All English Literature Notes

  The theme of the 'Paradise Lost'. John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is the greatest epic in English Literature and among the greatest in literature.  Milton took about a decade to write it and several decades in acquiring knowledge and preparing himself for this lofty task for fulfillment of his ambition of producing extraordinary work. The theme of 'Paradise Lost' is the 'fall of man' from paradise on account of his sin.  Milton has tried to show that every action of man, however, insignificant has its consetulence.  Adam and Eve commit a trifling error of eating the forbidden fruit in their weaker moment, but they are punished for it.  The obvious meaning of Milton's treatment of the fall is that it is the first duty of man to understand the issue of life and to be aware of importance of every trivial act.  His principal concern is that man must make the right use of every moment of his life, because every action of his is irrovocable.  Milton...

                                           TO HIS COY MISTRESS 'To His Coy Mistress' is one of the famous poems of Andrew Marvell.  It is one of the best metaphysical love - poems in English Literature.  In this poem a lover addresses his beloved who refuses to grant him sexual favours on account of her modesty and her sense of honour. The lover tells his beloved that her coyness would have been alright if they had enough time at their disposal.  If they had enough time and space at their disposal, she could have occupied herself in searching for rubies on the banks of the Indian river, the Ganges and he would have complained about his unfulfilled love on the banks of the English river Humber.  If they really had time, he would spend a hundred years in praising her eyes and gazing on her forehead, he would spend two hundred years in admiring each of her breas...

                                                                            VIRTUE The poem 'Virtue' is George Herbert's unsurpasseable ode, which exhibits Christian view of life.  It is a moral and didactic poem which teaches us that Virtue is something supreme and everlasting.  Everything in the world must end, but a virtuous soul is immortal.  Thus, the poem urges us to follow the path of virtue.  Everything dies, but virtue is undying. The poet calls the sweet day so cool and peaceful, which represents the union of the earth and the sky.  But the day must come to an end, and the dew- drops of the night will be like tears being shed over its death.  The colour of sweet rose is splendid red, which seems to express a mood of anger.  This sweet rose bids the rash on...

A VALEDICTION: FORBIDDING MOURNING                                                                                                                                                                                By -  JOHN DONNE                   " A  Valediction : Forbidding Mourning" is one of the better known poems of John Donne.   It is a love lyric and has autobiographical value.  In this poem, the poet advises his beloved not to  mourn at the moment they bid farewell to each other...

  Write a note on Chaucer's humour with reference to the Prologue. A humorist is one who is quick to perceive the funny side of things, and who has the capacity to laugh and to make others laugh at what is absurd or ridiculous.  Chaucer is one of the greatest humorists in English Literature, and this humour appears abundantly in 'The Canterbury Tales.'  Chaucer is the first great humorist in the English language.  His humour is all pervasive, it is the life and soul of his work.  The Prologue offers plentiful illustrations of Chaucer's sense of humour.  His characterisation of almost all the characters is indeed humourous.  The very frame - work of 'The Canterbury Tales' is humourous.  His pilgrims are a jolly band who laugh and talk and narrate merry tales to amuse each other as well as the readers as they proceed on their journey.  Chaucer is humourous even on the most serious occasions.  He mingles the comic with the tragic and smiles...

  The Character Sketch of The Wife of Bath: The Wife of Bath is one of Chaucer's most famous characters. She was a good house - wife who came from a place close to Bath.  She was somewhat deaf.  She was such an expert in weaving cloth that she excelled.  The workmen of the Flemish town of Ypres and Gaunt.  In the whole Parish, there was no woman who dared to go o the collection - box in the church before this Wife of Bath.  If any woman dared to do so, the Wife of Bath certainly  became so angry that she lost all pity or consideration.   The Wife of Bath's kerchiefs were finely woven.  The kerchiefs she wore on her head on a Sunday must have been ten pounds in weight.  The colour of her stockings was a fine scarlet red, and they were tightly tied.  Her shoes were very soft and new.  Her face was bold and fair, red in complexion.  She was worthy woman throughout her life.  She had married five husbands at the church do...

  Character Sketch of the Merchant : The Merchant is depicted by Chaucer as a typical businessman, who expressed his opinion in a most solemn manner.  He always claimed an increase in his business profits.  He talked mostly of his commercial enterprises.  He had a knock for selling at a profit the French crowns which he received for his goods.  He also made a profit by lending money on interest.  He was not quite upright in his business dealings. The Merchant had a forked beard.  He wore multi - coloured clothes and sat high on his horse.  On his head he wore a Flemish beaver hat.  His boots were fastened neatly and elegantly.  As he was an exporter, he wanted that the sea between the port of Middelburgh and the river Orwell should be guarded at any cost against the danger from pirates. The Merchant never felt confused or puzzled but always retained his wits.  He conducted his dealings his bargains, and his borrowings with such dign...

  The character sketch of the Knight:   The Knight is the first of the pilgrims to be  introduced in Chaucer's 'The General Prologue.'  The Knight is a virtuous character and stands at the top of the social hierarchy. The Knight was a worthy or brave man.  He was a great warrior.  He participated in many military campaigns and had travelled far and wide in order to fight.  He had always been honoured for his bravery.  Many times he had sat at the head of the table as the most distinguished person among those of various nations.  He had fought at Alexandria, in Lithuania, in Russia, in Grenada and a t several other places.  Many of the battles in which he had participated were fought in defence of the Christian faith.  Several times he had fought in single combat, and had killed his adversary every time. The Knight was not only brave, but wise.  He had loved chivalry, truth, honour and courtesy from an early time in his career....

  Technique of characterisation The character - painting in the Prologue has won wide acclaim.  It has been said that, of all the character - writers in English Literature from Ben Jonson to Wordsworth none is so great as Chaucer.  The various characters introduced in Chaucer's Prologue are both types and individuals and there lied the greatness of Chaucer as a creator of characters.   In portraying the, various characters, Chaucer adds certain characteristics to each of his character which make him an individual.  Thus, he lends each character on individuality by adding him or her certain characteristics.  To illustrate this point clearly and in detail, we may consider the Knight first.  Chaucer's Knight is a typical Knight of his age representing the fast- fading chivalry of the middle ages.  But he is also an individual who had been honoured in foreign lands above all other Knights.  His son, the young Squire, represents the jollity...

  The Canterbury Tales as a portrait - gallery.                                               The character - painting in the prologue has won world-wide fame.  It has brought Chaucer world-wide acclamation.  In praise of Chaucer, it has been said that none is so great as Chaucer in English Literature.  His prologue is a picture-gallery and his pilgrims are like twenty-nine pictures hung on a wall.                                               In his character drawing, Chaucer follows the method common to all painters.  The only difference between him and a painter is that he paints with words and not with a brush.  He makes nature his guide, he has the seeing eye and he draws his characters from real life, painting them as they ar...