Vaidehi Hariyani

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH AND SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE’S VIEW ON POETRY .                             Coleridge and Wordsworth collaboratively published 'Lyrical Ballads' in 1798, marking the rise of the British Romantic movement. According to Coleridge, in their collective plans it was agreed Coleridge would compose a series of lyrical poems exploring the Romantic and supernatural, and seeking there to earn a readers’ “poetic faith,” while Wordsworth decided to use the nature and the everyday as his subject in poems. William Wordsworth’s view about poetry: - In the preface to the Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth defines poetry "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity." Samuel Taylor Coleridge's view about Poetry:-   “The poet, described in ideal perfection, brings the whole soul of man into activity, with the subordi...

“Waiting for Godot” – Samuel Beckett “Waiting for Godot” is a play by Samuel Beckett published in 1949. This play is regarded as “Theatre of Absurd”, a term coined by Martin Esslin (a drama critic). It is one of the famous plays of the Modernist Literature. Before going further, let’s first understand what is Existentialism? What does it mean to exist? We say to exist means to walk down predetermined paths. Existentialists believed the other way. According to them there is no meaning in life and it is futile attempt to search meaning of life. It is believed that existentialism started with Sorien KierKegaard . Later many thinkers like Jean Sartre, Albert Camus and many others developed this philosophical movement. The existentialists are not pessimistic. They ask to enjoy life in spite of being aware of the meaninglessness. “Existentialism counters the nothingness of existence By embracing existence itself” This play presents the existential phil...

“Break Break Break” – Alfred Tennyson Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets.In 1850, he was appointed as Poet Laureate. His short poems include short lyrics, such as "Break, Break, Break", "and The Charge of the Light Brigade “,” Tears, Idle Tears “and” Crossing the Bar". "Break, Break, Break" is a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson written during early 1835 and published in 1842. The poem is an elegy that describes Tennyson's feelings of loss after Arthur Hallam died. Break, break, break,          On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! And I would that my tongue could utter          The thoughts that arise in me. O, well for the fisherman's boy,          That he shouts with his sister at play! O, well for the sailor lad, ...

“The Wild Swans at Coole” – William Butler Yeats. "The Wild Swans at Coole" is a lyric poem by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats (1865–1939). Written between 1916 and early 1917, the poem was first published in the June 1917 issue of the Little Review, and became the title poem in the Yeats's 1917 and 1919 collections  The Wild Swans at Coole.   William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, he helped the foundation of the Abbey Theatre. The trees are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky; Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine-and-fifty swans. The nineteenth autumn has come upon me Since I first made my count; I saw, before I had well finished, All suddenly mount And scatter wheeling in great broken rings Upon their clamorous wings. ...

Structuralism and Literary Criticism: Gerard Genette Gérard Genette (born 1930) is a French literary theorist, associated in particular with the structuralist movement and such figures as Roland Barthes and Claude Lévi-Strauss, from whom he adapted the concept of bricolage. In literary theory, Structuralism is an approach to analysing the narrative material by examining the underlying invariant structure .There are many Structuralist critics like Ferdinand Saussure, Gerard Genette , Roland Barthes, Claude Levi-Strauss etc. Structuralist critics found basic common structure in every work. As all the human beings  have a same structure from inside, similarly literature has basic structure and it is same everywhere whether it movies, TV serials or advertisement etc. In order to understand structuralism , we must understand the three word Sign, Signifier, and Signified. Sign – Sound or word Signifier – popping up of image  in mind Signified – So...

Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ – Movie Review Kenneth Branagh's film 'Hamlet' is faithful to the original play as per words are concerned . The setting of the movie looks much like of Victorian era with huge palace, beautiful costume and colourful surroundings, rather than 11th century or the Renaissance age Denmark. This makes movie more interesting and appealing to the audience.  Even the last scene added by the director where Hamlet is taken like jesus Christ for the funeral was remarkable which we cannot find in the play.  Yes, the movie has  changed my perceptions.  While reading the text we cannot get the idea of the tone in which words are spoken. The sub-plot emerges out very well in the movie and it also cleared my concept that how plot and sub- plot are interwoven .  I felt all the words spoken by Hamlet and Ophelia. I felt "aesthetic delight" while watching following scenes from the movie :-       a.)  ...

“Look Back in Anger” – John Osborne Look Back in Anger (1956) is a play by John Osborne. It concerns a love triangle involving an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, his upper-middle-class wife, and her arrogant best friend. The play was a success on the London stage, and spawned the term "angry young men" to describe Osborne and those of his generation who employed the roughness of realism in the theatre. John James Osborne (1929 –1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, known for his attacking prose and strong critical attitude towards traditional social and political norms. Let’s first have a look at the main characters and plot of the play:- "Look back in anger" - John Osborne from vaidehi Hariyani The play is rigid in structure and ends in a riddle: Jimmy is overwhelmed by Alison’s suffering and seems at last to realize his immaturity, cruelty and excesses; while on th...

“Doctor Faustus” – Christopher Marlowe The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, commonly referred to simply as “Doctor Faustus”, is an Elizabethan tragedy by Christopher Marlowe. Christopher Marlowe (1564 – 1593) was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. He energized the manner and matter of the drama – by his revitalizing power and Imagination. Doctor Faustus is learned men who has desire to become demi-god and sells his soul to devil in order to gain power. His pride then leads him to his downfall This drama is based on the myth of father Daedalus and the son Icarus. Father  Daedalus prepares waxen wings for his son Icarus , but warns him not to go near the sun . In the same way , we see that Dr.Faustus wants to become Demi-God by learning the art of necromancy . God in different form warns him . Even the devil Mephistophilis  also warns him :    “ O Faustus , leave the  frivolous d...

Sonnet 116 – William Shakespeare Sonnet 116 was published in 1609 by William Shakespeare. It is a Shakespearean sonnet. It has three quatrains, followed by a final rhyming couplet. Shakespeare's Sonnets is the title of a collection of 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare, which covers themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality. The first 126 sonnets are addressed to a young man; the last 28 to a woman. William Shakespeare (1564 –1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's outstanding dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon". Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring ba...

Hello friends, During my graduation I studied a poem “Wants” by Philip Larkin.  I would like to share a small blog on this poem. Philip Arthur Larkin (1922 –1985) was an English poet, novelist and  librarian. Beyond all this, the wish to be alone: However the sky grows dark with invitation-cards However we follow the printed directions of sex However the family is photographed under the flag-staff - Beyond all this, the wish to be alone. Beneath it all, the desire for oblivion runs: Despite the artful tensions of the calendar, The life insurance, the tabled fertility rites, The costly aversion of the eyes away from death - Beneath it all, the desire for oblivion runs. In this poem the poet states his wish “to be alone." The poet wishes to be freed from the responsibilities and hopes that society enforces upon him. He craves to be free of  "the sky grows dark with invitation-cards”; the social obligations of the society .He wish...

Hello Friends, I would like to share a poem which I studied during my graduation. “To His Coy Mistress” is a metaphysical poem by Andrew Marwell. Andrew Marvell  (1621 – 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician. The poet addresses this poem to a woman who is not responding to his sexual advances. In the first stanza the poet tells the mistress that if they had more time and space, her shyness or “Coyness” wouldn’t be a "crime”. If he would have more time then he would admire her. He would focus on each part of her body until he reached her heart. The second stanza begins with “But”. They don’t have enough time. Once life is over, they won’t get chance to embrace and enjoy. If she doesn’t make love to him then after death her “Virginity” will be taken away by the worms. In the final stanza, he tells her that they should have love like the birds do around them, but before they should have some wine. He also suggests that all the fru...

“A Doll’s House” – Henrik Ibsen A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by Henrik Ibsen. It provides a critical insight to see the 19 th century marriage norms. Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828 –1906) was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of realism" and is one of the founders of Modernism in theatre. Let’s first take a look at the plot and major characters. "A doll’s house" - Henrik Ibsen from vaidehi Hariyani This play was controversial at that time, as the protagonist Nora lefts her husband and children behind to find his own way. If we read this play keeping in mind the contemporary time then we can understand the play well. Why women are considered to be “Angel in the house”???? They also want to live their life freely. In this play we find that Nora has been often addressed as “My Squirrel”, “My doll” by his husband. First we might feel that he is add...