The Myth of Rama-Sita and Ravna in Kanthapura

 The Myth of Rama-Sita and Ravna in Kanthapura

 Ans. The novel Kanthapura really revolves around the myth of Rama-Sita and Ravana. The Ramayana was narrated by the great Sage Valmiki long ago. In the same way, there is a narrator, Achakka, in Kanthapura also, though not a great Sage, but the grandmother of the village Kanthapura.

She compares Gandhiji with lord Rama and India with Sita. Achakka, the narrator says that as Sita was overpowered by the chief of Evil, Ravana, so was the mother India overpowered by the British. The people of India had been made slaves by the British.

The miserable condition of the labourers working at the Skeffington Coffee Estate is the living example of miniature size. One can guess easily how the people of India were being treated under the foreign rule in India at that time. Lord Rama collected the ‘Vanara-sena’ (the army of the monkeys) and attacked Ravana, the king of Lanka (now Sri Lanka), defeated and killed him. Thus Sita was liberated by Rama from Ravana’s slavery.

Here in this novel, we have the same parallels of the events. The novelist, Raja Rao, projects Mahatma Gandhi to lead the people of India to fight against the  British rule in India. In Ramayana, it was Rama, who fought a decisive fight against Ravana. In Kanthapura, the novelist showed Gandhiji a mighty (powerful) hero to defeat the Evil forces to achieve freedom for mother India. He used his powerful weapons of ‘ahimsa, satyagraha and non-violence.

The war between Rama and Ravana had resulted in the deaths of many people. Women were made widows, mothers lost their sons and sisters lost their brothers. Numerous people were injured. In the same way, the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi resulted in the deaths of many people in Kanthapura and in the rest of the country as well. The people of Kanthapura were arrested, tortured, and lathi-charged by the police.

 Moorthy as a follower of Gandhiji leads the struggle for freedom in Kanthapura. First, he had to struggle hard to unite the people of Kanthapura. He had to go from one door to the other to spread Gandhiji’s ideas among the people of Kanthapura. Rama had with him his mighty warriors like Lakshmana, Sugriva, and  Hanuman. In the same way, though at a very small scale, Moorthy also had his faithful friends with him. He formed the Congress Panchayat Committee with Pariah Ranganna, Range Gowda, and Seenu. Seenu did his selfless service to him as Veer Hanuman did to Lord Rama.

The people of Kanthapura fought against the British forces as Vanaras fought with the Ravana’s forces in Sri Lanka. Mahatma Gandhi’s trip to England has also been equalized to the one taken by Lord Rama to Sri Lanka to liberate Sita from Ravana’s control.

Gandhiji also went to England to attend the second Round Table Conference. Achakka said that Mahatma would go to the ‘Redman's country’ to get swaraj for the people of India. She gives more detail in the novel, that has parallels to the incidents that occurred in the Ramayana.

Thus, we may conclude that Kanathapura revolves around the myths of Rama-Sita and Ravana.

 

 

Kanthapura-The Language, the Narrative Style and the Literary Merits

 Kanthapura-The Language, the Narrative Style and the Literary Merits’ of Kanthapura

 Kanthapura is a successful novel even if it is judged through its narrative style and techniques used by Raja Rao. It was a big challenge for the writer to achieve his goal by writing this novel in English. He had to make some innovations in his narrative style to suit the Indian atmosphere.

 Let’s study this novel in the light of the use of ‘language, the narrative style and the literary merits’ of Kanthapura.

 As we know, it was not an easy task for the writer to narrate a tale of an imaginary village, named Kanthapura, where people had different mindsets and where most of the people were illiterate, following different myths and superstitions. They were the people who were divided on the basis of caste and religion. The writer was to portray them as living beings, clashing with one another to safeguard their personal interests and then to elevate them to unite for the bigger cause of being a part of Gandhiji’s  Movement.

  So the first priority for the writer was to mould the English language according to the people of Kanthapura in order to express their thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the harsh reality in which they lived. The second necessity for the writer was to select a narrative style. For this, he decided to use an age-old ancient style of story-telling, which is very popular in our country.

 We all have grown up by listening to the tales narrated by our grandmothers in a simple and spontaneous manner. Here, the narrator is Achakka, the village's old grandmother, who narrates the tale of the events that took place long-long ago in Kanthapura. Some of the incidents have become dim in her memory with the passage of time. But whatever she narrates, she narrates wonderfully.

 Raja Rao himself admits the fact that telling a tale is not an easy job when he was to capture the tempo of Indian life in a foreign language. The novelist was to record the swift movements of thoughts and actions that prevail in an average Indian mind. The novelist has done this successfully in Kanthapura.

The writer does not use any flashback that slows down the tempo of the action. Wherever the writer finds space, we come to know about his viewpoint.  The narrator is one of the people living in Kanthapura and it also lends authentication to the events.

We find word pictures in plenty. The novelist has described everything that he thought necessary very minutely. Sometimes our senses of sight, sound, and even smell are stirred. In the first chapter, the movements of the bullock carts on the zigzag ‘kachcha’ roads creating a cloud of dust behind them are marvelous. Similar examples abound in the novel.

 

The novelist has also kept in mind the subject matter that is used by different characters while speaking in the novel. They speak in accordance with the education, religious and cultural values they have acquired in their rural background. Raja Rao has also used Indianised words for certain religious ceremonies like  “God’s birth celebration ceremony”, “rice-eating ceremony”, “hair-cutting ceremony”, “death ceremony”, ‘Sankara-Vijaya’,  ‘Sankara-Jayanthi’,‘Harikathas’, etc. Even in dialogues, the writer has used their local language.

 As a modern writer of great eminence, T.S. Eliot, Raja Rao has also used myths in this novel. It makes the narrative of the novel look more Indian. He has used the myths of the goddess Kenchamma, Lord Rama and Sita, Lord Krishna, Brahma, Siva, etc. Under the umbrella of these religious myths and belief, the people of Kanthapura stand united in the leadership of Moorthy to participate in Gandhiji’s freedom struggle.

Thus, we may say that Raja Rao’s narrative style and the literary devices he used in this novel are superb.

 

 

 

Moorthy's Character in Kanthapura

 Kanthapura by Raja Rao: Essay-type Questions & Answers

 Character sketch of Moorthy

Ans. Moorthy is the central character in the whole gamut (range) of characters in the novel Kanthapura. From the very beginning, Moorthy catches readers' attention (focus). We come to know that after leaving college education, Moorthy follows Gandhiji. He is so much impressed with Gandhiji’s personality that he adopts his ‘swadeshi ideas.’ Narsamma, his mother, wanted him to see highly educated and sitting on a high positioned seat.

 But her dreams are shattered when Moorthy left education and devoted himself fully to Gandhiji's ‘Swadwshi’ and Freedom Movements. Now he does not wear foreign clothes. He does not read even foreign books. He keeps fasts to purge himself at times.His mother was initially against all that Moorthy was doing, but gradually, she had to accept all that.

 

Moorthy picks up social evils like maltreatment towards widows and untouchability and the caste system. He works against these deep-rooted social evils. These evils were national issues also, but Moorthy works to eradicate (remove) these social evils from his village and the surrounding areas. He went from one door to the other to spread the message that he did not believe in castes and other types of narrow thinking. He is against any discrimination that separates one human being from the other. 

He does not care for Bhatta’s warnings of the ex-communication of him and his family. His mother dies of the anxiety that was created in her mind due the fear of being excommunicated by the Swamiji. His mother’s death does not waver him from his determination. He continues working for uplifting the poor section of society. He does not care for his own community. One day, he openly carries Pattayya’s wife’s dead body for some time as a mark of respect to the dead. That makes all stunned.

 He went to the houses of the Pariahs. He heard their problems and found solutions to them. He advised them to work on Gandhiji’s charkhas and adopt Swadeshi goods. He educated them that by spinning on the wheels, they would not only help Gandhiji’s Swadeshi Movement but also earn money.

When he heard of the miserable condition of the coolies at the Skeffington Coffee Estate, he went there to teach them. But he was not allowed to enter the Estate.

 Moorthy forms Congress Committee at Kanthapura and he is unanimously elected as the President. Rangamma and her sister’s daughter Ratna support Moorthy in his work for Gandhiji. Even Range Gowda also helps him. Thus they all inspire the villagers to join Congress to free India from the British. Women also come forward and form Sevika Sangh to support Moorthy.

Thus Moorthy is a very important character in the novel Kanthapura.

Kanthapura A Novel of Indian Freedom Movement

  Kanthapura A Novel of Indian Freedom Movement

Gandhiji’s impact on the novelist Raja Ram is quite obvious (clear/evident) and it is also reflected in the whole novel ‘Kanthapura’ through his mouthpiece character ‘Moorthy’ and even though several other ways.

 After reading a few pages of this novel, the action of the novel catches speed in one direction that is Freedom Movement of India, the mainstream of the novel.

Raja Rao was born in Gandhiji’s era, so he had a deep impact of Gandhian ideology in his mind.

 

Gandhiji’s role in India’s Freedom Movement attracts even foreign reputed minds. So he is one among the main freedom fighters of his times.

 

Raja Rao had all these points in his mind while creating Moorthy’s character in this novel. As Moorthy is introduced, a very good image of him is formed in the reader’s mind. He begins his role following the footsteps of Gandhiji by practising his ideal’s great principles of life, i.e. love for truth, justice, and non-violence.

 

He left his higher education and dedicated his life to making the people aware of Gandhiji’s Freedom Movement. He observed fast not to attract people’s attention, but to purify his soul out of the guilt that people resorted to violence because of him.

 

He gets mixed up with people, who were victims of caste division and the social evils of untouchability, and ill-treatment given to the widows. He goes from one door to the other just to inspire the people of the Pariah caste to do something for their upliftment.

He distributes ‘charkhas’ to them so that they may make threads and sell them to add to their livelihood. He tells them how the British are exploiting them economically, socially, politically, and mentally also.

 His own mother turns insane and dies because of his decision not to stop getting mixed up with the Pariahs. He suffers much mental pain due to all that, but every time he emerges as a stronger person, capable of moving ahead overpowering all odd that impede his way.

 He continues his task of making people aware of Gandhiji’s ideas and inspiring them to take part in the freedom movement of India.

 When Moorthy was arrested for anti-British Rule activities in India, not only the women but also the men of Kanthapura come forward to take Moorthy’s task ahead. A ‘Sevika Sangh’ was formed in Kanthapura.  

 Several activities like ‘Don’t Touch the Government Campaign’ , Gandhiji’s Dandi Yatra’, and picketing of the ‘Boranna’s Toddy grove’ were supported. The police arrested several ‘satyagrahis’ and inflicted torture on them, but it did not deter (stop) people from their aim to free India.

 Moorthy taught his people Gandhian ideals of non-violence to stick to it under every odd condition. He spread the message that only homemade clothes be used. No foreign material should be bought and used. People arranged 'Prabhat-Pheris' and sang bhajans in temples in Gandhiji’s praise.

The novelist has shown Kanthapura in this novel India at a micro-scale. Whatever was happening at Kanthapura was also happening everywhere in India. The people of Kanthapura got so much attached to Moorthy that they were bear all tortures inflicted on them by the police force. They forgot all of their social, economic, and religious boundaries.

 Thus the novelist depicts Kanthapura as India in miniature form, where one may watch the Freedom Movement going on with the same enthusiasm and fearlessness as it was continuing elsewhere in India.

 

 

Kanthapura as a Novel of Gandhian Ideology

Kanthapura as a Novel of Gandhian Ideology  

Kanthapura is truly a novel that reflects Gandhian ideology and its deep impact on the people of the village Kanthapura. It is a sleeping village situated at the slopes of the   Malabar Hills in South India. It becomes vibrant (lively) all of a sudden as Moorthy begins his active participation in the social and religious life of the people of Kanthapura.  He gives up his education and starts following Gandhiji and his ideas. 

This novel can be called Gandhi-epic because it depicts Gandhian influence on the life of the people of Kanthapura. Although Gandhiji does not appear personally in Kanthapura, yet the people there are greatly influenced by his ideals of non-violence (ahinsa), truthfulness and satyagraha, etc. The novelist Raja Rao himself is greatly influenced by Gandhiji and, we see the novelist’s reflection in Moorthy in this novel. He embodies the Gandhian ideology of non-violence and sacrifice for the common people. He goes on fasts whenever something wrong happens. The people of Kanthapura see Moorthy as Gandhian ‘avtar’ and they all ignore their local differences and get united under the umbrella of the Freedom Movement.

Moorthy also represents thousands of Indian youth, who left their studies and joined the Gandhian struggle for freedom to free India from the shackles (chains) of slavery. Gandhiji wanted to bring about a social, economic, and religious change in the people of India. But it was possible only through freedom. So he started Freedom Movement in the country. It spreads not only to the people living in urban India, but it also reached the remote corners of the country, like Kanthapura.

In those days, there were people in society, who were the agents of the British Government and wanted to create hurdles in the way of the freedom fighters. Such people like Bade Khan, Bhatta, Swamiji, etc. created hurdles in Moorthy’s aim to make the people of Kanthapura awakened to Gandhiji's ideas. He is the man who raised funds to organize religious functions in the village. The Harikathaman started telling people about the charismatic (magnetic) personality of Gandhiji to the people of Kanthapura. After the arrest of the Harikathaman, Moorthy takes responsibility in his own hands and spreads awareness among the people. He distributes charkhas free of cost to the people of Kanthapura.

He educated them that by spinning on the wheels, they would not only help Gandhiji’s Swadeshi Movement but also earn money.

When he heard of the miserable condition of the coolies at the Skeffington Coffee Estate, he went there to teach them. But he was not allowed to enter the Estate.

 

Moorthy forms Congress Committee at Kanthapura and he is unanimously elected as the President. Rangamma and her sister’s daughter Ratna support Moorthy in his work for Gandhiji. Even Range Gowda helps him. Thus they all inspire the villagers to join Congress to free India from the British. Women also come forward and form Sevika Sangh to support Moorthy.

Thus it can be concluded safely that Kanthapura reflects Gandhian ideology and its deep impact on the people of the village Kanthapura.

 

 

Bhatta’s Character in Kanthapura by Raja Rao-Long Qs-Ans

            Kanthapura by Raja Rao: Bhatta’s Character

This chapter introduces us to ‘Bhatta’, who plays a negative role to create hurdles in Moorthy’s way. The narrator tells us that his last visit to the city has changed his thinking. Before his last visit to the city, he used to sit and sing with the people of Kanthapura.

 

But all of a sudden, he got involved in business pursuits. He has also started giving money on loans to people. He was always ready to do sale and purchase deeds. He would mortgage people’s land to give them loans at a very high rate of interest. During elections, he is the person who lends money to people inside or outside Kanthapura. He has financed Seenappa’s and Chandra Shekhara’s elections.

He is always ready to help the people of Kanthapura to solve their money-related problems. But, he does not do it in charity. He exploits people’s problems and charges high rates of interest if his clients are in serious problems.

 

As a human being, Bhatta is a very cunning, greedy and cruel person. In his early youth, he did work as a priest. He is the first Brahmin of the village, but quite opposite to the noble Brahmins like Moorthy and Ramakrishannayya. He is an agent to the British Govt. he is an expert in reading the Hindu calendar. So, people often approach him for his guidance about the auspicious days for marriages and knowing about the dates of festivals.

The narrator also gives examples to prove Bhatta’s greed for money and how he exploits people in their difficult times. He lent ten rupees to Rampur Mada for a nuptial  /ˈnʌp.ʃəl/ (wedding) ceremony at six percent interest payable in two months. Lingayya has to pay his revenue to avoid an arrest warrant. He gets twenty-one rupees and eight ‘annas’ for six months at ten percent interest.

Kanthamma needs one hundred and twenty rupees for her son’s marriage. She has to mortgage her two and a half acres of wetland to get this loan at seven percent interest.

 

In the meantime, Bhatta’s wife Savithramma dies of an accident. Offers came to him for his second marriage from here and there. But he marries the daughter of a rich landlord of Alur. She is only twelve and a half years old. She brings a rich dowry for him. After his second marriage, Bhatta became richer and richer. Now he is able to lend more money to the people of Kanthapura and those of the adjoining areas.

Thus Bhatta became the owner of thirty-seven acres of wetland and ninety acres of dry land in all the villages: Kanthapura, santur, Puttur, and Honnali

 

The World is too Much with Us-Explanation-Word-meanings-William Wordsworth

 The World is too Much with Us

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not.

Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

About the Poet

William Wordsworth was born in 1770 and died in 1850. He was the most fortunate of the great five romantic poets, who had a long poetic career and lived a long span of life. He was a great worshipper of Nature.

About the Poem

In this poem, he laments that human beings have become more attached to material things. He expresses his deep concern over people’s growing love for worldly things. Man has become a slave to the god of money, Mammon. He appeals to all of us to give up Mammon-worship and start loving Nature. At that time, industrialization had just started showing its impact on human minds.

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

Word-meanings: 1. The world: here it means love for material things  2. Late and soon: every time 3. Getting and spending: while earning money and spending it 4. Powers: energy and potential 5. little: very less/nothing 6. sordid: mean, abhorrent, detestable, hateful dirty  7. boon: the thing that is helpful or a blessing for us

Paraphrase: In this stanza, the poet makes a strong case against all of us for our growing love for material things. We have made ourselves detached (cut off/separated) from Nature. We are every time busy in earning and spending money. We have no communion with Nature. The poet has used the possessive pronoun ‘ours’ for Nature. He means to say that God has created Nature for all the creatures on the earth. So Nature belongs to us and we also belong to Nature. We cannot afford separation from it. If it happens, harmful effects on the earth can be felt or seen. We have given our hearts to material things. It means we have started loving them.

 In our love for material things, we are wasting our time and energy. The poet calls material things a ‘sordid boon. He uses a paradox to explain what material things are in reality. Sordid means detestable, that is hateful. The word ‘boon’ means a blessing or a thing that is very helpful and beneficial for us. If a thing is beneficial for us, then how can it be hateful and mean?

Actually, the poet has used ‘too much in the title of the poem ‘The World is too much With Us’. We have a clue here to explain the meaning of the paradox ‘sordid boon’. It seems that the poet does not have much objection to people’s limited love for material things. Then it is a boon for them. But when they have crossed limits and got too much involved in their love for material things, then it becomes sordid. Hence the meaning of the paradox is ‘a sordid boon’.

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not.

Word-meanings: 1. Bosom: the front of a person’s chest 2. Bare: without any cover like clothes 3. Howl: basically a wolf or a dog produces a howling sound. It is a long and sad sound. Here the poet wants to use this word for the sound created by the blowing of fast winds. 4. Up gathered: means huddled: This position is achieved when one keeps one’s legs and arms together 5. Out of tune: In music, the person is out of tune when someone sings or plays an instrument ignoring the rules of notes. People are not following nature, so they are out of tune. They are not in harmony with nature. 6. It moves us not: The poet wants to say that natural beauty does not move our emotions. We do not feel attracted towards Nature and its beauties.

Explanation:  In the above stanza, the poet creates a very beautiful word picture using the personification of the sea and the moon. The poet uses a straightforward image of the sea in female form exposed to the view of the moon.

It is all symbolic.  The sea has been shown as the symbol of Mother Nature.

 The second image that emerges in the poet’s mind is that of the winds huddled together like sleeping flowers. Usually, winds blow strongly throughout the day. They cause so much discomfort to creatures on the earth. But at night they become calm and quiet. The poet uses a simile of sleeping flowers for the winds that have now huddled up together as if in the position of sleeping. The use of the word ‘howling’ creates an imagery of animals like wolves and dogs. But the imagery ‘sleeping flowers’ softens the impact of the violent winds in the reader’s mind.

    “For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not.”

The poet says that people do not feel moved not only by the beautiful scenes described by him in the previous lines but also by all other beautiful scenes. They are now in disharmony (out of tune) with Nature.

 Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Word-meanings: 1. A Pagan: A follower of the ancient religion of Rome in which people believe in many gods and goddesses 2. Suckled: nourished, brought up 3. Creed: faith, dogma  4. Outworn: out-of-date, obsolete  5. Lea: pasture, open area of grassy land  6. Glimpse: a short view 7. Forlorn:   alone and happy Proteus: Triton:   wreathed horn: It is a conch–type horn used for blowing to produce a deep sound

Explanation:  After depicting beautiful word-pictures of the rising sea waves producing the image of Mother Nature to the view of the moon and also of the winds that remained violent throughout the day and towards the evening sleeping peacefully, the poet proceeds further to declare his choice. He declares that he would prefer to be a Pagan rather than be affected by the growing materialism in the world due to the first phase of industrialization in England. He would be ready to renounce his religion ‘Christianity’ which advocates for only one God. He would like to follow the religion in which Nature is worshipped. This stanza reflects Wordsworth’s deep love for Nature.

 

    Thus the lines ‘Great God! I’d rather be/A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;’ means that he would like to be a Pagan than to continue following the outdated religion in which he was brought up.

   “So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,/Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;/Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;/Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.”

    The poet imagines himself standing on some open green piece of land near the sea that would have glimpses of the ancient Greek and Roman mythical gods Proteus and Triton. Proteus would be seen emerging from the sea and Triton would be blowing his curled conch-like horn. In this way, he would not feel lonely and sad at all in the company of Roman and Greek gods.

Dear students, here this poem ends up; I shall come with a new poem next time and till then have a nice day.

The World is too Much with Us -Qs-Ans-William Wordsworth

 The World is too Much with Us by William Wordsworth

Questions-Answers-The World is too Much with Us by William Wordsworth

Very Short Answer-type Qs (one word-a phrase-a sentence)

Q1. According to the poet, what is man's attitude to nature?

Ans. Man’s attitude to nature is of indifference (lack of interest).

Q2. Who were Proteus and Triton?

Ans. They were Greek and Roman gods of Nature.

Q3.Why does the poet want to become a Pagan?

Ans. He wants to become a Pagan to worship gods of Nature.

Q4. What does the poet mean by stating ‘the world is too much with us?

Ans. It means that man has become too much attached to the material world.

Q5. What are we ‘out of tune with’?

Ans. We are ‘out of tune’ with Nature.

Q6. What is the ‘sordid boon’?
Ans. Lust (extreme greed) for possessing material things is a sordid boon.

Q7. Who is the Pagan according to the poet?

Ans. A non-Christian is a Pagan according to the poet.

Q8. What does the poet glimpse and what is its effect on him?

Ans. The poet has glimpses of the gods of Nature, Proteus, and Triton and it makes him happy.

Q9.What does the poet mean by “the world’ in the first line?

Ans. It means worldly possessions.

Q10. Identify the rhyme scheme used in this Sonnet?

Ans. The poet has used the following rhyme scheme in this poem: abba, abba, cdcdcd.

Q11. How has materialism affected us?

Ans. It has made us slaves to material possessions.

Q12. ‘It moves us not’. What moves us not?

Ans. The beauties of Nature do not move us.

Q13.How do we waste our powers according to Wordsworth?

Ans. We waste our powers in getting and spending money on material things.

Q14. What does Wordsworth say he could do if he were a Pagan?

Ans. In that case, he would have a glimpse of the gods of nature.

Q15. Why can't we make nature a part of our life?

Ans. As we are all the time busy in material pursuits, we cannot make nature a part of our life.

Q16. How, according to the poet, is ‘the world’ too much with us?

Ans. We are all the time busy in material pursuits; earning and spending money on material things.

Q17.Sonnet is of two types. Out of these two, which type of Sonnet Wordsworth’s poem ‘The World is Too Much with Us’?

Ans. This poem is based on the Petrarchan sonnet.

Q18. How many lines are there in a Petrarchan Sonnet?

Ans. It has fourteen lines.

Comprehension Exercises:

Answer the following questions in 20-30 words each:

Q1. According to the poet, what is man's attitude to nature?

Ans. Man’s attitude to Nature is of indifference. We have made ourselves detached (cut off/separated) from Nature. We are every time busy in earning and spending money. We have no communion with Nature. We cannot afford separation from it. If it happens, harmful effects on the earth can be felt or seen.

Q2. Who were Proteus and Triton?

Ans. The poet mentions the ancient Greek and Roman mythical gods Proteus and Triton in this poem. Proteus would be seen emerging from the sea and Triton would be blowing his curled conch-like horn. In this way, he would not feel lonely and sad at all in the company of Roman and Greek gods.

Q3.Why does the poet want to become a Pagan?

Ans. The poet declares that he would prefer to be a Pagan rather than be affected by the growing materialism in the world due to the first phase of industrialization in England. He would be ready to renounce his religion ‘Christianity’ which advocates for only one God. He would like to follow the religion in which Nature is worshipped. This stanza reflects Wordsworth’s deep love for Nature. This is the reason why the poet wants to become a pagan.

Q4. What does the poet mean by stating ‘the world is too much with us’?

 Ans. The poet means to say that human beings have become more attached to material things. He expresses his deep concern over people’s growing love for worldly things. Man has become a slave to the god of money, Mammon. He appeals to all of us to give up Mammon-worship and start loving Nature. At that time, industrialization had just started showing its impact on human minds.

Q5. What are we ‘out of tune with’?

Ans. The poet says that people are out of tune with nature. He says that people do not feel attracted by the beauties of nature. The poet quotes examples of some beautiful scenes of Nature. It all shows that Man has become very much indifferent to the beauties of Nature. They are in disharmony with the world of  Nature.

Q6. What is the ‘sordid boon’?

Ans. Actually, the poet has used ‘too much in the title of the poem ‘The World is too much With Us’. We have a clue here to explain the meaning of the paradox ‘sordid boon’. It seems that the poet does not have much objection to people’s limited love for material things. Then it is a boon for them. But when they have crossed limits and got too much involved in their love for material things, then it becomes sordid. Hence, the meaning of the paradox is ‘a sordid boon’.

Q7. Who is the Pagan according to the poet?

Ans. A pagan is a worshipper of nature. Ans. He believes in many gods and goddesses of nature. But this word was also used as a ‘non-believer of God’ or a non-Christian person. This is because a Christian believes only in one God.

Q8. What does the poet glimpse and what is its effect on him?

 Ans. The poet has glimpses of the ancient Greek and Roman mythical gods Proteus and Triton. Proteus would be seen emerging from the sea and Triton would be blowing his curled conch-like horn. In this way, he would not feel lonely and sad at all in the company of Roman and Greek gods.

Q9.What does the poet mean by “the world’ in the first line?

Ans. In this poem ‘the world’ means the greed for material things. The people of the world have become too much involved in possessing material things. They do so by earning lots and lots of money. In this process, they have become indifferent to Nature. They worship only the god of money, that is, Mammon.

Q10. Identify the rhyme scheme used in this Sonnet?

Ans. The poet has used the following rhyme scheme in this poem: abba, abba, cdcdcd.

It means the first line rhymes with the fourth line, the second line rhymes with the third; the fifth line rhymes with the eighth while the sixth one with the seventh; the ninth line rhymes with the eleventh and thirteenth; the tenth line rhymes with the twelfth and the fourteenth.

 

The World Is Too Much with Us: Long Answer-type Questions

The World Is Too Much with Us: Long Answer-type Questions

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each

Q1. What does the poet think about the way a man treats nature? How does he express his thoughts and feelings on this topic in the poem?

 Or Summary of the poem ‘The World Is Too Much with Us'

Ans.   The poet thinks that we have made ourselves detached (cut off/separated) from Nature. We are every time busy in earning and spending money. We have no communion with Nature. He means to say that God has created Nature for all the creatures on the earth. So Nature belongs to us and we also belong to Nature. We cannot afford separation from it. If it happens, harmful effects on the earth can be felt or seen. We have given our hearts to material things. It means we have started loving them. He expresses his deep concern over people’s growing love for worldly things. Man has become a slave to the god of money, Mammon. All the diseases and mental discomforts are due to our love for material things. As a great worshipper of Nature, the poet appeals to all of us to give up Mammon-worship and start loving Nature.

To prove his love for nature, the poet declares that the Pagans in ancient times lived a healthier life. It is because they were always connected to nature. They were nourished in the lap of nature. So, all qualities of head and heart, like patience, love, peace, hard work, etc. automatically got imbibed into their personality. This is the reason why the poet wishes to become a pagan and have glimpses of gods of nature.

Q2.The sonnet is a criticism of life in this modern mechanized milieu. Comment on the assessment of this fine.

Ans. The sonnet is really a criticism of life because William Wordsworth makes a strong case of criticism against life the people had started living in the nineteenth century under the effect of industrialization and scientific progress. The case is still applicable in this modern mechanized world of today also. We don’t have any time to ‘stand and stare’ at a beautiful object of nature. The love for material things has made us blind to natural beauty.

We have made ourselves detached (cut off/separated) from Nature. We are every time busy in earning and spending money. We have no communion with Nature. He means to say that God has created Nature for all the creatures on the earth. So Nature belongs to us and we also belong to Nature. We cannot afford separation from it. If it happens, harmful effects on the earth can be felt or seen.

Man has become slave to the god of money, Mammon. All the diseases and mental discomforts are due to our love for material things. As a great worshipper of Nature, the poet appeals to all of us to give up Mammon-worship and start loving Nature.

To prove his love for nature, the poet declares that the Pagans in ancient times lived a healthier life. It is because they were always connected to nature. They were nourished in the lap of nature. So, all qualities of head and heart, like patience, love, peace, hard work, etc. automatically got imbibed into their personality. This is the reason why the poet wishes to become a pagan and have glimpses of gods of nature.

Q3.How does Wordsworth employ Greek mythology and other devices to portray the materialistic mind of modern man?

Ans. After reading and understanding the poem, we all come to know how William Wordsworth feels hurt to see his fellow Christians getting too much attached to materialism. They have started wasting much of their time and energy in earning and spending money. In this way, money has become a curse for them. It is the root cause of all of their ailments.

To depict the materialistic mind of the modern man, the poet uses Greek mythology. He tells us how in ancient times the Greeks used to believe in Pagan gods. They believed and loved every object in nature. They used to have glimpses of Pagan gods like Proteus and Triton rising from the sea. He uses beautiful imagery from Nature to make the readers feel and think how nature blesses every human heart.

 

The poet creates a very beautiful word picture using the personification of the sea and the moon. The poet uses a straightforward image of the sea in female form exposed to the view of the moon. The second image that emerges in the poet’s mind is that of the winds huddled together like sleeping flowers. The poet uses a simile of sleeping flowers for the winds that have now huddled up together as if in the position of sleeping.

  In the end, the poet declares that he would prefer to be a Pagan rather than be affected by the growing materialism in the world. He would be ready to renounce his religion ‘Christianity’ which advocates for only one God. He would like to follow the religion in which Nature is worshipped.

Q4. The poet prefers paganism to worldliness. Discuss.

Ans. William Wordsworth’s love for Nature is known to all of us. He wrote so many poems to show his great love for nature.

In this poem, his immense love for Nature makes him announce that he would prefer to be a pagan rather than being a believer of a religion that restricts (stops) him from loving gods of nature, like Proteus and Triton.

In ancient Greece and Rome, people believed in so many gods and goddesses. So they were called Pagans. But in Christianity, only one God is worshipped. Nature is also blessed with them in so many ways.

The poet further says that people of his times have become slaves to materialism. They have stopped loving nature. They have detached themselves from the beauties of nature.

   The poet does not want to become too much lost in materialism. The poet also declares that he would like to be a Pagan than to continue following the outdated religion in which he was brought up. He would not stop loving nature even if his religion forces him to do so.

 

 

 

 

Know Then Thyself-Questions-Answers-Video 2 of 2-English for B A Semeste...

Types of Novels-Picaresque novel-Historical Novel-Psychological Novel

Types of Novels

1. Picaresque novel may be called the earliest experiment in the field of novel. The word ‘picaresque’ has been derived (taken) from the Spanish word ‘Picaro’ that means a ‘rogue’ /rəʊɡ/ (dangerous and harmful) or a ‘knave’ /neɪv/ (dishonest) in English. A picaresque novel has a long narrative that revolves around a person, who is a criminal for society. But, in reality, he helps the poor by duping (cheating) the rich. He is a Robinhood type of character, a highwayman, who suddenly appears and suddenly disappears after finishing his job of robbery. 

This theme of appearance versus reality was followed by many English novelists in the eighteenth century. It was really a very popular theme. We can quote (cite/give) several examples of this type of novel. Henry Fielding wrote Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews. Charles Dickens wrote ‘The Pickwick Papers (1836–37). We have Jonathan Swift’s famous ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' (1884), and the recent Thomas Mann’s ‘Confessions of Felix Krull’. The anonymous ‘Lazaillo De Tormes’ was the true Spanish picaresque novel.

2.Historical Novel

Although history and historical novels have much in common, yet there is one basic difference between them. History is based on the recording of facts while in a historical novel the writer adds imagination to the facts taken from history. The first historical novel written in the English language is Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Ivanhoe’.

Broadly speaking, it may be said that one-fourth of all the novels published so far in the last thirty years have some historical elements in them. After World War II, the tendency to write historical novels has very much increased. India may be called the epicentre ( /ˈep.ɪ.sen.tər/ the focal point) of writing historical novels in English. We have examples of writers who have written historical novels in India. The list includes the names of the novelists like Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh, Robinson Mistry, Mukul Keswan, etc. They have become very successful and well-acknowledged writers of this type.

3. Psychological Novel

The term ‘psychological novel’ came into vogue (trend/fashion) in the modern age of English Literature. The novelists between the period of two world wars wrote fiction that may well be called psychological novels. In this type of novel, the novelist deals with the inner-being, the inner world of his characters. The conflict at the inner stage, that is mind, is depicted by the writers of such novels. Sometimes a person is sitting silently and he or she seems inactive. But, who knows about the conflict that might be going on into the mind of that person? So the writers of such kinds of novels bring out the conflicts that usually go into the minds of human beings. With the researches in the field of psychology done by Freud and Jung, the work in the field of writing psychological novels increased. 

The use of ‘streams of consciousness’ became popular in the modern age. In the past, no one knew the term ‘the streams of consciousness and ‘psychological novel’. But still, we may quote the example of Richardson’s Pamela (1740) in which the novelist explored the inner reality. D. H. Lawrence wrote psychological novels like ‘Women in Love’, ‘Sons and Lovers’, and Rainbow. Virginia Woolf wrote Mrs. Dalloway. James Joyce and William Faulkner are also the novelists who wrote psychological novels.

Wounded Plants by Jagadish Chandra Bose: Qs & Ans.

Wounded Plants by Jagadish Chandra Bose: Qs & Ans.

A.     Short Answer-type Qs)

Q1. How can we realise the pain of the sufferings of the plants?

Ans. The mute may express their feelings of pain by their agonised expressions on faces or by the convulsive movement of their body parts.

Q2. Why do we not realise the pain of some living beings?

Ans. It is because human sympathy is often shown to the superior or to the equal and not to the creatures that are thought to be of lower kinds.

Q3. What characterises individuals from one another?

Ans. Mainly two things characterise individuals from one another. The first is the degree of shock one receives (gets) and the second is the sympathy shown at the sufferings of the other individuals. Usually, we show our sympathy to those who are higher or equal to us. We hardly show it to our inferiors.

B.      Answer the following questions in about five sentences each:

Q1. How can we realise the pain of the sufferings of the plants?

Ans.  When a man receives a tragic blow or shock, his answering cry makes us realise that he is in some trouble. But the speechless cannot do so. He is unable to express his sorrow or pain in words. In that case, the mute person may express his feelings of pain by his agonised expressions on his face or by the convulsive movement of his body parts.

Thus, we all human beings realise each other’s pain through fellow-feeling.

C. Answer the following questions in about 100 words each:

Q1. How can we realise the pain of the sufferings of the plants?

Ans. When a man receives a tragic blow or shock, his answering cry makes us realise that he is in some trouble. But the speechless cannot do so. He is unable to express his sorrow or pain in words. In that case, the mute person may express his feelings of pain by his agonised expressions on his face or by the convulsive movement of his body parts.

Thus, we all human beings realise each other’s pain through fellow-feeling.

The writer quotes an example of a frog to prove that the animals and small creatures are also mute and they show their pain through the convulsive movement of their bodies. When a frog is struck with some object, it does not make a cry out of pain. It shows only its convulsive movement.

  Q2. What is the test of livingness by the author?

Ans. The author proceeds to explain the test of livingness now. He says that responsive movements are the tests to ascertain (find out) as to how much vitality (life) is there in the living beings. The living beings answer to a shock automatically. The most lively (energetic) gives the most energetic response, the dying gives the feeblest (weakest) and the dead gives no answer to any shock. Thus life may be tested by the reactions or answers to the shocks the living beings give automatically.  

Q3. What are the three tests in the ‘series of investigation’ referred to in the essay? What is their significance?

Ans.  Three separate investigations have been carried out on the wound on plants caused by human activities or the environment. The first is the shock effect. It retards or stops the growth of plants. Then the second investigation was performed. It recorded the change of spontaneous pulsation (beat) of the leaflet of the Telegraph plant. In the third experiment, it was found that death or decay spreads from the cut point of the leaflet and it reaches the throbbing tissue. Consequently, it becomes decayed or dead. All this reveals that plants are living beings. They feel hurt when they are wounded.

Q4. What is paralysing effect’ How is it measured? What is the result of the ‘paralyzing effect’?

  Ans. An investigation was carried out on a cut-off leaf and also on its parent plant mimosa. The investigation shows that the act of cutting the leaf had caused a big shock to its parent plant.   

  A shock wave was spread to the whole of the plant. All the leaves of the plant remained in depression for several hours. No response came from them. In a way, the shock had paralyzed the plant for hours together. Gradually, the leaves regained their sensitivity. The detached leaf was put into a nourishing solution. It recovers very soon and it shows that it has regained its lost energy. It continued for twenty-four hours. But after it, a curious change was noted on the leaf. The nourishing solution could not keep it alive continuously. At last, the leaf had to surrender in front of the ultimate death.