The Nightingale And The Rose - Oscar Wilde

Today I am going to write about a short story which is one of my favourite. Children may found it a fairy tale, but it is not a fairy tale at all, it gives very rational idea. You might also finds it fairy tale, but it was in syllabus of my third year of graduation and our professor has told us while teaching this story that this is not a story that should remember only for exam, but you should remember this story for lifetime. And this story is,

              "The Nightingale And The Rose"

                By 'Oscar Wilde'

           This is a simple story about love which end is very sad. The language is also very simple.

            Story starts with the sentence of one unnamed boy, "She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red rose" cried the young student, "but in all my garden there is no red ros."

            So by this sentence we can find that the boy has proposed a girl for dance with him but the girl demanded for a red rose for dancing with the boy, but it was winter and there were no roses. By this demand it is clear that the girl does not love the boy and she doesn't want to dance with the boy. But boy was very sad and was weeping in his garden.

          In his garden on the Oak tree there was living one Nightingale who heard the boy weeping and consider him a true lover. Nightingale describes how priceless thing love is. She says,

           "Surely love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the market place. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold."

          So, it makes clear that for Nightingale love is above than all the things. So she decided to bring a red rose for the boy. There are also characters like Green Lizard, Butterfly and Daisy. They laughed when knowing that the boy is weeping for a red rose. But Nightingale flies away and comes to the grass plot. There was rose tree, so Nightingale asked for a red rose but his roses were white. Then Nightingale came to another rose tree but his roses were yellow. The rose tree directed him to his brother who had grown under the student's window. Nightingale went there and asked for a red rose in exchange of sing sweetest song for him. His roses were red but winter had chilled his veins, frost had nipped his buds and the storm had broken his branches, so there had no roses. But there was a way. The rose tree says,

            "If you want a red rose, you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart's blood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn. All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn mist pierce your heart, and your lifeblood must flow into my veins, and become mine."

            Nightingale accepts it and says,

            "Yet love is better than life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?"

            Nightingale sung last song for Oak tree which had fond of Nightingale. When Nightingale finished the song the boy thinks that she has form, but she has not feelings. How stupid that boy was.

            And when moon was in his full size Nightingale went to the rose tree, set her breast against the thorn. As Nightingale pressed her breast closer against the thorn her song became louder. And last thorn touched her heart and she dies. And there was a red rose, "Like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart." But Nightingale was not alive to watch it.

            At noon the student opened his window and saw a red rose. He plucked it and run to the professor's house and offered it to the girl but she denies saying that it will not go with my dress and Chamberlain's nephew has sent real jewellery for her and jewels cost far more than flowers. The student becomes angry and threw the rose into the street where it fell into the gutter and cart wheel went over it.

           The boy says in a way to home,

           "What a silly thing love is! It is not half as useful as logic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and as in this as to be practical is everything. I shall go back to philosophy and study Metaphysics."

            So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.

            So this is the end of the story. How sad end it is. Nightingale's sacrifice of life in vein because of one stupid boy and one stupid girl. For Nightingale love is everything but for the boy love was a silly and unpractical thing.

            So this was the story which I liked most, hope you also may like it. As I always suggest, read original text for true feelings and better understanding. And I am sure after reading it, you will tell others to read it as I did.

F. R. Leavis: Reality and sincerity essay

    Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis (14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was a British literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. F.R.leavis is a leading critics among critic's group of New Criticism. He has a lasting effect on English literary criticism. His ideas on practical criticism rather than theory have been widely welcomed .The present essay “Reality and Sincerity” by him is a fine specimen of his genius as a critics.This essay is a basically an outcome of the critical comparison of the three poems

•   Alexander Smith's "Barbara"

•   Emily Bronte's "Cold in Earth"

•   Thomas Hardy's "After a Journey"

               Criticism is done in order to establish a preference between all the three poems and as a result two of them are ordered and the third would have its place automatically. "Barbara" is about irreparable loss. It deals with the sufferings of an unbearable sorrow. It is basically cheap in nature ,extremely vague and unrealistic in nature. Therefore Barbara does not need any kind of the analysis.

      

      The First verse sets the scene using adjectives like old, grey, crisped, yellow,etc.Which sets a tone of something or something about end. The Second verse ends with the powerful images of ‘Barbara’ looking out of heaven which reminds D.G.Rossetti powerful poem “The Blessed Damozel”. The Third stanza concludes with the exotic memory of wild morning when love embarrassed but one cannot understand why kiss lives the purple stain on agony her mouth. Barbara’s ghost lingers on like bad smell throughout the forth stanza. She seats remembering erotic feeling keeping breslate in her arm. She describes that though she has sinned many times since her death, She has been faithful and loves him still. This compassion of earth and heavenly love incredible for her love, earth is empty without her. The poem ends with the wind, rain and the mourning of wounded sea. Peace is with Barbara and death.

        Levis's criticism of Smith’s poem has nothing to do with techniques reading through the verse. It looks very personal .Each line is a memory there is almost a picture in each line smith decides the verse as he himself sharing his thought with “ Barbara”. He is talking to her and he knows what to say so that she will understand him. This poem is not for us but for them…

   “When loves speak, they have their own language”.

          
      The other two poems are emotionally intense and the critic here tries to establish superiority of one poem over the other. As per the critic's analysis, we came across the fact that Hardy's work is better as  compared to Emily Bronte 's "Cold in Earth".

                          

Remembrance (Cold in Earth)

BY EMILY BRONTË

Cold in the earth—and the deep snow piled above thee, 

Far, far removed, cold in the dreary grave! 

Have I forgot, my only Love, to love thee, 

Severed at last by Time's all-severing wave? 

Now, when alone, do my thoughts no longer hover 

Over the mountains, on that northern shore, 

Resting their wings where heath and fern-leaves cover 

Thy noble heart forever, ever more? 

Cold in the earth—and fifteen wild Decembers, 

From those brown hills, have melted into spring: 

Faithful, indeed, is the spirit that remembers 

After such years of change and suffering! 

Sweet Love of youth, forgive, if I forget thee, 

While the world's tide is bearing me along; 

Other desires and other hopes beset me, 

Hopes which obscure, but cannot do thee wrong! 

No later light has lightened up my heaven, 

No second morn has ever shone for me; 

All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given, 

All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee. 

But, when the days of golden dreams had perished, 

And even Despair was powerless to destroy, 

Then did I learn how existence could be cherished, 

Strengthened, and fed without the aid of joy. 

Then did I check the tears of useless passion— 

Weaned my young soul from yearning after thine; 

Sternly denied its burning wish to hasten 

Down to that tomb already more than mine. 

And, even yet, I dare not let it languish, 

Dare not indulge in memory's rapturous pain; 

Once drinking deep of that divinest anguish, 

How could I seek the empty world again? 

Analysis

       Agony is evident in this poem where the poet talks about 'morning and fifteen wild December', she believes that her wait is neither productive nor gainful. 'Misery' and 'Despair' are never good and she decides not to spend any time further on it. The tone of the poem is compassionate and ultimately resolving in nature and it has  very sentimental mood attached to it.  

     

         The poem suggests that the grave of her beloved is covered 

  with two depressing seasons, Winter and Autumn. The covering of the grave suggests that the poet is no longer concerned with her beloved at that point, the poet believes that the best period of their life has gone. The hopes would not be as bright on the contrary, they would be sterner and darker. From the sixth stanza, poet had set herself free from the shackles of lamentations.

  

        In terms of the figures of speech, Alliteration and Repeatation elevate the quotient of pain. 

After A Journey by Hardy

    I come to interview a Voiceless ghost;
Whither, O whither will its whim now draw me?
Up the cliff, down, till I'm lonely, lost,
And the unseen waters' soliloquies awe me.
Where you will next be there's no knowing,
Facing round about me everywhere,
With your nut-coloured hair,
And gray eyes, and rose-flush coming and going.


Yes: I have re-entered your olden haunts at last;
Through the years, through the dead scenes I have tracked you;
What have you now found to say of our past -
Viewed across the dark space wherein I have lacked you?
Summer gave us sweets, but autumn wrought division?
Things were not lastly as firstly well
With us twain, you tell?
But all's closed now, despite Time's derision.


I see what you are doing: you are leading me on
To the spots we knew when we haunted here together,
The waterfall, above which the mist-bow shone
At the then fair hour in the then fair weather,
And the cave just under, with a voice still so hollow
That it seems to call out to me from forty years ago,
When you were all aglow,
And not the thin ghost that I now frailly follow!


Ignorant of what there is flitting here to see,
The waked birds preen and the seals flop lazily,
Soon you will have, Dear, to vanish from me,
For the stars close their shutters and the dawn whitens hazily.
Trust me, I mind not, though Life lours,
The bringing of me here; nay, bring me here again!
I am just the same as when
Our days were a joy, and our paths through flowers. 

Analysis

      This poem talks about the past memories of the poet. This poem in terms of analysis can be understand in two parts, from line 1 to 16 we come to know about how Hardy tries o find 'Emma' and 17 to 32, we get an impression that Emma leads him to the memories of the past. In lines 1 to 8, the poet wants to talk with the ghost of Emma. In lines 9 to 16, the speaker shows his feelings of regret since their relationship is not the same as it was. He sees the ghost in the same as it was he sees he ghost in the  lonely  countryside of corn-well. In 17 to 24, Emma's ghost leads hardy to their past memories and she transport himself to nostalgic movement.

  

      In 25 to 32, visual Imagery is used very appropriately. There are kinesthetic imagery like birds and seals. Visual imagery like stars, dawn, flowers etc. words like vanished, filtering are also examples of kinesthetical imagery. Although Imagenaries  shown in the poem are vivid, Hardy makes us realized this through his writing. 

     Hardy's poem is more conventional in nature, it proves to be more sincere and becomes real in terms of its effect, Emma is at the center in terms of the subject in Thomas Hardy's poem.

       Both poems are an outcome of experience but integrity in Hardy's poem is more striking as he tries to depict his memories and his sufferings. On the base of reality and sincerity comes to conclusion that hardy ‘After a Journey’ is more effective poem. It highlight the elements of reality and sincerity more than the poem of Emily Bronte.

La-Bella Dame Sans Merci

  John Keats has written this ballad, he was english romantic poet. This poem exist in two version with minor differences between them. This poem is about a Soldier who suffered  in hands of beautiful lady. This poem is written in 12 stanzas which show the suffering of soldier.

       

           In the very first stanza, the Soldier in questioned by a stranger near the river on the cold hill’s side wherein the stranger finds the Soldier in a pathetic condition alone and loitering aimlessly and in second stanza Stranger further questions the Soldier on his condition where the Nature is very beautiful but the Knight is suffering .

       

             The third stanza, the Stranger  talks about his fever and his facial condition as he was looking extremely pale. The Knight start answering the Stranger about how he met a beautiful Lady in the meadow ,who was like fairy’s child with beautiful eyes and long hair. In the next stanza, he talks about how he made garlands and bracelets of roses in love as a gift.

        

            In the six stanza, he talks about how he made her comfortable on her steed and kept looking at her by listening  to her wonderful songs. The seven stanza talks about how he taught  that in her strange language, she kept on speaking, ‘I love you’ and found him roots and honey to eat. Then she took him to the grot wherein she cried and I made her comfortable by kissing her eyes.

       

               In nine stanza, she made me sleep by singing a Lullaby and that is when he saw a dream which was very dreadful and found himself near the hill. In the next stanza, the dream continues where he saw many kings and princes almost dead and were crying “ La Belle Dame Sans Merci”.

       

      In eleven stanza, he found all the Kings, princes, soldier in extremely poor condition and he was awake  all of sudden almost shocked because of bad dream. In the last one , he says that that is the reason why he is “alone and palely loitering on the cold hill’s side”.

                                  “Memories are always painful”

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

         

  Strange case of  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  by the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson , published in 1886It is associated with the rare mental condition  called ‘Split Personality’where within the same body, exists more than one distinct personality. In this novella, Dr. Jekyll has duel  personality within himself good and evil as Each coin has two sides.He has duel personality but he wants to be civilized  in front of others. So he found the liquid which separates his personality but physically he is one. He create his evil personality that id Mr. Hyde through which he did all evil works and as civilized he lived life as Dr. Jekyll.

    

        In Freudian Theory the thoughts and desires of unconscious mind motivate the behavior of conscious mind. It also explains the Christian concept of hiding evil behind the light.

                                              

                                                Civilized  v/s Savage

                                               Appearance v/s Reality

         

               This theme reminds us of Mary Shelley’s work ‘Frankenstein’ which also deals with the same aspects the inner self and outer appearance through the character of Victor Frankenstein the  creator like Dr. Jekyll and Monster the creation like Mr. Hyde. The only difference between them is  physical separation of one person into two otherwise it directly shows the inner side of Victor through Monster. This is how Dr. Jekyll as a creator refers to his creation as his own darker personality the evil one.

       

          To sum up , one can say that in Dr. Jekyll’s view every soul contains of both good and evil but one dominates as in Jekyll’s case , his good side is dominant at   the beginning but he knows his evil inside him.

Ghashiram Kotwal by Vijay Tendulkar

This is a tragedy by Vijay Tendulkar. It is indeed a great tragedy.

Protagonist or the central character is Ghashiram, a poor Brahmin from Kanauj who had came to Pune for better life. But here he faces humiliations. The city was ruled by Nana who was full of lust. He was married seven times and still continue.

Here Ghashiram works at bavannkhani, a red light area with Gulabi, who entertains Nana. Ghashiram meets Nana here. Nana  joines in dance with Gulabi and hurts his ankle and Ghashiram saves him by offering his back to rest his injured leg. Nana gives necklace in reward. But servants of Gulabi snatches away it and throws him out.

Another time in Dakshina ceremony Ghashiram tries to take alms but other Brahmins throws him out saying that he had theft a purse. He was innocence but punished.

Nobody was ready to accept him a Brahmin. People were saying, where is your shaved head? Where is your holy thread? Where is your pios look? Where is your holy book?

These kind of humiliations makes him from good person to evil man. He was angry for the society of hatred, jealousy, immorality, lust, adultery etc. and decided to take revenge of his insults and wants to make the city moral.

It is turning point of the play. Ghashiram comes to know that Nana is womaniser and can do anything for getting woman. So he uses his own daughter Lalita Gauri as a bait. In a religious ceremony Nana sees Gauri and goes mad for her. Ghashiram knows this and deals with Nana that he will give his daughter but he wants to become Kotwal(police) of Pune. Nana agreed and Ghashiram becomes Kotwal of Pune.

Ghashiram does his job sincerely and gives orders like no whoring without permit, no cremation without permit, eat with a lower caste is a crime. These type of rules makes people angry. Ghashiram believes he had bring peace in the city. Now he had power and he thought he will find husband for his daughter and will arrange wedding. But he soon came to know about his daughter's death because she was pregnant by Nana and so he was interested no more and was going to another marriage. Ghashiram shatters. He repents but what can he do now?

The play goes to end when some Brahmins comes to Pune. They were hungry and eat mangoes from the garden without asking Ghashiram. Ghashiram gives order of lock them into jail, but it was very small and twenty two Brahmins dies because of suffocation.

People complaints to Peshwa. Peshwa meets Nana and Nana gives sentence to death for Ghashiram. Ghashiram before dying repents which shows how he was feeling guilty. He says, "I danced on your chests but I wasted the life of my little daughter. I should be punished for the death of my daughter. Beat me. Heat me. Cut off my hands and feet. Crack my skull. Come on. Look! I'm here. Oh, that's good. Very good"

Here tragedy of Ghashiram ends. Themes of the play is revenge, lust for power, politics, search for identity, etc. It follows the rules of Aristotelian tragedy. In this play we have tragic hero who is not thoroughly bad or fully good. He has hamartia like ambition of power, revenge. His position was high in society so his fall affects whole city of Pune.

Othello By William Shakespeare

                   

                                           

                                          Along with Hamlet, king Lear  and Macbeth Othello is one of  Shakespeare's four great tragedies. Othello is unique and often been described as a " Tragedy of Characters". Shakespeare's tragic tale opens in Venice where the villainous Iago plots against othello the Moor. Iago  poisoned othello's ears that Cassio has an illicit relationship with Desdemona. Desdemona is completely innocent and extremely faithful to Othello. Iago gives handkerchief that Desdemona dropped to Cassio then suggests othello that Desdemona gave it to Cassio as asymbol of love. Mad with jealousy, othello kills Desdemona his grief drives him to suicide. Iago arrested but never reveals his true motive for manipulating Othello.

                                        

    Iago's dazzling display of villainy have long fascinated students and critics of the play. the relationship between these characters is another unusual feature of Othello. othello and Iago bears the greater responsibility for the tragedy.      More than anything else what distinguish othello from it's great tragedies peers is the role of it's villain, Iago is a character who essentially writes play's main plot. and takes a key part in it. Written in 1604 othello is one of Shakespeare's tightly constructed tragedies. The fall of proud, dignified man, the murder of loving and graceful woman and the unreasoning hatred of a " motiveless " villain all have evoked  fear and pity in audiences throughout the centuries. 

                                      " OTHELLO THE MAN OF ACTION "

                                      

                                                    if we compare othello with Hamlet then we came across the truth that if we replace both of this protagonist then play must have peaceful and happy end. Because othello kills his wife without thinking even if she was innocent and Hamlet takes much time in thinking even if he knows that Claudius is a murderer.   

From the Amoretti

One day I wrote her name is a sonnet by Edmund Spenser.

The poet starts with romantic scene. He and her beloved are at the strand. The speaker writes her name upon the strand but wave comes and washes that away. But poet again writes now with second hand. But again wave washes it.

After seeing this speaker's beloved tells him that he works in vain to immortalize her. She points out that one day she will die, her body will fall to decay as all living things must in that moment, she says her name will be lost, wiped out as the wave erases the letters in the sand.

But the poet knows how to make her name immortal. He says that other things may die and rot, but she will live by fame. He will make her name immortal by writing her poems, he will immortalize her so that long after her death, even the heavens will remember her glorious name.

So the poem speaks about the power of verse. It has power to make someone immortal.