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John Dryden: Born in a Puritan, land-owning gentry family Converted to Catholicism Second cousin of Jonathan Swift Poet Laureate 1868 all for love... Dryden influenced by Pindar's Odes, Poe's mock heroic satire Horace, Virgil - classical Dryden, Pope - Neoclassical Arabella Burner - high society lady The Rape of the Lock - Pope Lampoon about Shadwell - Juvenalian Ben Johnson and Shakespeare Medal of John Bayes and Mac Flecknoe Short note on satire in Dryden's poetry: satire = mockery, making fun literary device used for criticism elements: humor, irony, sarcasm, parody (exaggerated mimicry), indirect criticism, burlesque satire, heroic couplet (pairs of iambic pentameter, closed and self-contained - can stand by itself) reinvented epic convention

This handout was prepared by Dr. William Tarvin, a retired professor of literature.  Note:  Text used:  W. H. Abrams, ed.   The Norton Anthology of English Literature , 7 th             ed.  Vol. 1.  New York:  Norton, 2000. I.    INTRODUCTION             1.   Dr. Arbuthnot was hopelessly ill and had written Pope a “last request” that the poet should continue to attack vice in his satires.               2.   This poem, basically written during the summer of 1734, was published in Jan. 1735, less than two months before Arbuthnot’s (1667-1735) death.             3.   Arbuthnot was Queen Anne’s favorite doctor and later held a similar relation to Princess Caroline, who in 1727 beca...

Here are the notes on Metaphysical Poetry, long overdue. So Sushma ma’am named Andrew Marvell, Abraham Cowley, John Donne, George Herbert and Henry Vaughan as the Metaphysical poets. “Metaphysical” refers to the phenomena that are intangible, not measurable and philosophical but not entirely spiritual or religious. Ma’am stressed on the importance of mileu, social, historical and political background or CONTEXT in the proper analysis or understanding of any poetry, just as of metaphysical poetry. “Why were they called metaphysical poets?” Had in common, as per Samuel Johnson, “Discordia Concors” Concepts that are vastly different but still somehow go together. brought together combinations of dissimilar elements and showed uncanny similarity Ma'am explained discordia concors using the beautiful example of black and white - they are said in the same breath, while being polar opposites - one couldn't possibly understand the concept of one without know...

SHAKESPEARE Portia: (to Shylock:) Of a strange nature is the suit you follow; Yet in such rule that the Venetian law Cannot impugn you as you do proceed. (To Antonio:) You stand within his danger, do you not? Antonio: Ay, so he says. Portia: Do you confess the bond? Antonio: I do. Portia: Then must the Jew be merciful. Shylock: On what compulsion must I? Tell me that. Portia: The quality of mercy is not strained; Not forced – comes from within It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Shown as a “higher’ quality, coming from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: Heaven, blest = religious references It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. Twice – he who is merciful, and the one shown mercy ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes Strongest quality in the greatest of men The throned monarch better than his crown; Becomes=suits (shobha deta hai) mercy suits monarch better than crown His scepter shows the force o...

Comment on Chaucer's use of irony and humor in his introduction to the Prioress. "Chaucer criticizes the Prioress by praising her very faults." The Prioress' behavior was ironically superb. As a nun, she was expected to be modest and blend in, but she did not - she stood out, like a white rose in a field of daisies, and even though it was her own doing, it was not entirely her fault. The irony here is her paradoxically ladylike behavior, because she was a nun. Furthermore, being as she is, self-conscious and vain and with double standards about kindness, she is the PRIORESS, adds to the irony. Madam Eglantine, even in her name - which was commonly used as the fair lady, or damsel in distress in stories of courtly love - was a paradox, and THERE is the irony in her description.  The Prioress is a nun who was once a lady and has not forgotten it. She behaves as a lady of the court would - weeping for pity for animals, to show the kindness of her heart. ...

As discussed with Sushma Ma'am, here is the pattern paper and time budgeting for the Brit Lit end-semester exam: Time: 3 hours Marks: 100 8 questions of 5 marks each Spend at most one hour on this section Set a 7-minute goal to answer one question. At the end of 7 minutes, if the answer is incomplete, leave space and move to the next. Answer on 3/4 to 1side of the answer booklet 3 questions of 10 marks each Spend at most 45 minutes on this section Answer on 1 1/2 to 2 sides 2 questions of 15 marks each Spend at most 25 minutes on each answer Answer on 2 1/2 to 3 sides In the left-over 15+5+5=25 minutes, review your answers and finish off the incomplete ones. Cheers! 29/09/2014: FINALLY! Okay, here are the questions possible: LYCIDAS: Pastoral Elegy (form) Christian elements Christian and pagan elements Classical allusions Treatment of Death MOLL FLANDERS: 18th century society Character of Moll Picaresque narrative - elements FRANKENSTEIN: Got...

love-hate relationship with nature speaker's love for mother (also family) Questions given: Is the description of the mother similar to that of other Indian mothers? Is this poem about the conservation of nature? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Flowering_Tree:_A_Woman's_Tale The day after the first rain,  Monsoon. for years, I would home in a rage, Interesting. What are you so mad about, speaker? for I could see from a mile away From a mile away, on the way home our three Red Champak Trees  OUR three red champak trees had done it again, meaning they've done it before had burst into flower and given Mother  her first blinding migraine first but not last; blinding because of the extent of the pain she's in in of the season these migraines last the whole season with their street-long heavy-hung yellow pollen fog of a fragrance The pollen grains have made the air thick like fog - in fact the air IS yellow with it's...

To begin with, two things - firstly, I'm disappointed in you, Khushwant Singh, and second, this chapter is less about India than it is about Tyson's love for Martha. What's important in this sad little short story is: Indians' views on foreigners and vice versa Tyson's love for Martha the four types of foreigners - lovers, haters, half-haters and question marks (people whose opinion others don't know about) about the NARRATOR, not author And that's all there is to it.  :/

Originally I thought this chapter was about food and the dignity of life. I was right, but in a tangentially wrong direction. In this short sad story Anita Desai covers the generation gap, identity, the conflict between duty as a son and duty as a doctor, as well as the hypocrisy in perception of the same. Rakesh’s duties as a son were to study well, score well, work hard, earn well, marry well, settle well and then take care of his family well; Rakesh performed his duties in the superlative degree. Rakesh is seen as a “perfect” son – dutiful, humble and devoted – but perhaps Desai is commenting on the Indian standards of perfection. The first page and three other sections later in the story got a lot of attention in class. To begin with, “When the results… golden and glorious.” ·          Didn’t even come inside – anxious about results ·          “went up the steps” – not ran; calm and c...

Not a conversation but a rambling monologue Poet mocking "Indian English" by using it - satire Irony is that a professor speaks it As given by Prof. Felix, NOTE: The Professor by Nissim Ezekiel is a satirical poem in the form of a monologue. The poet uses (in order to mock) Indianisms in English and adapts English language to adopt native language structure. A Professor, as the one who teaches, should be in proper command of the medium he uses; therefore the poem is ironical. Explanation: Remember me? I am Professor Sheth. Shouldn't the student be approaching the teacher, saying "Good evening, sir, I'm so-and-so from your geography class, batch of '79.."  Once I taught you geography. Now The horror begins here. " Once I taught you geography"??? This man has obviously never met a Grammar Nazi. I am retired, though my health is good. My wife died some years back. It's like he's assuming that the student assumes that he has ...