Thinking activity : Modernist Poems

Modernist Poems : Activity to identify Modernist Metaphors and Images in this Poems.  To open task link Click Here

     Modernist Poems : 

1) T. E. Hulme 's " The Embankment " 

This poem is the reflection of conditions of poor and homeless people. It's based on 'Art for life sake ' rather than 'Art for Art sake.' The writer here tried to show the real conditions of homeless people. So the basic concepts of poem based on Reality. 

          The poem deals with the basic needs of human body. Such like Warmth , water and air. Here poem empathise on warmth that without it human body can't survive in the life. Poet realised the importance of warmth. He besseching God to make a blanket of starry sky for warmth.

● Modern Metaphors and Images : 

1) Finess of Fiddles : Musical Gathering like dance 

2) Flash of Gold       :  Beautiful woman like Courtesans or prostitutes

3) Fallen Gentleman : men who down because of sexual temptation and ruined emotionally or financially rather than by luck 

4) Old star eaten blanket : Breathing new life

•  Modern Image : 

       Poet talked about home by choosing 'Fiddles' and 'Gold heels'. This images rejected because both associated with luxury. But here "warmth " necessary not merely desires. 

2) Joseph Campbell 's "Darkness " : 

In this poem poet described the darkness in the positive way. The view of night that how sky has become dark without the stars. The night repressive in negative way in the  poem " The Embankment by T. E. Hulme".  In this poet look it  that there is no stars  but light is still their. So light is the  symbol of hope that there is some hope behind the darkness.

●Modern  Metaphors and Image : 

1) Boghole : land surface having a miry or songy bottom
2) Silver ribbon : Symbol of light . It is sign of awareness

3) Edward Storer 's " Image " : 

" Forsaken lovers,

  Burning to a chaste white moon,

  Upon strange pyres of loneliness and drought."

This poem is deals with the theme of love. It's talking about 'forsake lovers ' means depart from each other. For them this departure is like unbearable. Normally Moon is the symbol of peace and light but it burning them because they are on strange pyre of loneliness and drought. So for them this departure is equal to death.

● Modern Metaphors and images : 
   
1) burning to a chaste white moon :  here Moon is symbolise as fire who burning lovers.

2) Pyres of loneliness and drought

4) Ezra pound 's " In a station  of Metro" : 


The shortness of this poem fits with its topic. Here poet described about Metro station. Faces of of individual in the Metro were best into the poem not with the description but with the equation. The faces in the crowd  were becoming visible to poet very suddenly and probably disappeared just as fast. They almost look like a ghost. 
       A "Bough" is a big tree branch and it wet and black at night after rain. Pound connected  image of petals and boughs to mass humanity. It linked man made matropolitan scene with the cycle of nature. 

● Modern Metaphors and Images: 

1) Flowers and tress like humanbeing on metro :  constantly moving , growing and changing. Similarly to petals will never look  exactly the same. 

5 ) Hilda Doolittle 's " The Pool " : 

 This poem is read as the feminist poem. Also it read as the modernist poem. This poem was about self discovery. Poet asked herself a question that "Are u alive ". It Metaphorical said her consciousness. 
   Also this poem reflected the condition of women at that time. In modern time women faces many problems. There were many restrictions against women. Women has to suffered a lot for their existence. 

● Modern Metaphors and Images: 

 1) Banned one  
 2) Sea and fishing Net
        
  The 'sea' symbolised as society and 'fishing net' symbolised as restrictions on women's feeling and freedom under the net of social rules and rituals. So women has no any freedom of doing as they likes. So for that the Metaphor 'Banned one ' used.

6) Richard Aldington 's " Insouciance ": 

 This  poem written a year after world war 1 ended. In it poet described life in the tranches  and how poetry kept him alive and happy. It is oddly light hearted when it compared with modern ideals of war poetry. 

● Modern Metaphor and Images : 

1) white winged doves : files away was librarting and it helped to understand poet 's perspective on arts and it kept him alive and happy during that times. 

7) T. S. Eliot 's " Morning at the window " 

 The poem is a great example of paradoxically image. In the title of poem suggest  the theme of hope and joyful life. Morning connected with hope and joy. But in the core of poem it is  completely different. The main theme of poem connected with poverty. 

          In this poem poet described the life of poor people by standing and observing from his window. So window became the line of difference between poor and rich people. 

       Poor people live in the basement because they can't effort houses. They have to struggle a lot to fullfill their basic needs. So poet described the morning of poor people. They have to work whole day. 

● Modern Metaphors and images:

 1) Rattling Breakfast Plates : Difficult situation for fullfill basic needs , Hardwork
 2) Twisted faces : tears in eyes : painful situation of poor 
 3) Damp souls : Hardship and misery 
 4) Muddy skirts : Sympathy towards poor 
 5) Aimless smile : Hope and strength 

8 ) William Carlos Williams 's " The red Wheelbarrow " : 

  This poem is the best example of true Imagist. Red wheelbarrow and white sheep. Both colors Red and White   symbolised different theme. White symbolised as purity and innocence and Red symbolised as power and passion. 

        Wheel symbolised as life and Barrow symbolised as body. The Barrow always depends on wheel like that Body always depending on life. As like  wheel life is always moving towards progress. 

    The concept of  ' no idea but in things ' means that all ideas are dependent upon the concrete things. So the whole concept of the poem is ' depends '.  This poem is also about agriculture that dependent upon rain. 

● Modern Metaphors and images :

1) Red wheel Barrow 
2) white sheepes 
3) Rain 


9 ) Wallace Stevens 's " Anecdote of the Jar " : 

   It is imaginative poem in which poet explored the question of superiority between Art and Nature. Tennessee is the name of Jar. It reminding one of the Grecian Urns by Keats. 

The contrast became more difficult as poem developes . ' Anecdote of Jar ' is the  example of that express an acceptance of limits of imagination. It can't reproduced or recycle. The Imagination and Nature both have their own uniqueness. But at the end poet realise that his Art is not capable as nature is. 

● Modern Metaphor and Images : 

1) Jar : Art object, made by human beings , imagination 
2) Hills : Nature  
       

10 ) E. E. Cummings 's I (a...) " Leaf falls on loneliness ": 

  The image of single leaf is the symbol of loneliness and that sense of loneliness is enhance by the structure of poem. The poem is only of few words but it's effect is more powerful. Leaf is symbolise as life and falls symbolise as death. It has a deep and effective meaning behind the words. 

● Modern Metaphor and Image : 

1) leaf falls : Death 

  So there can be many interpretation that comes after reading these poems. So the modernist poems are very difficult to understand for us. There is always hidden meaning behind every word in the poem.         

     

Thinking activity : The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot

●     THINKING ACTIVITY : T.S.ELIOT 'S " THE WASTELAND "
      To see the task Click Here.

1) What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or Has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho-historical answer to the contemporary malaise?

              

Answer :  Eliot 's views were not  regressive nor progressive. Niethzsche believed in ubermensch and Eliot believed in spirituality. Both are very opposite in their views and both are considered as Right with their views. In  "The Wasteland " is  reflection  of Eliot 's time. But he used both ways  in the poem. In the regressive way. He  used certain kind of theme like sexual perversion and spiritual decay. The theme and character , scenes remained as  it is but their level increased through out the poem. So the spiral up and down happened. Spiritual  draught leading towards sexual perversion and sexual perversion leading towards spiritual draught. Also it shows the decayed condition of civilization  and culture.

April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain..

So in this lines Eliot talked about more regressive way that April considered as one of the most cruellest month. In the Chauser 's Work "Canterbury tales ". He described April as the month of shower.

Also he was progressive in his views he talked about spiritually. Datta , Dayadhvam and Damyata.

have heard the key

Turn in the door once and turn once only

We think of the key, 

        each in his prison

Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison. 

So in this lines he talked about Ego. Prison symbolised as self Ego and Key as Ego. We are in the prison of self ego. It was locked by key which is Ego. The key is on our hand but we can't open it because of irrogence, pride and ego. We rarely think of coming out. So this way he also talked about to got free from our Ego.

2 ) What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy and satisfied life? or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?

           

Answer :  Yes,  I agree with Eliot's views about  'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'. So Eliot believed in self control. One should have to control over his self. Also he talked about preservation. Salvation of men is in the preservation of culture and tradition. For Eliot :

      "Tradition as fertile land to grow seeds rather than burden." 

    Sigmund Freud talked about satisfaction. One should have to satisfied themselves. One should full fill their hunger. It's good for society.  But it's not good because man 's hunger never satisfied it remains for ever. So this idea is never worked because man never fullfill his hunger.

      Because of this I agree with Eliot's view about self control and preservation of tradition and culture. It helps humanbeing to be better. Because Human being have many wishes one can't get satisfaction after  fulfilling it . Their hunger become more and more lustful and powerful after once it satisfied. So self control helps person to control over their wishes.

3) Write about allusions to the Indian thoughts in 'The Waste Land'. (Where, How and Why are the Indian thoughts referred?)

 

                   

Answer :  The basic theme of the poem based on Indian thought spirituality. Through the spirituality Eliot tried to got solution of sexual perversion and hollowness of Men in modern time. He used Buddhism and  Upnished thoughts in the poem.

● Datta , Dayadhvam and Damyata : 

   In this poem Eliot used Indian spiritual  thought  of Datta , Damyata and Dayadhvam. It were used for the people of that time who shattering down and committed suicide and run away from their responsibilities.

 

Datta:

what have we given?

My friend, blood shaking my heart 

The awful daring of a moment's surrender 

Which an age of prudence can never retract 

By this, and this only, we have existed 

Which is not to be found in our obituaries

Or in memories draped by the beneficent spider

Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor

In our empty rooms       

So in this lines talked about not only charity but giving oneself for some noble cause. Devote oneself for noble needs. It is pious , selfless , sacrifice are not found in any biographies or memory books. Ex. Daan vir Karna and Bhamasha.

      So in Datta talked about Sacrifice,  Damyata talked about self control and Dayadhvam talked about sympathy for  others.

● Ganga :

 Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves

Waited for rain, while the black clouds

Gathered far distant, over Himavant.

The jungle crouched, humped in silence. 

Then spoke the thunder.    

So In this lines Eliot used Ganga which considered as holy river in India. Also used Himalayas as Himavant. So both are mythically and spiritually connected to India.

● Shantih shlok :

          " Shantih    shantih    shantih "

     The word Shantih connect with Indian spirituality.  In this line used  for some hope and peaceful life. Peace that coming after anxiety.

Eliot refers to Wisdom of India for spiritual salvation of modern humanity. So by used this Indian thoughts Eliot wanted to resolved the problem like sexual perversion and spiritual draught.  He wanted to gave message about  " The way of life which is spiritual." 

Rain

                                " Rain "

In our department of English Bhavnagar university.  we have a remedial class every day. It help us to learn the language in better way. It also improve our listening and writing and speaking skills. This task is apart of this activities. 

     On 11th July 2018, Because of rainy day our teacher Miss Vaidehi Hariyani ma'am  decided to went outside of the class. We went outside and sitting in parking area. It was a great experience and it remembered our childhood Days to sitting under  the lap of Nature. During this ma'am given us a task to described  Rain in our words so we tried  to described Rain in our words. 

      I tried to described Rain in My words : 

" Rain is considering as a life giver. It is also symbolised as a tears of sky who meets after a long time to land in the form of drops. This drops is like holy water. Who not only gives life to tress but also it gives  life to animals and people.  it's every drop is like playing music. This music is very sweet. We just need to feel it and enjoy it."  

                                                      Thank you. 😊

Movie Review : " Matilda "

 Movie Review of Matilda : 

"Matilda " is a movie which was directed by Danny Devito. It is a children 's   fantasy comedy  movie. This movie is all about the protagonist of the movie Matilda. She is very intelligent girl but her parents always neglect her intelligence. They consider her as a dumb girl. Matilda loves to read the books whenever she is free she goes to the  library and read the books. So the books becomes her way to get free from her own stress. Her parents are not giving more importance to books and education. They always give importance to television rather than books. So whenever Matilda reading book they scrolling her and mistreat her. Her father telling her that :

"I'm smart your dumb, I'm big your little, I'm right your wrong and there's nothing you can do about it!

So this way she is treated by her family. No one can understand her. After so many affords Matilda get admission in school.

   In the school she meet Agatha Trunchbull. She is  the principal of the school. She has very violent nature. She always give harsh punishments to the students by harshly mistreating them. In the school there is very kind lady teacher whose name is Jennifer Honey. She always treates children very kindly. She many times saves children from the punishment of Trunchbull. After a few days she easily realise that  Matilda is very intelligent girl. She meets her parents and trys to telling them that Matilda is very intelligent girl. But Matilda 's Parents ignore this thing.

   Later on Matilda gets the idea that she has a special power. She begins to train her self at her own will. She slowly and stidily make strong her power. She once goes to Trunchbull house to take the doll of Miss Honey. By using her power she become successful to threatening Trunchbull. So she using her power for good reason. Later on by using this power Trunchbull leaving the school for ever.

      After that Matilda tell her parents that she doesn't want to live with them. Miss Honey adopted Matilda. They both live happily together. They both get what they deserve at the end.

     So this movie shows that at the end good wins. Also it shows the strength of will power. Matilda uses her power for good way rather than using it for bad.  So she never misused her power. She always try to help her own self,  Miss Honey and school children. So good gets good and bad gets bad at the end of movie.

Trailer of the movie Matilda : 





● My Favourite book : 



 My Favourite book is The Alchemist. It is a novel  written by Paulo Coelho. It is about the journey of one Shepherd boy Santiago. He had  believing a recurring dream to prophetic. He asking one woman about this dream. Woman interprets the dream as a prophecy telling the boy that he will discover a treasure at the Egyptian Pyramids. In his whole journey to find treasure he is facing many difficulties. But he believes on his self that he can find the treasure.  There is one quote that :

" When you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. "

   So this thing reflect through this book that Santiago never losing his hopes. He constantly thinking about the treasure. It shows his self confidence and self believe. This thing reflect when he gets robbed by a man after that he works in one grocery shop. He wants to collect some money for reaching to Pyramids. So he work hard and not losing his hopes. At the end one kind person tells him that the grate treasure is within his self not in Pyramids.

So this book is a great example of self believe and self confidence. Santiago is going through many troubles but he never losing his hopes. He focus on his target. He  work hard to achieve it. So by reading this book it gives self confidence to us. That we have never give up in our life. We have to work hard for what we want.

Library visit on the 9th July 2018

          Library Visit on  9th July 2018 

Library is a place you can go in any town and discover the world. It has both sides like a coin. It is a collection of sources of information. For most of people it considered as a most boring place but it has also a good side that this place is source of knowledge.

On 9th July 2018. We the students of Department of English visited at the Central library of Bhavnagar University. It was an orientation programme visit for the both semester students. At there library Head  Batukbhai Gohil  gave us the information about library. At there we got to know about that how things systematically works inside the library. Also we got to know about that how to use Book Deposit machine through Degital library cards and how to search the availability of books in library with the help of Internet. They also shown the different sections of library and reading rooms. So overall it was good experience. We were very well guided and instructed by the library members and Assistant over there.

 As a leader for me it was good experience. For a leader it never be easy to lead the people. As a leader  I can't do anything all alone. I would like to thanks my partner leader Reena and all our committee members and Friends for being our support to full fill our responsibility and make first library visit successful. I also thank you semester 1 students to being supportive. At last but not the least  I would like to thank you Prof. Dilip Barad Sir ffor organised this library visit.

Library Visit on 6th July 2018

Library visit on 6th July 2018

Library is a place you can go in any town and discover the world. It has both sides like a coin. It is a collection of sources of information. For most of people it considered as a most boring place but it has also a good side that this place is source of knowledge.

 On 6 July 2018 we were visited for bring  NET/ SET books. University Central library is a techo friendly library. we search the availability of books through Internet. But however we hardly  find a single book. Later on Barad sir came there. Sir helped us and also guide us how to find books through searching on Internet.  Here l wants to mention the process of searching books through Internet. 

Firstly we go through the site of MKBU university.  Click here.  After click on link you find this page. 

1)

              

In this page you find many things. Then you have to click on the option of  Library.

2) 

                   

Then you have to click on ONLINE LIBRARY  (OPAC). 

3)

               

Then you find another page. Then you have to Click on search option.

4) 

                 

After click on search option you find this page in which you have to feel colum. You can give the name of book, author , publisher.

5) 

                       

Then you get the list of books which are available in library. You also get to know whether the book is issued or not.

6) 

                   

 After click on the name of book you get this page in which you can find the shelf number of the book. 

So this way we can find books easily. We find the more than 20 books of NET /SET. So this way this technology helped us into searching books in library .  Sometimes It  become easy way to find books rather than going to library and check there. This technology has also a negative side. Sometime it may happens that students or readers not put books at their proper place because of that others can't find books easily.   

Onine Discussion : Mario Vargas Llosa 's Interview

ONLINE DISCUSSION : MARIO VARGAS LIOSA'S INTERVIEW  : 

 He was awarded the noble prise for literature in 2010. He was considered as a Noble Laureate. He was interviewed for the WorldPost by Skafidas a journalist and professor at City University of New York.

Hear some ideas I like :

● If you respect Literature you must accept not only idealist, altruistic vision of humanbeing but also the infernal vision of them.

● In Human beings there are Angles and Devils. Sometimes the Angles are important but in the literature Devils are also important too.

●Literature is testimony of what we want to hide in the real word. You can't attack Literature for your vices and Prejudice and Stupidity.

● The words are acts . It write  the things that could make a different in history or solve problems. Writing was a way to participate in the creation of a different kind of society. Writing was not only for creating pleasure but also a tool for change.

● History and Literature are faces of a coin. They are so close and in many cases the litraty version of historical part prevails over historian 's account. The literature is still very close to living experience.

Review of the film " The Great Dictator

"The Great Dictator :"

"The Great Dictator" film was Directed and Performed by Greate Actor Charlie Chaplin. It was his first film in which he coming out of Silent era. This film was realised on 1940 during world war second. This film was considered  as political satire.

In this movie we can see the situation during modern time. In this film Charlie Chaplin was in double role. He was soldier and also Dictator.  So these both ways  he trys to show the image of Politics and Conditions of Jewish  people.

Situation of war :

 This movie first focus on the situation of war between two nations. Also this thing shows the strength of army and conditions of soldiers. During war Chaplin saved life of one army officer. During that time his plane was crash and he losted his memory of 20 years. He behave like he was a barber. So this thing show us that because of war how situation become difficult for the soldiers. War happens not because for nation but because the ego of power. Power plays vital role behind every war.

Political satire :

This film  was the  best example of political satire. In this film shows how political leaders behave in front of the public. In this film Hynkel was political leader.  In his speech he  talked about motherland , liberty and Humanity. He was  whipping during his  speech. So It was all fake thing . People were control under him.He told to clap so all should clap for him. When  he said to be silent so all should silent. Also his different behaviour with other leaders and children. It shows that he has two different faces.

In this film shows the meeting between two leaders. Hynkel  and Napoliny. In front of media they behaved like a friend but in reality they both were enemy. They all time insulted each other by talking about army's strength and new innovation like submarine. They fight with each other on the matter of border.

Hynkel was playing with balloon of Globe . It symbolise that how this political leaders think about others. They don't care about others they only wanted to  become powerful. So it was like a game for him  to ruled over the world. He wanted to became Dictator of the world.

Conditions of  Jewish  people :

 Jewish people have not consider as the part of the nation. They faced Many struggle. So in the nation their was no equality. Army of Hykale behaved so rude towards them. They braking the glasses of their shops and taking anything from their shops. Soldiers were beating them. So the condition of Jewish were very difficult.

Suddenly Government becomes friendly with Jewish people. It had political reason behind it. There was one rich Jewish can help government financially. It shows the political background of that era that how leader can change their rules for their profits.

Influence of Radio and Newspapers : 

In this film when Barbar consider as a Hynkel at that time he delivered a speech. In this speech he talked about equality, liberty , human soul as greed poisoned ,  cleverness hard and unkind. At the end he finally address the message of hope to Hannah. She can hear his voice on radio. It shows the influence of radio in politics make vital role. Also newspaper play a vital role. It only focus on the political parties.

So this way this film represent the political and social  situation of that time. The situation of Jewish , the relationship between two political leaders, situations of war. So this way this film consider as a comic political satire.

You can watch this movie :