Early 20th Century Idealism in Rupert Brooke’s Peace highlights the patriotic fervour and spiritual renewal that defined the initial stages of World War I. Composed in 1914, Brooke’s sonnet captures the moral and emotional climate of a generation that embraced war as an opportunity for redemption, purpose, and glory. Unlike later poets such as Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who...
Continue readingLatest Posts
Modernism in Prufrock
Modernism in Prufrock serves as a powerful lens through which T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock explores identity, alienation, and existential uncertainty. Emerging as a literary and artistic movement between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, modernism reshaped art and culture by rejecting Romantic traditions and embracing innovation. Eliot’s use of techniques like stream of consciousness and...
Continue readingSignificance of the Title of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The significance of the title in T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock lies in its ironic and multi-layered interpretation. It reflects the poet’s complex commentary on modern anxieties and human existence. While it initially promises a conventional love poem in the tradition of Romantic or Elizabethan lyrics, the title ultimately reveals its irony. It highlights the breakdown...
Continue readingPrufrock as a Modern Man in Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock portrays J. Alfred Prufrock as the quintessential modern man – a figure caught in an endless conflict of indecision, self-consciousness, and a disordered psyche. Through fragmented imagery, introspection, and free verse, Eliot captures the disillusionment, anxieties, and alienation that defined the modern era. Prufrock’s struggles with identity, masculinity, and purpose mirror...
Continue readingNarrative Style of Lord Jim
In narrative style of Lord Jim, Joseph Conrad constructs a narrative framework that defies conventional storytelling, intertwining multiple layers of narrative perspectives and voices. The novel’s narrative complexity begins with an omniscient narrator in the first four chapters, setting the stage before transitioning to Marlow, who becomes the primary narrator. This shift is marked by the appearance of quotation marks...
Continue readingA Doll’s House as a Problem Play
The Problem Play, as a genre, emerged during the 19th century as part of the Realism movement in theatre, notably influenced by Henrik Ibsen. Unlike the conventional, formulaic “well-made play” of the time, Ibsen’s work focused on real characters grappling with real-world issues, spurning farcical plots, and exploring controversial social and human questions that had never been dramatized till then....
Continue readingRealism in Ibsen’s Doll’s House
Realism, as a socio-literary movement, was a natural consequence of the Scientific Revolution that transformed European perspectives on faith, life, and religion. Realism in art portrays life as it is, without idealization or romanticism. It provides a stage for playwrights to express social views. The artist’s duty is honest observation and description of the world. Drama, a performative social genre,...
Continue readingCharacter of Nora in A Doll’s House
Henrick Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is considered to be a revolutionary play primarily because of the central character, Nora Helmer. Ibsen presents Nora as a woman caught in the cocoon of social expectations, eventually undergoing transformation through her realization and radical rejection of societal norms. The portrayal of Nora is exceptional, not just on the level of characterization but also...
Continue readingNarrative Structure in Toni Morrison’s Beloved
Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, published in 1987, is a literary masterpiece that weaves a complex narrative structure to tell a haunting and powerful story of slavery, trauma, and the search for identity. Narrative structure in Toni Morrison’s Beloved, characterized by its non-linear timeline, multiple perspectives, and fragmented storytelling, serves as a vehicle to explore the enduring legacy of slavery on...
Continue readingCharacter of Sethe in Toni Morrison’s Beloved
Sethe, the protagonist of Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” is a complex and compelling character whose life has been shaped by the brutal realities of slavery. Her journey is one of enduring pain, fierce love, and, ultimately, a hard-won sense of selfhood. To understand Sethe, we must delve into the various facets of her personality, her tragic choices, and her path toward...
Continue readingEpic Similes in Paradise Lost Book 1
John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” stands as a monument of epic poetry, and its grandeur is woven not just in the grand themes of good versus evil but also in its collages of imagery. Epic similes are the most striking elements in Book 1 where comparisons expanded into mini epics of their own, enriching the narrative and elevating the reader’s imagination....
Continue readingPope’s Social Satire in The Rape of the Lock
Imagine a world where a stolen hair curl sparks an epic battle, complete with sylphs, gnomes, and even a celestial coffee pot. This is not just a whimsical daydream; it is Pope’s social satire, The Rape of the Lock, a poem that takes aim at the frivolous and ostentatious world of 18th-century English society. Beneath the shimmering silks and witty wordplay...
Continue readingImpact of Slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved
Slave narratives are crucial not only for enhancing African-American literature but also for uncovering the complexities in conversations between Whites and Blacks. Toni Morrison noted the limited inclusion of Black voices in discussions about them. Throughout her career, she ensured that Black stories weren’t solely told from the White perspective. In her 1987 novel “Beloved,” set in post-Civil War America,...
Continue readingCharacter of Ulysses in Tennyson’s Poem
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” is a dramatic monologue that tells the story of the legendary Greek hero Ulysses as he reflects on his life and adventures. The poem was first published in 1842 and is considered one of the most important works of the Victorian era. The character of Ulysses in the poem is complex and multifaceted, embodying many...
Continue readingCharacter of The Duke in Browning’s My Last Duchess
Duke in Robert Browning‘s “My Last Duchess” is a controlling and entitled aristocrat who embodies toxic masculinity. He believes that his wife was unfaithful to him, which threatens his sense of power and control, leading to his eventual decision to have her killed. The poem, written as a dramatic monologue, shows certain traits of his character and allows the readers...
Continue readingTennyson’s “Ulysses”: A Reflection of Victorian Ethos
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” is a powerful reflection of Victorian ethos. The poem was first published in 1842 and is considered one of the most important works of the Victorian period. It captures the spirit of the age and the values and beliefs of the Victorian era. Duty and Responsibility One of the key themes in “Ulysses” is the...
Continue readingTennyson’s Ulysses as a Dramatic Monologue
A dramatic monologue is a lyric poem in which a single imaginary speaker or a historical personage expresses his thoughts and feelings to an imaginary silent audience. Alfred Lord Tennyson‘s poem “Ulysses” is a masterful example of the dramatic monologue form. The poem was first published in 1842 and is considered one of the most important works of the Victorian...
Continue readingAmericanisms: American Influence on the English Language
English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and it has undergone significant changes over the years. American influence has been significant contributing to these changes. American English has played a crucial role in shaping the English language in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. This article will explore how American English has influenced the English...
Continue readingTintern Abbey: Role of Nature in Wordsworth’s Poetry
Tintern Abbey, one of William Wordsworth’s most celebrated poems, is an ode to the beauty and power of nature. The poem reflects the nature in Wordsworth’s own experiences and explores themes of memory, imagination, and the transformative power of nature. The poem begins with Wordsworth revisiting Tintern Abbey after a five-year absence. As he gazes upon the natural beauty surrounding him, he...
Continue readingGreek Influence on English Language
The relative structural simplicity of English language, together with its flexibility and adaptability, has often proved to be positive factors in linguistic evolution through adoption, assimilation and naturalization of foreign elements. Although French, Latin and Scandinavian influences have had a more direct effect on English, Greek influence has been a vital factor in its evolution as well. Some linguists claim...
Continue reading