Assignment 5: Influence of French Revolution on English Literature

Topic of the Blog:

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 105 - History of English Literature From (1350 to 1900)  Sem - 1, 2023.

Personal Information: 

Name: Yashrajsinh Sodha

Batch: M.A. sem-1 (2023-25)

Enrollment Number: 5108230043

Email: yashrajsinhsodha0000@gmail.com

Roll Number: 34

Assignment Details: 

Topic:- Influence of French Revolution on English Literature 

Paper & subject code:- 105 -History of English Literature(1350 to 1900) & 22396

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Date of Submission:- 27th November, 2023

French Revolution:

Origins of the Revolution:

French Revolution, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789—hence the conventional term “Revolution of 1789,” denoting the end of the ancien régime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions of 1830 and 1848.

The French Revolution had general causes common to all the revolutions of the West at the end of the 18th century and particular causes that explain why it was by far the most violent and the most universally significant of these revolutions. The first of the general causes was the social structure of the West. The feudal regime had been weakened step-by-step and had already disappeared in parts of Europe. The increasingly numerous and prosperous elite of wealthy commoners—merchants, manufacturers, and professionals, often called the bourgeoisie—aspired to political power in those countries where it did not already possess it. 

The peasants, many of whom owned land, had attained an improved standard of living and education and wanted to get rid of the last vestiges of feudalism so as to acquire the full rights of landowners and to be free to increase their holdings. Furthermore, from about 1730, higher standards of living had reduced the mortality rate among adults considerably. This, together with other factors, had led to an increase in the population of Europe unprecedented for several centuries: it doubled between 1715 and 1800. For France, which with 26 million inhabitants in 1789 was the most populated country of Europe, the problem was most acute.

Aristocratic revolt (1787–89):

The Revolution took shape in France when the controller general of finances, Charles-Alexandre de Calonne, arranged the summoning of an assembly of “notables” (prelates, great noblemen, and a few representatives of the bourgeoisie) in February 1787 to propose reforms designed to eliminate the budget deficit by increasing the taxation of the privileged classes. The assembly refused to take responsibility for the reforms and suggested the calling of the Estates-General, which represented the clergy, the aristocracy, and the Third Estate (the commoners) and which had not met since 1614. The efforts made by Calonne’s successors to enforce fiscal reforms in spite of resistance by the privileged classes led to the so-called revolt of the “aristocratic bodies,” notably that of the parlements (the most important courts of justice), whose powers were curtailed by the edict of May 1788.

During the spring and summer of 1788, there was unrest among the populace in Paris, Grenoble, Dijon, Toulouse, Pau, and Rennes. The king, Louis XVI, had to yield. He reappointed reform-minded Jacques Necker as the finance minister and promised to convene the Estates-General on May 5, 1789. He also, in practice, granted freedom of the press, and France was flooded with pamphlets addressing the reconstruction of the state. The elections to the Estates-General, held between January and April 1789, coincided with further disturbances, as the harvest of 1788 had been a bad one. There were practically no exclusions from the voting; and the electors drew up cahiers de doléances, which listed their grievances and hopes. They elected 600 deputies for the Third Estate, 300 for the nobility, and 300 for the clergy.

Events of 1789:

The Estates-General met at Versailles on May 5, 1789. They were immediately divided over a fundamental issue: should they vote by head, giving the advantage to the Third Estate, or by estate, in which case the two privileged orders of the realm might outvote the third? On June 17 the bitter struggle over this legal issue finally drove the deputies of the Third Estate to declare themselves the National Assembly; they threatened to proceed, if necessary, without the other two orders. They were supported by many of the parish priests, who outnumbered the aristocratic upper clergy among the church’s deputies. When royal officials locked the deputies out of their regular meeting hall on June 20, they occupied the king’s indoor tennis court (Jeu de Paume) and swore an oath not to disperse until they had given France a new constitution. The king grudgingly gave in and urged the nobles and the remaining clergy to join the assembly, which took the official title of National Constituent Assembly on July 9; at the same time, however, he began gathering troops to dissolve it. 

In the provinces, the Great Fear of July led the peasants to rise against their lords. The nobles and the bourgeois now took fright. The National Constituent Assembly could see only one way to check the peasants; on the night of August 4, 1789, it decreed the abolition of the feudal regime and of the tithe. Then on August 26 it introduced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaiming liberty, equality, the inviolability of property, and the right to resist oppression.

The decrees of August 4 and the Declaration were such innovations that the king refused to sanction them. The Parisians rose again and on October 5 marched to Versailles. The next day they brought the royal family back to Paris. The National Constituent Assembly followed the court, and in Paris it continued to work on the new constitution. (Britannica)

The Impact of the French Revolution on English Literature: 

The impact of the French Revolution on English literature was massive. The French Revolution began in 1789 and continued for nearly a decade. This period of political and social upheaval in France not only influenced the way English writers viewed revolution and social change but also had a significant impact on literary style, themes, and the portrayal of society and individuals. One of the most notable impacts of the French Revolution on English literature was its role in inspiring a wave of political and social writing.

Writers such as William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Thomas Paine engaged with the ideas and ideals of the revolution. These writers were not only inspired by the revolutionary spirit but also often deeply critical of the oppressive regimes that had led to the revolution in the first place. For example, Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man" defended the principles of the revolution and called for similar reforms in England, influencing many political thinkers and writers of the time.

The French Revolution also had a significant impact on literary style. The Romantic movement, which emerged during and after the revolution, rejected the rationalism and order of the Enlightenment and embraced a more emotional and individualistic approach to literature. This shift in style can be seen in the poetry of Wordsworth and Coleridge, who celebrated nature, imagination, and individual experience. The Romantic poets often sought to capture the sublime and the awe-inspiring, reflecting the revolutionary spirit of the age.

Furthermore, the French Revolution influenced the themes explored in English literature. Many writers grappled with the consequences of radical change and the tension between order and chaos.Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," for example, can be seen as a reflection of the fear and uncertainty surrounding scientific and social progress in the wake of the revolution.

The novel explores the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of playing with the forces of nature.The revolution also had a profound impact on the portrayal of society and individuals in literature. Charles Dickens, for instance, depicted the harsh realities of the Industrial Revolution and the plight of the working class in his novels such as "Oliver Twist" and "A Tale of Two Cities." The latter, set in both London and Paris during the tumultuous years of the revolution, captures the brutality and upheaval of the time.

The French Revolution also prompted a reevaluation of the role of women in society and their representation in literature. Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" argued for women's rights and education, challenging traditional gender roles. This feminist perspective had a lasting impact on the portrayal of women in literature, leading to more complex and empowered female characters in the works of Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, and others.

Conclusion:

The influence of the French Revolution on English literature is undeniable, marking a transformative period that resonates across literary works. The upheavals in France sparked not only political and social changes but also ignited a fervor for liberty, equality, and fraternity that reverberated in the creative expressions of English writers. From the Romantic poets' celebration of individualism and nature to the Gothic novels' exploration of societal anxieties, the French Revolution left an indelible imprint on the literary landscape. This period of turbulence served as a catalyst for introspection, innovation, and the emergence of new literary forms, shaping the course of English literature in profound and lasting ways.

References:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "French Revolution". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Words: 1525

Photo: 1

Assignment-4 Analysing the Themes of 'Importance of Being Earnest'

Topic of the Blog:

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 104 - Literature of the Victorians, Sem - 1, 2023

Personal Information: 

Name: Yashrajsinh Sodha

Batch: M.A. sem-1 (2023-25)

Enrollment Number: 5108230043

Email: yashrajsinhsodha0000@gmail.com

Roll Number: 34  

Assignment Details: 

Topic:- Analysing the Themes of 'Importance of Being Earnest' 

Paper & subject code:- 104- Literature of the Victorians & 22395

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Date of Submission:- 27th November, 2023

Oscar Wilde:

Oscar Wilde (born October 16, 1854, Dublin, Ireland—died November 30, 1900, Paris, France) Irish wit, poet, and dramatist whose reputation rests on his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and on his comic masterpieces Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). He was a spokesman for the late 19th-century Aesthetic movement in England, which advocated art for art’s sake, and he was the object of celebrated civil and criminal suits involving homosexuality and ending in his imprisonment (1895–97).

Wilde was born of professional and literary parents. His father, Sir William Wilde, was Ireland’s leading ear and eye surgeon, who also published books on archaeology, folklore, and the satirist Jonathan Swift. His mother, who wrote under the name Speranza, was a revolutionary poet and an authority on Celtic myth and folklore. (Beckson)

The Importance of Being Earnest (play): 

The Importance of Being Earnest, play in three acts by Oscar Wilde, performed in 1895 and published in 1899. A satire of Victorian social hypocrisy, the witty play is considered Wilde’s greatest dramatic achievement.

Jack Worthing is a fashionable young man who lives in the country with his ward, Cecily Cardew. He has invented a rakish brother named Ernest whose supposed exploits give Jack an excuse to travel to London periodically to rescue him. Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, the cousin of his friend Algernon Moncrieff. Gwendolen, who thinks Jack’s name is Ernest, returns his love, but her mother, Lady Bracknell, objects to their marriage because Jack is an orphan who was found in a handbag at Victoria Station. Jack discovers that Algernon has been impersonating Ernest in order to woo Cecily, who has always been in love with the imaginary rogue Ernest. Ultimately it is revealed that Jack is really Lady Bracknell’s nephew, that his real name is Ernest, and that Algernon is actually his brother. The play ends with both couples happily united. (Britannica)

Themes:

The Art of Deception: Fact v. Fiction:

As a leader of the Aesthetic movement, Wilde was especially interested in the relationship between life and art, pondering the eternal question, “Does art imitate life, or life imitate art?” Wilde explores this relationship in The Importance of Being Earnest through the conflict that arises when fact collides with fiction. The conflict between fact and fiction is driven by Algernon and Jack’s lies about their respective identities, specifically the fictional personas they create in order to mask their doings, shirk their duties, and deceive their loved ones.

Jack invents his brother “Ernest” so that he can excuse himself from the country, where he serves as Cecily’s guardian. Under such pretense he can escape to town, where he can court Gwendolen and entertain himself with extravagant dinners. Similarly, Algernon invents his invalid friend “Bunbury,” so that he has an excuse to escape from the city when he does not care to dine with his relations. Fact and fiction collide when Algernon arrives at Jack’s country estate, pretending to the elusive “Ernest”. His arrival upsets Jack’s plan to kill off his fictional brother and nearly derails Jack’s real engagement to Gwendolen. That Algernon coins the terms “Bunburying” and “Bunburyist” after his imaginary invalid to describe such impersonations highlights the deceptive, as well as the fictive quality of Jack and Algernon’s actions.

The Pursuit of Marriage:

The pursuit of marriage is a driving force behind much of the play’s action. Similar to many Victorian novels of the period, the play reads as a marriage plot, documenting the errors in social etiquette and romantic upheavals that come about as Jack and Algernon stumble towards the altar. Jack pursues Gwendolen’s hand, while Algernon pursues Cecily. Because Jack and Algernon are willing to go to such outlandish lengths to appease Gwendolen and Cecily’s fickle desires, engagement—which will ultimately lead to marriage—becomes the primary goal of the main players.

Each couples’ engagement is fraught with roadblocks, albeit trivial ones. Gwendolen shows hesitance at marrying a man not named “Ernest.” Cecily shows that same hesitation when Algernon suggests that his name may not actually be “Ernest.” Lady Bracknell objects to Gwendolen and Jack’s engagement on the basis of Jack’s lack of legitimate relations. Meanwhile Jack objects to Cecily and Algernon’s engagement to spite Algernon for “Bunburying” and Lady Bracknell for disapproving of his marriage to Gwendolen. The elderly Dr. Chausible puts off marriage, citing the “Primitive Church’s” emphasis on celibacy, while Miss Prism embraces her spinsterhood as a governess. Despite these trivial obstacles, all couples are finally engaged—Jack to Gwendolen, Cecily to Algernon, Miss Prism to Dr. Chausible.

Cash, Class, and Character:

The Victorian society in which Wilde lived was concerned with wealth, family status, and moral character, especially when it came to marriage. Lady Bracknell’s interrogation of Jack’s proposal to marry Gwendolen demonstrates the three “Cs”—cash, class, and character. First she asks him about his finances and then his family relations, a measure of his class. That Jack has none—no family relations, or family name, reflects poorly on his character. Upon finding that Jack has no “relations” she exclaims, “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune…to lose both seems like carelessness,” (as if were Jack’s fault for being an orphan.)

In the Victorian world one’s name was the measure of one’s social capital, so the fact that Jack doesn’t have any family is an insurmountable obstacle to his marrying Gwendolen, a daughter of the titled gentry. According to Lady Bracknell’s marriage standards, Jack has the cash, but he doesn’t have the class, so his character comes into question. (Although of all three “Cs,” character is probably the least important of Lady Bracknell’s criteria, since income and family take precedence in her line of questioning over Jack’s actual intentions for her daughter, which might more accurately reflect the content of his character).

Name and Identity:

Through Jack’s search for his origins and family name, Wilde satirizes the Victorian Era’s intense scrutiny of cash, class, and character. Wilde subversively prods this question through the name of “Ernest,” a Christian name, or given name, as opposed to a family name. The name of “Ernest” comes to symbolize different things for different people. For Gwendolen and Cecily it “inspires absolute confidence” but also symbolizes the ideal husband/ lover. For Jack, “Ernest” is an alter ego, an identity through which he can court Gwendolen and cavort in the pleasures of city life. The name holds similar meaning to Algernon, who masquerades as “Ernest” to escape to the country to meet Cecily under false pretenses.

While the name of “Ernest” holds different values for each character, Wilde shows that a name, in of itself, is quite meaningless in comparison to the person who holds that name. Contrary to the play’s title, in this dramatic world, being “earnest” is not nearly as important as being named “Ernest.” Gwendolen does not accept Jack’s proposal because he is earnestly in love with her, but she believes him to be named “Ernest,” a name she find melodious, aesthetically pleasing, and irresistibly fascinating. Cecily in a similar manner commits to Algernon not because he is earnest, but because she believes him to be “Ernest,” a man whom she has fantasized about in her diary and “girlish dream[s].” Because Gwendolen and Cecily are so enamored of the name “Ernest,” they confuse the shared name of their lovers with their respective identities. 

Hypocrisy, Folly, and Victorian Morality:

A witty wordsmith, Wilde exposes the hypocrisy of the Victorians’ strict social mores through puns, paradoxes, epigrams, and inversions in the characters’ actions and dialogue. For instance the characters often say and do the opposite of what they mean, or intend. Gwendolen flips “style” and “sincerity” when she says, “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” One would expect that “sincerity” should take precedence over “style” in “matters of grave importance” so Gwendolen’s inversion of these words appears not only funny, but also a tad foolish. Another notable inversion is Lady Bracknell’s quicksilver reversal of her approval of Algernon and Cecily’s engagement. Lady Bracknell does not think much of Cecily until she finds out that she is the heiress to a great fortune, which immediately encourages Lady Bracknell to advocate for the match. Ironically, while money alone is sufficient for Lady Bracknell to approve of Algernon’s engagement to Cecily, it is not enough for her to approve of Jack’s proposal to her own daughter Gwendolen.

Lady Bracknell exposes her hypocritical nature further when she says she disapproves of “mercenary marriages.” Yet her marriage to Lord Bracknell was motivated primarily by money—“When I married Lord Bracknell I had not fortune of any kind. But I never dreamed of allowing that to stand in my way.” Lady Bracknell’s hypocritical attitude towards marriage is not just humorous and ironic; it is also a sharp stab at the paradoxical nature of Victorian social mores. Like Lady Bracknell, Dr. Chausible’s opinion on marriage reverses quickly. In his proposal to Miss Prism he staunchly holds that the “Primitive Church did not condone marriage” yet by the plays end he seems well on his way to marrying Miss Prism anyways. Through such reversals Wilde points out the hypocrisy and foolishness of Victorian social standards.

Men and Women in Love:

In the game of love that Wilde plays throughout The Importance of Being Earnest, Jack and Algernon, who strive for love, are pitted against the fickleness of the women they desire. Even though Wilde assigns stereotypical gender roles to each sex—Jack and Algernon are suave dandies, while Cecily and Gwendolen are vapid beauties—when it comes to marriage and love, he places women in a position of power because they are able to actively choose their mates and influence their partners’ behaviors. In the Victorian world women were rarely afforded this influence, as their male elders—fathers, brothers, uncles, etc.—had tight control over the men with whom they interacted, even dated. Yet Gwendolen and Cecily wield a great deal of power over their suitors. For instance, Jack and Algernon strive to christen themselves “Ernest” precisely because Gwendolen and Cecily threaten to withhold their affections from any man who does not hold this name. In doing so, they effectively compel Jack and Algernon to change their names.

Conclusion: 

In conclusion we can say that 'The Importance of Being Earnest' masterfully weaves together themes of deception, societal expectations, and the absurdities of identity. Oscar Wilde's witty exploration of dual identities, satirical take on societal conventions, and humorous critique of the pursuit of earnestness collectively create a comedic masterpiece. The play serves as both a mirror reflecting the societal norms of the Victorian era and a timeless satire that continues to captivate audiences with its clever wordplay and thought-provoking commentary on human nature. Through its farcical plot and memorable characters, 'The Importance of Being Earnest' remains a classic that transcends its period, offering enduring insights into the human condition.

References:

Beckson, Karl. "Oscar Wilde". Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oscar-Wilde. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "The Importance of Being Earnest". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Words: 1926

Photos: 2

Assignment 3: Negative Capability in Keats's Poetry

Topic of the Blog:

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 103 - Literature of the Romantics, Sem - 1, 2023.

Personal Information: 

Name: Yashrajsinh Sodha

Batch: M.A. sem-1 (2023-25)

Enrollment Number: 5108230043

Email: yashrajsinhsodha0000@gmail.com

Roll Number: 34  

Assignment Details: 

Topic:- Negative Capability in Keats's Poetry 

Paper & subject code:- 103- Literature of the Romantics & 22394

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Date of Submission:- 27th November, 2023

John Keats:

John Keats, (born October 31, 1795, London, England—died February 23, 1821, Rome, Papal States [Italy]), English Romantic lyric poet who devoted his short life to the perfection of a poetry marked by vivid imagery, great sensuous appeal, and an attempt to express a philosophy through classical legend.

The son of a livery-stable manager, John Keats received relatively little formal education. His father died in 1804, and his mother remarried almost immediately. Throughout his life Keats had close emotional ties to his sister, Fanny, and his two brothers, George and Tom. After the breakup of their mother’s second marriage, the Keats children lived with their widowed grandmother at Edmonton, Middlesex. John attended a school at Enfield, two miles away, that was run by John Clarke, whose son Charles Cowden Clarke did much to encourage Keats’s literary aspirations.

At school Keats was noted as a pugnacious lad and was decidedly “not literary,” but in 1809 he began to read voraciously. After the death of the Keats children’s mother in 1810, their grandmother put the children’s affairs into the hands of a guardian, Richard Abbey. At Abbey’s instigation John Keats was apprenticed to a surgeon at Edmonton in 1811. He broke off his apprenticeship in 1814 and went to live in London, where he worked as a dresser, or junior house surgeon, at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospitals. His literary interests had crystallized by this time, and after 1817 he devoted himself entirely to poetry. From then until his early death, the story of his life is largely the story of the poetry he wrote. (Hough)

What is Negative Capability:

Negative capability, a writer’s ability, “which Shakespeare possessed so enormously,” to accept “uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason,” according to English poet John Keats, who first used the term in an 1817 letter. An author possessing negative capability is objective and emotionally detached, as opposed to one who writes for didactic purposes; a literary work possessing negative capability may have beauties and depths that make conventional considerations of truth and morality irrelevant. (Britannica)

Negative Capability in Keats's Poetry:

The sensational statements are quite varied and subtle in effect, ranging from simple assertions of silence paradoxically described to lines which are the penetrating expression of a tense and deeply moving situation. One remembers a number of examples of the first variety: from I Stood Tiptoe, "A little noiseless noise among the leaves,Born of the very sigh that silence heaves." In Endymion silence becomes particularly meaningful. Endymion in the Cave of Quietude, for example, is in a spot "Where silence dreariest is most articulate. "In another instance he complains that upon his ear "a noisy nothing rings," and he wishes once more to hear the linnet's note. Shortly there- after he is puzzled and pleased by the music from Cupid's lyre: "... then the sounds again / Went noiseless as a passing noontide rain / Over a bower." In all of these the suggestions of positive sound, indeed "not-noiselessness," are so strong as, in the Miltonic sense, to touch our trembling ears. (Starr)

This subtle suggestion of sound is particularly effective when Keats deals with water, especially running streams. In The Fall of Hyperion (and in the earlier Hyperion also), after a very suggestive passage of negative statement beginning "No stir of life / Was in this shrouded vale" we read that "A stream went voiceless by." And a passage in Hyperion emphasises the delicacy of sound produced by ocean waves: "Throughout all this, There was no covert, no retired cave Unhaunted by the murmurous noise of waves Though scarcely heard in many a green recess." A final reference to water: lest Keats be accused of seeing magic only in mythological streams one may cite a passage from Lines Written in the Highlands after a Visit to Burns's Country: "Runnels may kiss the grass on shelves and shallows clear, but their low voices are not heard, though come on travels drear."

The picture of the soul which emerges in the Ode to Psyche, though certainly not profound, is clearly an expression of a ruminative phase of Keats's experience, and in its rejections is an interesting contrast to the attitude which made possible his catalogue of luxuries in Sleep and Poetry.

"Fairer than these, though temple hast thou none,

Nor altar heap'd with flowers;

Nor virgin-choir to make delicious moan

Upon the midnight hours;

No voice, no lute, no pipe, no incense sweet

From chain-swung censer teeming;

No shrine, no grove, no oracle, no heat

Of pale-mouth'd prophet dreaming"

Again, in Endymion we can be sure that Keats in wish-fulfilment is projecting himself into experience when he writes that

"……there was not a slope

Up which he had not fear'd the antelope;

And not a tree, beneath whose rooty shade

He had not with his tamed leopards play'd."

This kind of sensuous identification of the poet Keats with a world of pleasurable experience, in an effort, within the conditions of Negative Capability, to deny worldly delights and by implication to exorcise vexations, takes on a more insistent note, sometimes confident, often despairing. He had never breathed the "pure serene" of Homer's world until he read Chapman; at the other end of the scale, Endymion in his misery "cannot see the heavens, nor the flow / Of rivers, nor hill-flowers running wild." The sense of desolate deprivation, of almost masochistic rejection of delight in a Keats who tried to be above personal happiness is expressed with stunning force in La Belle Dame Sans Merci.

The world in which the "wretched wight" finds himself is as dead and deso- late as T. S. Eliot's land of the Hollow Men: "The sedge is wither'd from the lake / And no birds sing." Yet note again the mastery of sug- gestion. Even in his most determined rejections Keats can never dis- miss the world of sensuous delight. In our mind's eye we see the lux- uriant green reeds of spring along the shore of the lake, beside which melodious birds sing madrigals. And with what amazing versatility and virtuosity does Keats transcend the uncertainties, mysteries, and doubts of earthly experience in his Ode on a Grecian Urn! Here, in contrast to the dark magic of La Belle Dame, is the sunlight of ancient Greece, and a relic which is the eternal reminder of unheard melodies of ravishing beauty and of a lover whose love can never endure earthly change. Save perhaps for the flawless portrayal of the ripe harvest sea- son in the Ode to Autumn, the Ode on a Grecian Urn embodies the most serene and moving expression of Keats's Negative Capability. (Starr)

Again and again we catch the suggestion that Keats would never be able to achieve the detachment he desired, because the impossibility of fully realizing or describing worldly delights seems to bring about his heart an "indescribable feud." In his early poem, To My Brother George, he says:

"Full many a dreary hour have I past, 

My brain bewilder'd, and my mind o'ercast 

With heaviness; in seasons when I've thought No spherey strains by me could e'er be caught That I should never hear Apollo's song, 

... That the still murmur of the honey bee 

Would never teach a rural song to me: 

That the bright glance from beauty's eyelids slanting 

Would never make a lay of mine enchanting."

The most interesting revelation of Keats's inner conflict is found in the Ode to a Nightingale. Here the tone is completely different from the serenity and the lofty detachment of the Ode on a Grecian Urn. From the very first word the emphasis is on Keats himself and the life which presses so inexorably upon him. (Starr)

Conclusion:  

To conclude the discussion we can say that the exploration of Negative Capability in Keats's poetry unveils a profound dimension of his artistic philosophy. Keats's ability to embrace uncertainty, doubt, and the complexities of human experience is evident in his poetic works. The concept of Negative Capability, as articulated by Keats, transcends the limitations of rationality, allowing for a more profound engagement with the mysteries of existence. Through a careful analysis of his poems, we witness Keats's capacity to dwell in uncertainties, appreciate the beauty of ambiguity, and convey the profound truths inherent in the complexities of life. The application of Negative Capability in Keats's poetry not only marks a departure from conventional poetic ideals but also establishes him as a poetic pioneer whose work continues to inspire contemplation and reflection on the enigmatic nature of the human condition.

References: 

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "negative capability". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Apr. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/art/negative-capability. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Hough, Graham Goulder. "John Keats". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Keats. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Starr, Nathan Comfort. “Negative Capability in Keats’s Diction.” Keats-Shelley Journal, vol. 15, 1966, pp. 59–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30209856. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

Words Count: 1552

Photos: 2

Assignment 2: Character study in the novel 'Pamela'

Topic of the Blog:

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 102 - Literature of the Neo-classical Period, Sem - 1, 2023.

Personal Information: 

Name: Yashrajsinh Sodha

Batch: M.A. sem-1 (2023-25)

Enrollment Number: 5108230043

Email: yashrajsinhsodha0000@gmail.com

Roll Number: 34

Assignment Details: 

Topic:- Character study in the novel 'Pamela'

Paper & subject code:- 102- Literature of the Neo-classical Period & 22393

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar

Date of Submission:- 27th November, 2023

Samuel Richardson:

Samuel Richardson, (baptised Aug. 19, 1689, Mackworth, near Derby, Derbyshire, Eng.—died July 4, 1761, Parson’s Green, near London), English novelist who expanded the dramatic possibilities of the novel by his invention and use of the letter form (“epistolary novel”). His major novels were Pamela and Clarissa. 

Richardson was 50 years old when he wrote Pamela, but of his first 50 years little is known. His ancestors were of yeoman stock. His father, also Samuel, and his mother’s father, Stephen Hall, became London tradesmen, and his father, after the death of his first wife, married Stephen’s daughter, Elizabeth, in 1682. A temporary move of the Richardsons to Derbyshire accounts for the fact that the novelist was born in Mackworth. They returned to London when Richardson was 10. He had at best what he called “only Common School-Learning.” The perceived inadequacy of his education was later to preoccupy him and some of his critics.

In his professional life Richardson was hardworking and successful. With the growth in prominence of his press went his steady increase in prestige as a member, an officer, and later master, of the Stationers’ Company (the guild for those in the book trade). During the 1730s his press became known as one of the three best in London, and with prosperity he moved to a more spacious London house and leased the first of three country houses in which he entertained a circle of friends that included Dr. Johnson, the painter William Hogarth, the actors Colley Cibber and David Garrick, Edward Young, and Arthur Onslow, speaker of the House of Commons, whose influence in 1733 helped to secure for Richardson lucrative contracts for government printing that later included the journals of the House. (Sale)

Pamela (novel):

Pamela, novel in epistolary style by Samuel Richardson, published in 1740 and based on a story about a servant and the man who, failing to seduce her, marries her.

Pamela Andrews is a 15-year-old servant. On the death of her mistress, her mistress’s son, “Mr. B,” begins a series of stratagems designed to seduce her. These failing, he abducts her and ultimately threatens to rape her. Pamela resists, and soon afterward Mr. B offers marriage—an outcome that Richardson presents as a reward for her virtue. The second half of the novel shows Pamela winning over those who had disapproved of the misalliance.

Pamela is often credited with being the first English novel. Although the validity of this claim depends on the definition of the term novel, Richardson was clearly innovative in his concentration on a single action. (Britannica)

Character Analysis:

Pamela:

Pamela Andrews is a 15-year-old servant girl from a relatively impoverished background who, after the death of her old master, Lady B, starts a new job working for Lady B’s son, Mr. B. Pamela is a skilled and prolific writer, and she conveys her story through journal entries and through letters she writes to with her mother and father. Pamela’s other important trait is her “virtue”—she has a strong faith in God and as a result, she feels that she must remain chaste until marriage. This puts her in constant conflict with Mr. B, who lusts for Pamela—but initially has no desire to marry her. When Pamela refuses Mr. B’s advances, he kidnaps and imprisons her, straining the limits of Pamela’s willpower. Pamela often lacks agency in her own story; she’s repeatedly unable to escape Mr. B and depends on the aid of characters who try to help her, like Mrs. Jewkes and Mr. Williams. Nevertheless, she accomplishes something extraordinary: when the rakish Mr. B finally reads Pamela’s journal entries about her imprisonment, he’s so moved that he begins to treat her better.

After a long period of virtuous suffering, Pamela finally gets rewarded when Mr. B agrees to marry her. Pamela takes her new role seriously, trying to be as charitable as she can with her husband’s money. As the Editor states directly in the epilogue, Pamela is a role model: both for other characters in the story and for the audience. Pamela’s life story suggests that people who endure suffering with grace will eventually reap the benefits of their good behavior.

Mr.B:

Mr. B is a rich libertine who is the son of Lady B and the brother of Lady Davers. When the death of Lady B leaves him in charge of the servant girl Pamela, Mr. B wastes no time before taking “liberties” with her, repeatedly holding her and giving her unwanted kisses. As Pamela later learns, Mr. B has a scandalous past—in his younger days, he used to get into duels and even fathered a child (Miss Goodwin) with the unmarried Sally Godfrey.

As Mr. B spends more time with Pamela, his actions become increasingly aggressive—at one point, he kidnaps her, imprisons her at his Lincolnshire country estate, then impersonates a maid (Nan) in order to get into bed with Pamela. But perhaps the most important characteristic of Mr. B is his ability to change. While Mr. B plans to trick Pamela into a sham-marriage, he ultimately changes his plans after reading several of Pamela’s letters and journal entries, which make him more sympathetic to her situation. He reforms his old ways and marries her properly in his family chapel, and with Pamela’s help, he starts to finally live up to his reputation as a gentleman. Mr. B represents the flaws and hypocrisies of the gentry in 18th-century Britain, but he also shows the potential of people to change, particularly after being exposed to a positive role model.

Mrs. Jewkes:

Mrs. Jewkes is a servant at Mr. B’s Lincolnshire estate who helps keep Pamela trapped there. At first, she seems like an evil version of the similarly-named Mrs. Jervis. Unlike Mrs. Jervis, Mrs. Jewkes doesn’t care about Pamela’s virtue and is willing to do whatever her master tells her to do, even if that involves locking Pamela in a room or holding Pamela down while her master assaults her. Pamela notes that Mrs. Jewkes isn’t attractive and makes frequent comments about Mrs. Jewkes’s weight, invoking the stereotype that “ugly” people are evil. But by the end of the novel, Mrs. Jewkes proves to have surprising depth. Almost as soon as Mr. B decides he wants to marry Pamela for real, Mrs. Jewkes begins treating Pamela with respect. When Pamela becomes mistress of the house, she not only decides not to fire Mrs. Jewkes, but she also rewards Mrs. Jewkes with more money.

Mr. Wlliams:

Mr. Williams is a preacher who lives near the Lincolnshire estate of Mr. B. Mr. Williams is in line to inherit a position from another elderly gentleman in the area, but to do so, he needs to keep Mr. B happy. This proves difficult when Mr. B involves Mr. Williams in his scheme to imprison Pamela. At first, Mr. B tells Pamela that Mr. B wants to marry her, but this was only an excuse to control her, and Mr. B gets angry when he suspects that Pamela might actually want to marry Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams feels sympathy for Pamela and wants to do whatever he can to help her without upsetting Mr. B, and so Mr. Williams and Pamela work out a system of exchanging secret messages with each other. When Mr. B finds out, he stages a robbery against Mr. Williams and then throws him in jail. After Pamela reforms Mr. B, however, he lets Mr. Williams go free, and he also lets him inherit the position he was originally going to get after all. Mr. Williams’s story mirrors Pamela’s, demonstrating how doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult, will ultimately lead to rewards.

Pamela's Father:

Pamela’s father is a simple man who comes from a family of respectable farmers but who more recently fell into debt. He and Pamela’s mother are the intended audience for many of Pamela’s writings, and they both worry about her safety as she starts to work for her new employer, Mr. B. They refuse to spend the four guineas Pamela sends them until they know she’s safe. Their concerns about Mr. B prove to be correct, and eventually Pamela’s father goes to see Pamela in person. By that time, however, Pamela and Mr. B have resolved their differences and decided to marry. While Pamela’s father feels out of place among Mr. B’s noble guests, he nevertheless earns their approval, particularly for his knowledge of religion. Pamela’s father is the classic example of a poor but noble person, and his character demonstrates how people can rise above their economic circumstances.

Lady Davers:

Lady Davers is the daughter of Lady B and the sister of Mr. B. Initially, she doesn’t appear in the novel but represents an escape—a person to whom Pamela might be able to turn to escape her abusive boss, Mr. B. But by the end of the novel, things have reversed: Mr. B takes care of his new wife Pamela while Lady Davers refuses to accept the legitimacy of the marriage. Lady Davers’s poor treatment of Pamela reflects the prejudices of the upper class against the lower class and how class concerns dominated life for people in 18th-century Britain. Nevertheless, Lady Davers eventually comes around to liking Pamela, providing further evidence of how Pamela’s virtuous behaviour has a positive effect on those around her.

Pamela's Mother:

Like Pamela’s father, Pamela’s mother is simple but virtuous. She seems to leave most of the correspondence with Pamela to Pamela’s father, even on the letters that she signs with her name, suggesting she plays a more passive role in the marriage. Still, Pamela prefers to write to her mother about certain sensitive topics, and she also continues to write to her mother after her father comes to visit in person. Like Pamela’s father, Pamela’s mother demonstrates how supportive parents can help raise virtuous children.

Sally Godfrey:

Sally Godfrey is the mother of Mr. B’s first child, Miss Goodwin, although the two of them never married. As Mr. B tells it, Sally’s family tried to trick Mr. B into marrying her with violence, and Mr. B left Sally when he found out she was in on the scheme. Sally eventually moved to Jamaica, leaving the care of Miss Goodwin to Lady Davers and eventually to a boarding school. Just the mention of Sally’s name now upsets Mr. B. Sally demonstrates the trickery that marriage could involve, and her backstory provides more context for Mr. B’s character and his libertine past.

Lady B:

Lady B is a kind, wealthy woman, who on her deathbed recommends her trusted servant Pamela to her son Mr. B. Lady B’s selfless, caring behaviour provides a contrast for the initially selfish behaviour of her son, Mr. B, showing how he fails to live up to his mother’s example.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the analysis of characters in "Pamela" provides a nuanced understanding of the intricate relationships and complexities within the novel. From the virtuous resilience of Pamela to the multifaceted personalities of Mr. B and other characters, each individual contributes to the thematic depth and social commentary of the narrative. The exploration of their motives, actions, and transformations illuminates the broader societal norms and values of the time, making "Pamela" not only a tale of personal growth but also a reflection of the intricacies of 18th-century society.

References:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Pamela". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Mar. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pamela-novel-by-Richardson. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Sale, William Merritt. "Samuel Richardson". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Jun. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Richardson. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Word Count: 1992

Photos: 2

Assignment-1 Critical Analysis of 'The Collar'

Topic of the Blog:

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 101 - Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration Periods, Sem - 1, 2023.

'The Collar' by George Herbert

Personal Information: 

Name: Yashrajsinh Sodha

Batch: M.A. sem-1 (2023-25)

Enrollment Number: 5108230043

Email: yashrajsinhsodha0000@gmail.com

Roll Number: 34

Assignment Details: 

Topic:- Critical Analysis of 'The Collar' by George Herbert

Paper & subject code:- 101 - Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration Periods & 22392

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Date of Submission:- 27th November, 2023

George Herbert:

George Herbert was born on 3rd April 1593, Montgomery Castle, Wales and died on 1st March 1633, Bemerton, Wiltshire, England. He was an English religious poet, a major metaphysical poet, notable for the purity and effectiveness of his choice of words.

He was a younger brother of Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, a notable secular metaphysical poet, George in 1610 sent his mother for New Year’s two sonnets on the theme that the love of God is a fitter subject for verse than the love of woman, a foreshadowing of his poetic and vocational bent.

George Herbert 

Educated at home, at Westminster School, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was in 1620 elected orator of the university, a position that he described as “the finest place in the university.” His two immediate predecessors in the office had risen to high positions in the state, and Herbert was much involved with the court. During Herbert’s academic career, his only published verse was that written for special occasions in Greek and Latin. By 1625 Herbert’s sponsors at court were dead or out of favour, and he turned to the church, being ordained deacon. He resigned as orator in 1627 and in 1630 was ordained priest and became rector at Bemerton. He became friends with Nicholas Ferrar, who had founded a religious community at nearby Little Gidding, and devoted himself to his rural parish and the reconstruction of his church. Throughout his life he wrote poems, and from his deathbed he sent a manuscript volume to Ferrar, asking him to decide whether to publish or destroy them. Ferrar published them with the title The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations in 1633.

Herbert described his poems as “a picture of the many spiritual conflicts that have passed between God and my soul, before I could subject mine to the will of Jesus, my Master, in whose service I have now found perfect freedom.” Herbert shares his conflicts with John Donne, the archetypal metaphysical poet and a family friend. As well as personal poems, The Temple includes doctrinal poems, notably “The Church Porch,” the first in the volume, and the last, “The Church Militant.” Other poems are concerned with church ritual.

(Britannica)

Poem: The Collar

I struck the board, and cried, "No more;

                         I will abroad!

What? shall I ever sigh and pine?

My lines and life are free, free as the road,

Loose as the wind, as large as store.

          Shall I be still in suit?

Have I no harvest but a thorn

To let me blood, and not restore

What I have lost with cordial fruit?

          Sure there was wine

Before my sighs did dry it; there was corn

    Before my tears did drown it.

      Is the year only lost to me?

          Have I no bays to crown it,

No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?

                  All wasted?

Not so, my heart; but there is fruit,

            And thou hast hands.

Recover all thy sigh-blown age

On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute

Of what is fit and not. Forsake thy cage,

             Thy rope of sands,

Which petty thoughts have made, and made to thee

Good cable, to enforce and draw,

          And be thy law,

While thou didst wink and wouldst not see.

          Away! take heed;

          I will abroad.

Call in thy death's-head there; tie up thy fears;

          He that forbears

         To suit and serve his need

          Deserves his load."

But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild

          At every word,

Methought I heard one calling, Child!

          And I replied My Lord. (Herbert)

Critical Analysis:

Stanza 1:

"I struck the board, and cried, "No more;

                         I will abroad!

What? shall I ever sigh and pine?

My lines and life are free, free as the road,

Loose as the wind, as large as store.

Shall I be still in suit?

Have I no harvest but a thorn

To let me blood, and not restore

What I have lost with cordial fruit?"

Analysis:

In this stanza Herbert expresses the sense of tiredness from the beliefs he has. Now he wants to be free from it. "No more" suggests that he does not want to be the same person any more. He wants to escape from the surroundings and wants to be free. "free as road" suggests that he wants to choose his own path now.

Here 'suit' means being in the same pattern for his whole life, living life according to society's expectations and according to the system that exists in the world. He further says he harvested thorns means that constant pain he is going through and suffering from for a long period of time and in the last line he asks if there is any escape or he is just made in that way to suffer for the rest of his life.

Stanza 2:

"Sure there was wine

Before my sighs did dry it; there was corn

    Before my tears did drown it.

      Is the year only lost to me?

Have I no bays to crown it,

No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?

                  All wasted?

Not so, my heart; but there is fruit,

            And thou hast hands."

Analysis:

First line suggests that there was a good time in the poet's life before bad times entered in his life. Here the poet describes how his time changed and his own mistakes made his bad fortune. Further the poet asks whether this whole year he has to lose everything, he has lost everything good things in life for that he uses crown, garlands and flowers which say about a better life. So he asks if there is any way to escape it or if he has to live this life like that. Firther he says that there is still hope that something good exists in his fortune, day will arrive and he will get freedom from all the sufferings.

Stanza 3: 

"Recover all thy sigh-blown age

On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute

Of what is fit and not. Forsake thy cage,

             Thy rope of sands,

Which petty thoughts have made, and made to thee

Good cable, to enforce and draw,

          And be thy law,

While thou didst wink and wouldst not see.

Away! take heed;

          I will abroad."

Analysis:

In this part of the poem the speaker asks a number of different things about himself. First, he wants to recover the pleasures of his past and leave behind his “cold dispute / of what is fit and not.” He is done wasting time worrying about what is holy, proper, or good. These things will no longer interest him. It is his goal to leave behind his cage and “rope of sand.” 

This means that whatever binds him with these beliefs, that is he himself, he is responsible for the beliefs he has. They were made by “petty thoughts” and turned into “Good cable” which was able to “enforce and draw” and turn into the “law” which he obeyed.

Stanza: 4

"Call in thy death's-head there; tie up thy fears;

          He that forbears

         To suit and serve his need

          Deserves his load."

But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild

          At every word,

Me thought I heard one calling, Child!

          And I replied My Lord."

Analysis: 

In the last section of ‘The Collar’ the narrator’s  speech produces a slight twist to the narrative. He continues speaking to himself and tries to boost his confidence for the change he is trying to make. The speaker asks that the “death’s-head” leave him alone. He does not want to be bothered by his fears. It is his intention to “tie” them up and force them to serve his purpose. 

The speech ends with a set of lines that utilise the rhyme scheme of abab. They are used to bring the speaker back to his known reality. He describes how his “raving” came to its climax and rather than building him up, it just brought on the voice of God. The speaker heard “Child!” And replied, “My Lord.” Like a child, he was chastised and brought back into the religious fold. 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we can say that the critical analysis of "The Collar" delves into the intricate exploration of spiritual conflict, rebellion, and eventual reconciliation within George Herbert's poem. The metaphor of the collar serves as a powerful symbol, representing the tension between individual desires and spiritual obligations. The speaker's journey from defiance to acceptance unfolds through vivid imagery and nuanced language. Herbert skillfully weaves themes of frustration, doubt, and divine intervention, offering readers a profound reflection on the complexities of faith and the ultimate surrender to a higher purpose. Through meticulous analysis, we unveil the layers of meaning within "The Collar," revealing Herbert's timeless exploration of the human spirit's struggles and the transformative power of spiritual surrender.

References:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "George Herbert". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Herbert. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Herbert, George. “The Collar by George Herbert.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 1663, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44360/the-collar.

Words: 1591

Photos: 2