; 07.to end the war; 08. The beloved’s eyes; 09. Cruel; 10. make peace) 

 

 

 

Sonnet to the Moon by Sir Philip Sidney

 (e-Content developed by Dr N. A. Jarandikar)

Sonnet to the Moon

-      Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney   was born in 1554 and died in 1586. He was an English poet, scholar, soldier, and courtier. He is remembered as one of the main literary figures of the Elizabethan age. His most notable works include: Astrophel and Stella and The Defence of Poesy.

‘Sonnet 31’ is featured in Astrophil and Stella. It is a sonnet sequence that has 108 sonnets and 11 songs. Astrophil and Stella was probably written in the 1580s and it narrates the story of Astrophil and his hopeless passion for Stella. Particularly, ‘Sonnet 31’ conveys Astrophil’s thoughts while seeing the moon at night.

The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet. It has 14 lines and it is written in iambic pentameter. ‘Sonnet 31’ can be divided in an octet and a sestet and it has an ABBA ABBA CDCDEE rhyme scheme. Moreover, the poem has love and nature as the main themes. The tone is reflective.

The octet depicts the poet’s perception of the moon. The poem starts by describing how the moon rises in the sky at night. The poet personifies the moon (“O Moon, thou climb’st the skies!) and projects his own sorrows in the moon (“With how sad steps”). The poet describes the moon carefully, as an individual being: “How silently, and with how wan face!”. There is a repetition of the word “how” in order to emphasize the lyrical voice’s attention to the object that he is describing. The poet questions about the moon’s sadness, and figures that it must be because of “What, may it be that even in heav’nly place /That busy archer his sharp arrows tries” (cupid). The poet’s connection of his feelings to those of the moon is an example of a “pathetic fallacy”, where elements of nature appear to have human emotions.

The sestet presents a series of questions that are crucial to the lyrical voice. The focus of the poem shifts from the description of the moon to the poet’s reflections about love. This is the typical volta, turn, that occurs in the Petrarchan sonnet. The poet asks the moon whether, in the sky, love is treated as “want of wit”. Moreover, he asks if women are as proud as they are on earth This series of questions project problems that the poet is dealing with.

The poet is questioning and thinking about his own sentimental struggles and his relationship with Stella. He feels that love is a virtue, but it sounds like his beloved one, Stella, doesn’t feel the same way about the virtue and constant love.

 *    *    *    *    *

Full Many A Glorious Morning by William Shakespeare

 (e-Content developed by Dr N A Jarandikar)

Full Many A Glorious Morning

"Sonnet 33" is part of a group of Shakespeare's sonnets sometimes known as the "Fair Youth" sequence. The sonnet sequence consists of poems addressed to a beautiful and beloved young nobleman. The poem is dedicated to a mysterious "Mr. W.H." (whose identity remains uncertain to this day). The speaker of this sonnet is suffering from some serious disillusionment: the young man he loves has betrayed him. But the speaker is also doing his best to forgive his beloved friend. Even the almighty sun, the speaker reflects, is sometimes marred by clouds—so why should I be surprised that his lover, the sunshine of his life, has proven less than perfect, too? This complex, conflicted poem expresses both mature forgiveness and bitter disappointment.

The poet says he has been fortunate to see beautiful mornings where the sun rises over the mountaintops making them even more beautiful and appear like royalty “with sovereign eye.” The morning sun kisses the green meadows with its golden color and turns pale looking streams into the color of gold.  In the second quatrain, he says ugly clouds overshadow the sun. He is actually comparing his friend to a beautiful sun about to set.

Again comparing the friend to the sun he recalls how they shared a beautiful friendship that shone like a blessing “my sun one early morn did shine” with a splendid glow on his forehead. But unfortunately that moment he feels was very short-lived. And then he expresses hope saying that all these things do not weaken his love for the friend. Just like the sun sets and rises again or is shadowed by clouds temporarily, the same thing is happening to his friend whom he compares to a sun of heaven.

‘Sonnet 33’ by William Shakespeare is a fourteen-line sonnet that is structured in the form known as a “Shakespearean” or English sonnet. The poem is made up of three quatrains, or sets of four lines, and one concluding couplet, or set of two rhyming lines. They follow a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and are written in iambic pentameter. 

*    *    *    *    *    

Aristotle’s concept of ‘Tragedy’

 (e-Content developed by Dr N A Jarandikar)

Aristotle’s concept of ‘Tragedy’

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)  wrote the Poetics nearly a century after the greatest Greek tragedians had already died. The Poetics contains much valuable information about the origins, methods, and purposes of tragedy. In addition, Aristotle's work had an overwhelming influence on the development of drama long after it was compiled. The ideas and principles of the Poetics are reflected in the drama of the Roman Empire and dominated the composition of tragedy in western Europe during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.

In the Poetics, Aristotle compares tragedy to comedy and epic. He mentions that tragedy, like all poetry, is a kind of imitation (mimesis). However, according to him tragedy has a serious purpose and uses direct action rather than narrative to achieve its ends.

Aristotle defines tragedy in Book VI of Poetics as "an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions".

This definition makes clear much of Aristotle's arguments throughout the Poetics:

• A tragedy is the representation of human action.

• The actions represented in tragedy have serious consequences.
• The characters in tragedy are of higher social status.

• The plot of tragedy is a complete, coherent and whole.
• The language in tragedy is a mixture of different poetic meters.

• The mode of imitation in a tragedy is drama as opposed to narrative;

• Tragedy arouses pity and fear in the viewer and brings about ‘catharsis’.

According to Aristotle, the aim of tragedy is to bring about a "catharsis" of the spectators. Catharsis arouses in spectators the feelings of pity and fear. Due to catharsis the spectators leave the theatre feeling cleansed and uplifted, with a heightened understanding of the ways of gods and men.

According to Aristotle, tragedy has six main elements: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle , and song, of which the first two are primary. Most of the Poetics is devoted to analysis of these elements, with examples selected from many tragic dramas, especially those of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides.

About plot, Aristotle says that it must be a complete whole. Plot must have a definite beginning, middle, and end. The length of plot should be such that the spectators can understand the whole without any difficulty.

Since the aim of a tragedy is to arouse pity and fear through the downfall of the hero, he must be a figure with whom the audience can identify and whose fate can trigger these emotions. In addition, the hero should not offend the moral sensibilities of the spectators. The hero must be true to life.

The remainder of the Poetics is given over to examination of the other elements of tragedy and to discussion of various techniques, and devices.

*    *    *    *    *

Preface to Shakespeare

 (E-content developed by Dr N. A. Jarandikar)

“Preface to Shakespeare”

Dr Samuel Johnson’s “Preface to Shakespeare” was published in 1765. It is an important contribution to English literary criticism. Johnson was a neo-classical critic and writer, and Shakespeare is considered as the romantic writer. But Dr Johnson is completely impartial when he judges Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s Merits according to Dr Johnson: 

1.   Truthfulness to nature: According to Johnson, the fundamental necessity of artistic greatness is truthfulness to nature. This guides Johnson to make a number of observations about Shakespeare’s greatness. For instance, the characters of Shakespeare  speak in the language of everyday life. Johnson states that Shakespeare’s characters are not affected by the practices of certain places or by the incidents of short-lived trends.

2.   Blending of tragedy and comedy: Shakespeare has blended tragedy and comedy in most of his plays. Johnson defends this blending of tragic and comic on the grounds of the neoclassical theory. For the neoclassicist, art is a realistic portrayal of mankind. On this ground, one can defend Shakespeare’s exercise of blending comic and tragic elements, for such a blending shows real human life which partakes good and bad, delight and sadness. Through his plays, Shakespeare presents a world where all human efforts and activities have similar significance.

3.   Negligence of unities: Johnson supports Shakespeare’s negligence of the unities of time, place, and action. The neo-classicists emphasised the three unities. Supporting Shakespeare Johnson states that the action of his dramas is dependent on some conventions which the spectator takes gladly. For example, if the audience can accept that the person standing on the stage is Julius Caesar or Antony, then the spectators can also approve of moving scenes from one place to another.

Shakespeare’s Demerits according to Johnson:

1.   Negligence of virtue: Johnson says that Shakespeare’s biggest defect is that he abandons virtue to pleasure. According to Johnson, Shakespeare didn’t write his plays because he wanted to convey any moral purpose. Instead, he wanted to convey delight and pleasure through his plays.  Johnson also states that Shakespeare did not pay much attention to ‘poetic justice’; he develops his characters regardless of their right and wrong actions and at the end expels them casually.

2.   Loose plots: The second defect that Johnson points out about Shakespeare’s plays is the plot. Johnson’s complaint is that Shakespeare’s plots are loosely knit and if he had paid a little more attention and time, he could have improved. Johnson also implies that the end part of Shakespeare’s plays is promptly rounded off. And for this reason, the end parts of his plays do not seem as artistically ordered as their earlier sections.

3.   Anachronism: Another defect that Johnson points out about Shakespeare’s plays is an anachronism. Johnson says that in Shakespeare’s plays the conventions, ideas, and manners of one age or country are used randomly for another age or country. This creates a sense of impossibility within a play. For example, on one occasion in Shakespeare’s play, Hector quotes the words of Aristotle, which is unrealistic on a historical basis. 

4.   Shakespeare’s dialogues: Another defect that Johnson points out about Shakespeare’s plays is his dialogues. Johnson claims that the manner in which the comic characters indulge is generally gross and immoral. Because most of his characters are guilty of this, it often becomes hard to differentiate between refined characters and low characters.

5.   Shakespeare’s conceits and word-play: Johnson turns critical about Shakespeare’s tendency to use conceits and word-play. Johnson states that Shakespeare’s love for conceit and puns ruins many paragraphs which are otherwise sorrowful and warm. Shakespeare’s unrestrained love for quibbles and puns guides him to produce meaningless just as will-o-the-ship deceive a traveler. For Shakespeare his excessive love for pun proved to a fatal Cleopatra.

 

Causes of Partition of India

 (e-content developed by Dr N. A. Jarandikar)

B. A. Part II

Semester III, Paper No. IV

Partition Literature

Causes of Partition of India

1) The Independence War of 1857: The 10^th century onwards, the Muslims came to India. They came from central Asia. They came to India as soldiers and merchants. In course of time, they settled here. They lived in India for years together. Hindus and Muslims never considered each other as the rivals (प्रतिस्पर्धी). During the first war of Independence of 1857, Hindus and Muslims fought together against the British. So the British realised that if they want to rule India, they must ‘divide’ these two communities. This is how, the British made systematic efforts to separate Muslims from Hindus right from 1857.

2) The Partition of Bengal: Bengal was the largest province. The Indian independence movement was gaining momentum, particularly in Bengal. Hindus and Muslims were fighting unitedly against the British.  So the British wanted to weaken the Bengal. So the British used the policy of “Divide and Rule”. They divided Bengal on the basis of Hindu and Muslim community in 1905. As a reaction against this partition, the freedom struggle movement became very powerful. Indians used the weapon of “Swadesi” against the British. The song “Vande Mataram” became their slogan. Lal–Bal–Pal were the three pillars of this movement. British failed in separating Bengal. The partition of Bengal called back in 1911. But the British became successful in sowing the seeds of enmity between the two communities.

3) Role of Muslim League: All the Indian leaders came together under Indian National Congress. But the Muslim leaders who were loyal to the British formed a new party Muslim League in 1906. The British encouraged (प्रोत्साहित केले) the Muslim League to work against the Hindus. At first, the Muslim League demanded separate places (electorates) for Muslims in elections. It proposed the “Two-Nation Theory” for the first time. This theory later on became a basis for the partition of India. Barrister Jinnah played an important role in the Muslim League.

4) India Act 1935: As per the India Act of 1935, the British conducted elections in India. In the elections, the Congress party won majority. The Muslim League lost many seats. So the leaders of the Muslim League became upset. The Muslim League started telling people that the Muslims will always remain in minority; and they will be ignored in new India. It was a turning point in the history of India. A gap between Hindus and Muslims widened. Jinnah came to conclusion about demanding an independent nation for the Muslims.

5) Quit India Movement: During the Second World War, Gandhiji and the congress thought it as a right moment for final fight against the British. So in 1942, Gandhiji gave a call for the “Quit India Movement”. By this time, the Muslim League had confirmed the idea of not going with congress and demanding a separate Pakistan. So as a reaction against the “Quit India Movement”, the Muslim League gave a slogan “Divide and Quit”.

6) Direct Action Day: Congress made all the efforts for the freedom of united India. But Jinnah remained firm on the issue of separate Pakistan. In the elections of 1946, the Muslim League won the majority in the Muslim dominated states. It boosted the confidence of Jinnah. So for the new nation of Pakistan, Jinnah gave a final call to all the Muslims. He declared “Direct Action Day”. 16 August 1946 was observed as the Direct Action Day by the Muslim League. The Muslim League used violent steps like murders, rapes and looting on this day. After the Direct Action Day, the communal violence became terrific. Congress leaders became helpless and accepted the Partition of India.

7)  Indian Independence Act 1947: Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India prepared a draft of Indian Independence Act 1947. As per the Act, it was decided that India will be divided into two nations namely India and Pakistan. There will be East Pakistan and West Pakistan. It was decided to divide Punjab, Bengal and Assam. The areas with Hindu and Sikh majority were assigned to new India while the Muslim-majority areas were assigned for the new state of Pakistan. The boundary line was finalised by Sir Radcliffe. On the night of 14^th August, 1947 at 12 O’clock, two separate nations took birth. Thus ended the 150 years old British Raj in India. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India. Barrister Jinnah became the first Governor General of Pakistan.

*       *       *       *       *

 

Three Idiots

 (e-content developed by Dr N. A. Jarandikar)

Three Idiots

          The film ‘Three Idiots’ is based on the English novel ‘Five Point Someone’. The novel is written by Chetan Bhagat. The film is directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The film was released in 2009.

          The film deals with a story of three friends. They are Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan), Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) and Rancchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad or "Rancho"(Aamir Khan). They are the engineering students. They are studying at the Imperial College of Engineering, New Delhi. Farhan wants to become a wildlife photographer. But he joins engineering college to fulfil his father's wish. Raju is from a poor family. Rancho is from a rich family. Rancho studies for the sheer joy of it. He is not happy with the conventional education system. Due to such different attitude Prof. Viru Sahastrbuddhe or ‘Virus’ is upset with Rancho.

          According to Prof. Sahastrbuddhe Rancho is an idiot. Prof. Sahastrbuddhe likes Chatur Ramalingam. Once, Rancho makes changes in the speech of Chatur. Chatur knows nothing about Hindi and goes on speaking the faulty speech. Thus Rancho proves the uselessness of mugging up. Despite the hard work, in every exam Chatur comes second and Rancho comes first.

After some dramatic elements, Farhan and Raju adopt Rancho's outlook. Farhan decides to pursue his love of photography, while Raju decides to attend an interview for a job. However, ViruS is unsympathetic and decides to make the final exam as hard as possible. Pia, the daughter of ViruS hears him and angrily confronts him. She tells him that Viru's son and her brother was not killed in an accident but he committed suicide in front of a train because ViruS had forced him to pursue a career in engineering over his love for literature. After this, Pia tells Rancho of the exam. Rancho and Farhan steal the exam papers and give it to Raju. But Raju refuses to cheat and throws the papers away. However, ViruS catches the trio and expels them on the spot. However, they earn a pardon when Viru's pregnant elder daughter Mona Singh goes into labour. A heavy storm cuts all power and traffic. Pia instructs Rancho to deliver the baby. Rancho then delivers the baby with the help of a Vacuum extractor.

ViruS reconciles with Rancho and his friends and allows them to take their final exams and they graduate. Rancho comes first and is awarded ViruS's pen.

Having lost contact with Rancho, who disappeared during the graduation party, Raju and Farhan begin a journey to find him. They are joined by Chatur, now a wealthy and successful businessman. Chatur is also looking to have a deal with a famous scientist named Phunsukh Wangdu. Chatur sees Wangdu, who has hundreds of patents. When they find Rancho's house, they walk into his father's funeral, and find a completely different Rancho (Jaaved Jaffrey). After accusing the new man of stealing their friend's identity, Farhan and Raju threaten to throw away his father's ashes down the toilet. The householder narrates the real story. Their friend was a servant boy who loved learning, while he, the real Rancho, was a lazy wealthy child who disliked study. So the family agreed to let the servant boy study in Rancho's place. The real Rancho informs that their friend is now a schoolteacher in Ladakh.

Raju and Farhan then find Pia, and take her from her wedding day. When they arrive in Ladakh, they see a group of Ladakhi children who are motivated by love of knowledge. Pia and the fake Rancho renew their love, while Chatur mocks and abuses Rancho the schoolteacher before walking away. When his friends ask what his real name is, he reveals that it Phunsukh Wangdu and he phones Chatur. Chatur is horrified and falls to his knees, accepts his defeat and continues to plead his case with Phunsukh to establish the business relationship.