Out of business- R.K.Narayan : Summary and notes| C.U.

Summary:-

A debacle came down in Rama Rao's life as a result of circumstances. Rama Rao lost his job in the Gramophone Company when the company collapsed due to feather of Bombay's financier of Lahore based bank which so got crashed. Rama Rao's well paid job in the Gramophone Company which enabled him to buy a bungalow and send his children to a fashionable school . Rama fell into a financial crisis, his money in the bank melted out forcing his wife to dismiss the cook from service and withdraw children from their former  school and sending them to a free primary school. Rama Rao tried employment in many place by sending applications , burly they proved to be of no use. Rama, fascinated by the prospect of earning some extra money through solving of the crossword puzzles tries a hand on it but fails repeatedly. Finally one day the journal 'Captain' announced a special offer of eight thousand rupees and it excited Rama Rao's vision of future by tenfolds. He tried this time, even sending answers with all the probable solutions from all corners. But fails, ultimately resulting him to feel depressed. He became so depressed that he contemplates suicide. He goes to the railway track to give off his life but there had been a derailment of a train causing three hours delay. Rama understanding that God has given him a second chance, thanks God and then returns back home to start afresh.

Spoken English and Broken English - George Bernard Shaw: Guide notes| Calcutta University

Summary:-

'Spoken English and Broken English' is an essay by George Bernard Shaw which is a transcript of a radio talk recorded in 1927. Thus essay gives some instructions regarding how to speak English to a foreign student of English when they travel in the British Commonwealth or in America or when they meet a native. It even says that the native may even speak in a provincial or cockney dialect of which he is a little ashamed and this may even prevent him from obtaining some employment which is open only to those speaking correct English.
The essay he's been divided into three sections. The first part rightly stresses on the fact that there is no single model of correct speech in English. The first thing everyone (native or foreigner) must remember is that there lies no ideally correct English. Shaw discusses that the notion of "correct English", which is the proper way in which English should be spoken. According to him, no two British subjects speak exactly alike. Though they all speak differently, they all speak presentably which makes them understandable and thus acceptable as a person of good social standing. The second part talks about how everyone irrespective of whether they are educated or uneducated , speaks differently in public and in private. A person's speech in public needs to be a careful one, measuring each word before he speaks, to create an impact and make it understandable. But in private a man is less bothered about the speech, the grammar, articulation,etc .. This section is particularly the most amusing and Shaw presents himself as a guinea pig.
Now in the last section Shaw advises foreigners on how to speak while traveling in English speaking country and here he gives another warning of quite a different kind. The first thing that a person who is a foreigner should do is to speak with strong foreign stress and use broken English without grammar. Then every native to whom he speaks would understand he is a foreigner and would try to understand and be ready to help him. He shouldn't expect everyone to be polite and use elaborate grammatical phrases. But now this advice is flawed as it is outdated for now that many people not only visit many English speaking countries but also reside in countries like America and Britain.
With globalization taking its hold on the world and the need of learning multiple global languages out of which English stands at the very helm, has led people to seek out the 'correct' form of the English language.

A Passing Glimpse - Robert Frost: Summary | CBSE

The 'Passing glimpses' is a typical of Robert Frost's poetry, in various ways. The poet Robert Frost in his poem 'A Passing glimpse' has shown us very tactfully that in everyday mechanical,  monotonous, modern life of our , we often don't get time to look at the beautiful nature around us.
  The poem 'A passing glimpse' opens with the speaker refering to the passing glimpse of  flowers seen from the rapidly moving car of a train . The flowers symbolises the delicate beauty of nature which is timeless and eternal while in comparison, life is bounded by the borders of time and is destined we to perish. In our daily rat race we often fail to pay heed to the happenings around us and move on without even noticing them. The tracks of life are long and lay farther than what can be perceived through our eyes
   The poet, through the moving train gets glimpses of many flower beside the track. He tries to guess the names of these flowers and on doing so understands that his guesses will prove to be wrong. He wants to get out of the train to spot those flowers but unfortunately he cannot manage to . He then doubts whether they were his imagination which brushed across his mind.
In all of it we can identify well that it is this mechanical life that imprisons us and thus in this time bound life we hardly get time to stop by and appreciate the nature around us and it's timeless beauty. Although we desire to look back, barely we get a chance. But even after telling us the various lacks of a monotonous materialistic life he ends the poem with quite a promising , optimistic, couplet which tells that a glimpse of heaven can only be perceived by those who do not get the chance "to look too close" . Thus, beauty multiplies when we step back and look at it from a distance, rather than examining it critically and closely.

The Enemy- Pearl.S.Buck: Guide notes|CBSE Class 12

Q1)  Describe the reaction and resistance faced by Hana and Dr. Sadao from the different servers?

Answer:- The servers in Dr. Sadao's house were not in favour of harbouring an American war prisoner in the house. They didn't even wanted Sadao's to save his life. The maid servent Tumi defied the order of Hana to clean the wounded dirty American prisoner on finding him to be a white man. She became stubborn as she had never washed a white man. When Hana cried at her sternly, she had a fierce look of resistance on her round face, thus ultimately forcing Hana to clean the man on her own. 
   On the other hand, the gardener being a superstitious man said that the white man ought to die. First he was shot. Then the sea caught him in her waves and wounded him with her rocks . It showed the man was fated to die and they had no business to save him , as was his prediction which Dr.Sadaoproved to be wrong with his surgical skills. Beside all these the Hoki couple faced open resistance from the other servent who left the house together in the morning on the seventh day with their belongings in large square cotton kerchief which the Hoki couple understood was the result of their belonging to the poor working class of the society, who were superstitious and lacked refinement.

Q2) "Nowadays newspapers are bombard with the news of war among countries showing increased hatred and enemity among the nation and Humana's a whole". Discuss with special reference to "The Enemy".

Answer:- The world today has become a place where hatred and war originates like 'germ'. Enemity now flows through the bien of human. But among all this humanity is alive even today which the author Peaul. S.Buck.through her story 'Enemy' has tried to high light .
    Even though Dr. Sadao Hoki knew that the wounded man was an American war prisoner , he decided to treat the white man with utmost sincerity. They harboured an enemy country's Citizen in spite of knowing that there is a threat to gather arrested as a traitoras Japan was at war with America. But on the other hand, the General Yakima, on being informed about the situation by Dr. Sadao assured that he will send his private assassin to kill him in sleep. The serventa in Sadao's house also showed resistance towards the harbouring an American whom they considered to be an enemy and the gardener even said that Sadao had no business saving him. Everyone outside the Hoki family was against the act of saving life of the white man ,Tom .
        At the end,  Sadao came out of these narrow prejudice and we see that he tactfully made an escape plan to safeguard Tom's life and enabled him to run away from Japan safely to his country American.

Martyr's corner- R.K.Narayan : Extra question| Calcutta University

Q)  Discuss theme of the story 'Martyr's corner' .

Answer:-  The author R.K.Narayan has wonderfully portrayed the picture of his imaginative locale Malgudi in his story. The story is also from his collection, 'Malgudi Days' , where he has depicted the boons and banes  of town life. The telltale sign of this imaginative locale is prominent, still the author in his magical ways has included the day to day emotions of rural life in this story. Like the place itself which is universal, Rama,  the protagonist of the story, also represents the commoan who is put to untold suffering because of the faulty administrative setup in which he is placed. The author has beautifully woven the theme of deligance, dedication,hard work, compassion,poverty, struggle and resilience. In the story the uncertainty of life and rise and fall associated with it is also displayed.
     The first half of the the story talk about the success of the hard working , Rama , who sold eatables on a stall at corner near the cinema hall . He prepared the edibles from crack of the daen and then he sold them between eight to ten in the evening. He , through an investment of five rupees per day managed to earn a princely sum of three hundred a month. He didn't even bothered about understanding hygiene and sold near an open gutter. Still his customers clamoured for the food . All in all he had a good life.
        Rama, later in the story , on account of a violent uprising at the spot where he pitched the stall of eatables could no longer sell from the old spot. He was forced to move two hundred yards away out of the sight of his potential customers. This resulted in his business coming down so much that he had to windup his business. Later when his savings ran out he had to take the job as a waiter in Restaurant Kohinoor for rupees twenty a month . Thus this story justifies the rise and fall of life.

To the skylark- William Wordsworth: Summary and guide notes.

Summary:-

The poem of William Wordsworth, "To the Skylark" is a beautiful poem describing the activities of the Skylark in the sky. He puts a series of questions in front of the lark. He firstly asks the question whether he hates the ground below as the poet always finds the bird flying up in the sky. Or does his mind and eye still engrossed in the thought of home? The poet goes on to praise the bird for the sweet melody it produces, though he cannot drop in to his home freely at will.
        The skylark has been called a daring bird for the height at which it flies. He has a strong bonding with the home. The song he sings spread throughout the plain and fills it with the divine rapture of the timeless melody it produces.
        The speaker requests the skylark' to leave the dark forest to the nightingale as he has a glorious light to himself. The bird is wise because he still remain connected to the roots, the nest and remains true to both the sky and earth.

Q1) Briefly analyze the poem 'To the skylark' by William Wordsworth.

Answer:-  The speaker of the poem in the first stanza asks a question to the skylark' that whether he hates the ground while he begins by calling it an "ethereal minstrel", a divine singer and "pilgrim of the sky", a traveler of the sky. He says on earth 'care' thrives. ''Care'' here can be taken as something positive but going by the tone seems to be more of a suffering and unhappiness. Then the poet further goes onto ask the bird, does still his heart and eye in his home on the ''dewy ground'', even though his wings are keen to fly. He asks this because he always sees the bird high up in the sky singing and wandering. Although he has a nest which he cannot drop into at will but that music, the divine melody is constantly composed by his quivering wings and in spite of it the poet praises the song. The meaning of the last sentence could be found in the behaviour of the Skylark and this forms the reason for the poet's calling the bird ''he''. Skylark is a song bird and perching bird as well. But unlike the other perching bird the skylark, as it has s in its name, can sing only when it's in flight, flying high up in the sky. So, he ''cannot enter his home freely'' means that if the Skylark desires to sing then he cannot be at home. 
   Now the poet ventures on to describe the flight of the ''Ethereal minstrel''. It's flight to the "last point of vision and beyond" means that it cannot be seen and the poet calls it "daring" for the height it mounts to. "Twixt thee and thine a never-failing bond" means that the bond between the Skylark and his home is very strong and unbreakable and this love for his home makes the song equally pleasant when on ground as well as in sky. Although he flies too high on air, it never forgets the home and so the poet calls here "might'st" and "proud privilege" because he sings independent of the leafy spring, independent of season of earth and he sings timeless.
  In the last stanza, Wordsworth asks the Skylark to leave the nightingale to the shady wood. Nightingale, which is a songbird, sing in forest unlike the Skylark which sing in the sky and the poet says that the Skylark posses the "privacy of glorious light" which is a little contradictory as how could the open sky provide privacy to the lark. But this not about whether someone sees it or not but because of the height where it sings .
The speaker then says that the lark fills the world with "flood of harmony". The bird has a great instinct as it is a bird that soars but never roams by which the poet means that however high the lark flies he would return to his home and this makes him wise, depicting that he is true to his roots,his lovely nest.
   Last the Skylark is "true to the kindred point of Heaven and Home" meaning that the Skylark is closely related to both heaven and home , i.e. sky and the ground.

Q2) What is the central idea of the poem "To the skylark'' ?

Answer:- The poem by Wordsworth, "To the skylark'' is a beautiful description of the skylark's behaviour and a passionate praisal of the creation of Mother Nature and Almighty. The "flood of harmony" that the skylark showers onto the ground below from his "privacy of glorious light", gives it an effect as if God is showering his blessing on the earth. The skylark's bond with the home on the dewy ground and it's tendency to soar high up in the sky is what the poem seems about when first looked at but one can always take away something from poetry. Here in this poem readers can take away the wisdom of staying true to their roots , their home even when that reach high up in life . With the arrival of success, if we forget the origin or the roots to which we belong then we'll never be able to carry on and reach up to the higher levels. What we have to contribute, it must go two ways- one towards the elevated position to raise it to further heights while other to the home. Only then we can be truly wise. This is the central idea to always maintain a strong, never-failing bond with home even when we are far away. Incorporating these values in life as Wordsworth expects us to, helps us achieve a better position in life. Another idea which lies here is that of giving an ode to a skylark for its certain unique qualities.

Where the mind is without fear- Rabindranath Tagore: Guide notes.

What is the central theme of the poem "Where the mind is without fear" by Rabindranath Tagore?

Answer:- The poem "Where the mind is without fear" by Rabindranath Tagore was composed first in Bengali in 1900 when India still was under the British Imperialist control and people were eagerly waiting to get their freedom from British rule. Tagore's own concept of freedom has also been reflected through this poem,taken from the Nobel prize winning anthology 'Gitanjali' (Song offering) published by Indian Society, London in 1912. The poet wanted a country where people would be free from any kind of oppression and their head would be held high in dignity. There would be education and knowledge for everyone regardless of class or clan and children should learn freely from nature around them. He even puts emphasis on unity among people of the entire world without any division on caste,creed,colour, religion or baseless superstition. He says that there should not even be national boundaries which breaks unity among the global citizens. Tagore even wants a nation where people would be truthful and not superficial and words should come out from the depth of the heart. Everyone should work hard to reach their goals and neither should they be lazy and tired nor should ignore it,enabling them to reach perfection. The poet that he doesn't want the 'clear stream' of reason and logical thinking to lose its ways into the 'dreary deserts' of prejudice and superstition. He says that the mind should be 'led forward' to 'ever-widening thoughts and actions' by Almighty evading the narrowness of mind. And he finally ends by asking the God, the Father to awaken his country in such a 'heaven of freedom' where the above conditions prevail.
          Rabindranath Tagore in a way wanted to awaken the God in us to free our mind from shackles and bondage. He wants us not to get bonded by lines that society draws around us. He wants us to come out and break the established norms, principles, superstition,etc. that curb our  actual freedom- the freedom of minds, the freedom of thoughts. He urge his countrymen to come forward to convert the utopian world of holistic freedom free from the hackneyed principles and dogmas into the reality of the coming sunrise. Tagore's heartfelt prayers to God,the Almighty for true freedom for the country has taken the form of this poem.

My mother at sixty-six - Kamala Das : Guide notes and answers| CBSE Class 12

 My mother at sixty-six:-

Q1) Why did the poet suddenly recall 'last Friday morning'?

Answer:- The poet 'Kamala Das' recalls about"last Friday" as while she was driving back from her "parent's home" to Cochin she discovered that her "childhood fear" was back to her which brought back to her the "familiar ache". Her fear that her mother was growing old and nearing her end, which she realised with pain as she found her  mother dozing, "open mouthed", her face was pale and "ashen like that of a corpse" which was a symbol that her mother is not going to live long.

Q2) Why has the mother been compared to" the late winter's moon" ?

Answer:-  The poet has compared her mother to the "late winter's moon" to convey the idea of her old age. The winter is a traditional symbol of death , and as in literature, moon symbolises death and decay ,so the mother has been compared to the "late winter's moon" which is dull and shrouded and signifies the ebbing life . The moon brings to the poet's mind night or the approaching end of life. The mother's pale, bloodless and wrinkly face with grey hair and so is like the 'late winter's moon' which is dull,dim,dismal.

Q3). What 'familiar ache' did the poet feel?

Answer:-  The poet is pained to see her mother old and suffering. The sight of her mother's pale and weak face looks like that of a corpse, which arouses her childhood's "familiar ache" in her heart. It is also the ache of helplessness. The "old familiar ache "  refers to the poet's childhood premonition of losing or being separated from the parent or her mother. The fear that haunted her in her childhood returns with its horrifying appearance due to the old age of the mother signifying her approaching end.

Q4). What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

Answer:- The parting words "see you soon Amma"  are used by the poet to reassure the mother and to infuse optimism in the poet herself. The poet accepts the facade of smiling in order to put up a brave front. The poet's parting words are expressive of the dilemma and confusion in her mind while her elongated smile is superficial and expresses her helplessness. Both the words and smile not only hide her anxiety and fear about her mother's rather frail health but also a faint hope that the old woman would survive long enough for the two to meet again. It requires a lot of effort and hence the poet has used the poetic device of repetition

Q5)  How does the poet describes the old age of her mother ?

Answer:-  The poet 'Kamala Das' has described her mother's old age in a very beautiful, still heart-piercing way. She has tried to create a foil between the energetic youth, tender nature with her old, frail, wan and pale mother, who is like the 'late winter's moon' devoid of energy, vigour and vitality. Her wrinkly, bloodless face resembles that of a corpse while the children 'spilling' and trees 'sprinting' are full of tenderness,youth and symbolises through them the flow of time that neither stops nor waits for anyone and thus brings with it death, the oblivious enemity.

Lost Spring- Anees Jung: Guide notes and answers |CBSE Class 12

Q1)Write a short note on 'Life at Seemapuri'

Answer:- Although Seemapuri was a place on the ' periphery of Delhi' still metaphorically it was miles away from it. This was because of the poor living conditions available at Seemapuri which were far apart from the high class standard for living in Delhi. Delhi provide people with skyscraper, high-class lifestyle, furnished flat, proper drainage facilities and many more. On the contrary Seemapuri, the dwelling place for "squatter" from Bangladesh is a "wilderness" with structure of mud with roofs of tin and tarpaulin,devoid of sewage, drainage or running water facilities. They live without identity, without permits,only with ration card to get them into voter's list and enable to buy grains. Temporary house, demolished by storm and tattered clothes and sarees have been the fate of Seemapuri folk. Children grow up becoming partners of survival with destiny being rag-picking.

Q2) Justify the title "Lost spring".

Answer:-. The story "Lost spring" has a tinge of irony . Spring ,the best season and being full of colour, fragrance and freshness,it is also a season of renewal and growth . The childhood of human life is often likened to spring as it marks the beginning of human life and has a tremendous scope for growth. It is full of tenderness,joy, pleasure and plays. Children anywhere in the world are a source of great joy. But ironically millions of children like Saheb and Mukesh experience no spring in their lives for their childhood is consumed in making a living. Education,play and pleasure are not for them to enjoy. They must work to support themselves and their families. Thus the title brings out the depravity of child labour in a very telling way. So the title is justified.

Q3) What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?

Answer:-  Saheb, the rag-picker and one of the protagonist of the story is 'scrounging' for a rupee in the garbage which seems to be gold to them " wrapped in wonder". They have a hope to find more coin or sometimes even a ten rupees note.
           Saheb- e- alam resides in Seemapuri in the periphery of Delhi which is a 'wilderness' 'deviod of sewage or drainage',  etc.and without even identity.
            Saheb has come from Bangladesh and was a refugee.

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Portrait of a lady- Khuswant Singh: Guide notes for CBSE CLASS XI

Character sketch of grandmother:-

The story describes the entire phase of relationship which the author shared with his grandmother. In the early days of the author's life , his grandmother shared a strong bond with him. However, that tie of friendship loosened a little when they both shifted to the author's city house.
When the author started to go to the university,then this relationship was led to a complete separation. That phase of author's life was very painful. He got a room of his own and his grandmother led a life of seclusion. However, in spite of changes in the course of life, their feelings for each other remained unchanged. Even when he was leaving to go abroad, she didn't display any emotion but prayed continuously. Same was her reaction when the author came back after five years.
The author's grandmother was a lady who was very spiritual and not accustomed to the modern techniques, styles and way of life. She was short and fat,slightly bent. She was beautiful at heart. Being very caring, she used to wake up the author in the morning and get him ready for school. She was very concerned about the author's education. She was a kindhearted person and a pet lover as well. She visited to the temples frequently. She was very attached to the author and would spend hours talking to him about his education. She was deeply distressed at western education and learning of music. Author's grandmother was a pious woman as she used to tell the beads of the rosary and would say a prayer in a singsong manner.

Q) How was the author's relation with grandmother?

Answer:- 
The story describes the entire phase of relationship which the author shared with his grandmother. In the early days of the author's life , his grandmother shared a strong bond with him. However, that tie of friendship loosened a little when they both shifted to the author's city house.
When the author started to go to the university,then this relationship was led to a complete separation. That phase of author's life was very painful. He got a room of his own and his grandmother led a life of seclusion. However, in spite of changes in the course of life, their feelings for each other remained unchanged. Even when he was leaving to go abroad, she didn't display any emotion but prayed continuously. Same was her reaction when the author came back after five years.

Lost Spring- Anees Jung: Guide notes answer part-II | CBSE Class 12

Q1) The beauty of glass bangle of Firozabad contrast with the misery of the people who produce them. Comments.

Answer:-  The lives of workers of bangle factory in Firozabad is foil to the beauty of the glass bangle. Their life is colourless but their creation that is, the glass bangles reflect all colours of the rainbow. Bangles are colourful , bright , symbol of suhag of married Indian women which is considered to be auspicious and fill colour and happiness in their lives. But in contrast the producers are impoverished, deprived and remains in dark. They lose their eyesight, slog their day spending light hours in dark, stingy cells in front of furnaces. Human and animal's coexistence, as the life in the primeval state. They do not have leader to fight for them, they are helpless. Thus, they accept this to be fate , destined to be sufferers.

Q2) "Mukesh's dream is also like a mirage"-. Elucidate.

Answer:-  The dreams trapped in the childish mind and seen through the young eyes of Mukesh seems to be a mirage. Mirage, an optical illusion, which even after trying alot can't be approached. Mukesh's dreams were similar to that of a mirage which can only be seen but never can be approached in reality. Mukesh's dream to be a 'motor mrchanic' appears to be foil to the situation of Mukesh's life, trapped in the "vicious cycle" of policemen, middlemen,sahukars, politicians etc. who gradually push them into the net of exploitation, poverty, malpractices. So, Anees Jung has said that his dreams are like mirage, hard to reach, hard to acquire.

Q3)  What is the working condition in the bangle factory of Firozabad? 
Mention the hazards of these industries.

Answer:-  The working condition available to the workers of the glass bangle factory are very much poor compared to the beauty of the bangles. They have to work in extremely high temperature of furnace in the dingy, uncomfortable cells without air and light. They are not provided with proper remuneration with relation to the hard ship so taken up by them .Also proper safety measures are taken up to protect them from its harmfully effects.
           The hazards so faced by the workers of those industries are that the dust from polishing the bangles are injurious to eyes and they often loose eyesights before becoming adults  and their eyes are more adjusted to dark then to light , along with bear physical pain caused by the heat of furnace to earn the meagre income so provided to them.

Two gentlemen of Verona - A.J.Cronin : Questions and answer| CBSE CLASS-X NCERT QUESTIONS

Q) Why didn't Luigi the driver approve of the two boys?

Answer: The driver didn't approve the narrator's decision to buy wild strawberries from the two boys because they were untidy and poorly dressed. Moreover they would get better strawberries in the city of Verona.

Q) Why were the narrator and his companion impressed by the two boys?

Answer: The narrator and his companion were impressed by the earnest appeal in the dark eyes of Nicola and Jacopo.

Q) Why was the author surprised to see Nicola and Jacopo working as shoe-shine boys?

Answer: The author was surprised to see Nicola and Jacopo working as shoe-shine boys, the previous day when he met them he thought they were fruit sellers.

Q) How were the boys useful to the author?

Answer: Nicola and Jacopo were extremely useful to the author. They were ready to buy him a pack of American cigarettes,book seats for the opera or find him the name of a good restaurant. They also helped the author as a tourist guide.

Q) Why were the boys in the square at night? What character traits are manifested?

Answer: Nicola and Jacopo were in that deserted square at night because they were waiting to sell the unsold newspaper to the passengers returning from Padua.
   The characters traits exhibited through this act are that the boys were diligent, determined and honest.

Q) What do you learn from "We are not complaining Sir"?

Answer: The two brothers Nicola and Jacopo were sincerely and honestly working hard to earn sufficient money for the medical expenses of their ailing sister, Lucia who was suffering from tuberculosis of spine. Since they were determined and diligent,they did not expect sympathy or help from anyone. They had no grievance about their I'll fate. So the boys replied rather humbly.

Q) Why didn't the boys disclose their problems?

Answer: The brothers, Nicola and Jacopo did not expect sympathy or help from anybody. They were brave enough to struggle against all odds, in order to fulfil their purpose of accumulating money for their sister Lucia's medical expenses. They proved to be quite matured and so they were evasive their plans.

Q) Justify the  title ' Two gentlemen of Verona' .

Answer: The two brothers Nicola and Jacopo braved the obstacles of life with utmost sincerity, diligence and honesty. They were rather precocious. These are true qualities of a gentleman. So the title is justified.

The Seven ages of Man- William Shakespeare: Guide notes and answers| C.U. COMPULSORY ENGLISH

Q1) Briefly describe the stages of a man's life as Shakespeare says it in his poem "The Seven ages of a man".

Answer:- The poem  "The Seven ages of a man" by Shakespeare talks about growing up and growing old of a human. The poet talks alot about the various series of changes that occurs physically as well as mentally as a man grows old . The poet metaphorically states that the life is like a stage where men are fated to play many roles in his life. Shakespeare describes the stages of a man's life with a touch of satire and cynicism, along with the depiction of each of them with great economy of words.
             The first stage of life is that of an infant. Here, the infant weeps, cries and pukes as are the characteristics of this stage. He is helpless and totally dependent. The second stage as Shakespeare describes it , is the school going age. The school boy sulks as he don't want to go to school. He trudges unwillingly like a snail, although he has a bright face. In the third stage, he plays the role of a lover who heaves deep sighs in absence of his beloved. Energy , enthusiasm,rashness and patriotism finds their way into the soldier which is the fourth stage.  A soldier can sacrifice even his life for short-lived reputation. Then comes the judge in the fifth stage which is perhaps the best of all. Here, the man is prosperous,well-fed, fierce-eyed , stern and impressive. He is full of wise sayings and examples from contemporary life to prove his point. But in the sixth stage, man becomes weak and thin. He looks funny with slippers, loose clothes, spectacles on nose and pouch on sides. His clothes of youth now become loose for his shrunk shanks and thin  body. In last stage of life- second childishness, mental dementia and death: he loses his status and becomes a non-entity. He becomes dependent on others like a child and is in need of constant support before finally dying. Thus with senile the life of man end and so happens his exit.

Q2) What message does Shakespeare's 'The Seven Ages of Man' convey?

Answer:-. The evergreen literary figure, William Shakespeare in his poem 'The Seven Ages of Man' , which is spoken by melancholic Jacque in the comedy  'As You like it' , has expressed the underlying sublime truth of life which is that life like a river always flows towards its end i.e. the death which is the final stage. Life of a Man is always about growing; growing from an infant to a child, child to lover, then a soldier to a justice and then growing old to finally senile and death. There is nothing permanent in a man's life. On one hand the poem seems to talk about changes that body and mind undergoes when a person grows. With the change in their age the priorities even change. From a child being concerned about fun and lesson then love and then finally money and security. But on the other hand the poet takes it to another level, the poem talks about the inevitability of change. In this world of mortal everything changes while change being the only thing constant and death being the ultimate change. Shakespeare's mentioning 'mere oblivion' in the ending line gives some sort of finality to his ideas , showing that although we are living still we'll have to die. Thus all achievement in this physical world would evade, as nothing can transcend time; taking life seriously can help us achieve success in a lifetime and make the best of life but whatever we bag all ends with death as the curtain of life falls.

Shelley as a poet of Nature: Guide notes

Q) 'Shelley as a poet of Nature'- Comment.

Answer:- Nature had always been a favoured niche for almost every romantic poet and love for Nature as one of the prime requisites for the Romantics. Shelley is no exception here. Shelley in his poem Ode to the Westwind has beautifully used the element of nature and has personified them. P.B.Shelley in this poem has portrayed his love for Nature at the tip of his pen through the use of Nature imagery like 'the leaves dead/ Are driven like a ghost from an enchanter fleeing', ' Black rain; and fire, and hail, will burst' , etc. Shelley patronise Mother Nature in his poem as a preserver and a destroyer. Nature through its own elements destroy itself and again clears the ways for a new birth and replacement. Shelley admired the indefinite and changeful attribute of Nature. He puts forward the changing and indefinite mood of Nature,  like for example are the clouds, the wind, lightening, etc. He says that Nature's spirit is eternal and he agrees that there is some kind of intelligence that controls Nature. In fact, he fuses the platonic philosophy of love with his pantheism. He finds Nature alive capable of feeling and thinking like a human organism. In his 'Ode to the Westwind', Shelley shows the trend of Nature being indefinite and changing as he tells us the Westwind drives the dead leaves, scatter the living seeds , awakening the Mediterranean and the sea plant experiencing it's force. His poetry lacks the pictorial definiteness in the very same manner because his Nature description often gate misted.
Despite his pantheism, Shelley conceives each and every object of Nature as possessing its own spirit of individualism, though he believes in the spirit of love, which could unite the entire world. But in Spite of this he treats each element as a distinguishable identity. Furthermore,as ancient Greek used to give human attributes to the natural objects whom they personified, Shelley also personified them but he always retains their true characteristics. He personified both the Westwind and the Mediterranean, but the haven't lost their true existence as they remain the wind and ocean. They have not been endowed with the human qualities. Shelley's words were very scientific as the Westwind virtually drives the dead leaves as well as scatter the seeds to be grown, the sea plants undoubtedly feel the destructive power of the wind, the clouds do bring the shower, dew drops and hail, thunder and lightening etc.. He observes every object of Nature with a scientific eye although the description comes from a high level of imagination.
  Thus, time and again, Shelley's Nature description comes with a touch of optimism with miseries,torture and pain of the earthly life but still in 'Ode to the Westwind' he hopes for the best and is confident that 'If winter comes can spring be far behind?' . His Nature is multitudinous, scientific, philosophical, intellectual, mythical. So,  Shelley proves him to be a marvelous poet of Nature.

Pied Beauty- G.M.Hopkins : Summary and notes| C.U. Alternative English.

Summary :-
The speaker/poet says us that we should glorify God for he has given us the dappled, freckled, pied, patched beauty of this world around us. God deserves praisal and admiration for the pied beauties , mono-coloured or mono-shaped things rather created with uniqueness endowed in it. He created the sky of two colours like a cow of two colours and trout with the rose moles on all over its body. Then comes chestnut which looks like fresh fire coals that have fallen and blended colour of the wings of a Finch. And the landscape   divided by the humans into plots and everything humans do. All things and creatures on earth deliver spectacular examples of contrariness- some swift, some slow, some sweet, some sour, some dim, some dazzling,etc.. But all of these changeable variegated creations have been fathered by the changeless God. So, the poet asks us to finally praise him.

Age of Dryden (1660-1700): Guide notes.

The Restoration age (1660- 1700)

Restoration comedy is often referred to as "class drama" since they reflect a way of life cultured by upper class society. It is also called restoration comedy of manners  for this very reason. As seen in these plays so called polite society of the time was engaged in conscious living life to the top of its bed, determined to extract whatever pleasure they could get out of this. However, this was not true of the entire restoration community. But was restricted only to that class of society which patronised the theatre. The section of the intellectuals and fashionable world who were always at sixes and sevens in politics, religion and social convention. Such a way of life was not just reflected but the magnificence of the French contribution. The elegance of French court  life and also the fact that emperor Charles-II himself loved practised and encouraged this.
Unfortunately the imitation of French court  life was of inferior and superficial kind. The restoration age was also an age of enquiry and curiosity which extended to everyday life. Men and Women started experiencing in various social practices and were always trying to rationalize human relationships. They found that for them at least affection and sexual desire are quite different and they tried to organise society on the basis of this. Love in which the two facilities imaginatively fused scarcely of the existence for them. Since they accepted men as "incarnation of animals" it meant of course, of life to be easy, the persuit of a mistress must be an acknowledged amusement. You could , they believed, preserve your affections for your life and be sure of her for you, even if she/you had relatives with other men and women. These reflections of life is often exaggerated which contribute to the comic affect.
Restoration comedies were basically metropolitan in character, that is, there is universal praise of union but of strong detestation for the countryside. The villagetop and country people never consistent for there unsophistication.
The audience did not regard the actors as puppets playing role but they identified themselves as men living an existence which the audience were invited to share and identify. Unfortunately, however the characters became 'typed' and often their names reflected the nature of their character and sufficiency directed their disposition.
For example:- Sir John Brute, Carnal Bully, etc.

• The comedy of manners thus represents the social habits, conventions,manners and follies of the elegant,gay, upper class asaociative society.
• In these comedies sex did indeed became a battle of wits rather than a question of emotions. But it is not to be assumed that a figure represented in show has flesh and blood and then their human types.
• Restoration comedies has often been charged with criticism that role objective of this place was bowdery. But a close analysis shows that though these plays did her stresses of bowdery but their main objective was never to tickle the desire of the audience

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Martyr's corner - R.K.Narayan: Guide notes and answers| Calcutta University

(The Martyr's Corner by R.K.Narayan.Taken from An Anthology of Short Stories for students of ICSE Schools,India)

Q1)  Give a brief analysis of the story  'Martyr's Corner's.                        

Answer:- The author persona                                R.K.Narayan's 'Martyr's corner' is an interesting yet saddening story ,set in the imaginary locale called the Malgudi,the telltale sign of which are easily noticeable.Though the existence of this place is purely fictional yet critics have made innumerable attempts to pin point on the map of India for the exact existence of this town of South India. It is to be understood that Malgudi in Sarayu is a mere imagination similar to that of Hardy's Wessex. In this story 'The Martyr's Corner', R. K Narayan has wonderfully embedded the themes of diligence, dedication, compassion,poverty,struggle and resilience. Taken from his Malgudi days collection, the story is narrated in third person by an unnamed narrator.

     Although others think that Rama only works for an hour a day selling off his goods but the reality speaks the exact opposite. Rama spends from eight in the morning to ten at night preparing the goods  and then selling them. This shows that Rama is not just diligent and hard working but dedicated as well. There is a sense of canny and knows where to pitch the goods. He sits outside the cinema hall waiting for the potential customers. His compassion for others is also depicted as he feels for the young boy, who is half-starved, polish the shoes outside the cinema hall.He doesn't like to see the customers swindle with the young boy. If anything Rama is a good natured man,kind to others, kind to his customers . Narayan tries to give an insight into life on street of India and the inseparable poverty that exists. The character mentioned in the story,none have much . Everyone appears to live hand to mouth. If anything people are struggling day in and day out. 

The theme of corruption has also been dragged into by Narayan. Rama gives some goods to the passing policemen and occasional workers of health department, so that they don't harass him and tell him to move on. On the other hand Rama's wife is a supportive woman and acts as a perfect banker as she saved the five rupees that Rama makes each day but soon there life takes a rash turning to all odds. After a man gets gets killed at this spot where Rama pitched his stall due to some ensued quarrel .  People collected enough money to set up a stone in memorial of there fallen leader. Rama's sales go down as he was forced to move two hundred yards away out of sight of his previous customers. Rama takes home two Anna where he previously used to earn five rupees. Despite the fall in income Rama is able to adapt. He finds the job of waiter in a restaurant and begins to work there. This shows how resilient Rama actually is. Although his business has ended but still he is focused on the future and doesn't allow his past to defeat him. Where some people give up Rama continues to move forward even if he no longer is his own boss.                   

 Q2)  Ventilate your views about the story Martyr's Corner'.

Answer :-The story 'Martyr's corner' aptly reveals that life is like a book where you know not what lies on the next page . Today's sunrise can even turn into the deadly darkness of tomorrow. The success of today cannot ensure that the tomorrow would remain equally bright. It  even tells us that it is not always that what you sow is what you reap. Sufferings might befall on us due to the fault of others. Sarcastically the author's naming the story 'Martyr's corner' on one side portrays the sick mentality of the politicians who give more importance to the dead while ignoring the plight of the living. Although the place is named 'Martyr's corner' in memoriam of the fallen leader but ultimately Rama stands as the true martyr.