Slum Dog Millionaire

Comparative Literature: An Introduction
Dr K M Krishnan
Answer in two or three sentences
1. What is comparative literature?
Comparative Literature is a method of evaluating and interpreting literature. It consists in the

comparison of more than one aspect of literary analysis. These can be texts, authors, languages,
cultures or modes of literary enunciation itself. It is the study of literature beyond the confines of one
particular country. It is the study of the relationships between literature on one hand and other areas
of knowledge and belief, such as the arts, philosophy, history, the social sciences, the sciences,
religion, etc. on the other. In brief it is the comparison of one literature with another or others, and
the comparison of literature with other spheres of human expression.
2. What is the objective of Comparative Literature?
According to Van Tieghem, the object of comparative literature is essentially the study of diverse
literatures in their relations with one another.
3. What is Zeitgeist?
Zeitgeist means the spirit of the times. Early comparatists were concerned in discovering the
Zeitgeist of a particular nation. Along with themes, genres and periods, they also used it as a criterion
for comparison across nations.
4. What is the contribution of Veselovsky towards comparative literature?
Veselovsky, a major figure in East European School, developed the branch of historical poetics. He
is considered as the founding father of Comparative Literature by Russians.
Answer in about 100 words
1. Write a short note on the notion of world literature.
The early understanding of Europeans on literature and culture of other regions was indicative of the
political supremacy of Europe. It had colonial implications associated with it. One could identify a
change in this attitude with the emergence of Comparative literature. It originated in the West with
the notion of weltliteratur (world literature) proposed by Goethe in 1827. Historically, it indicated
the availability or circulation of literary texts from all nations, cultures and languages to other parts
of the world. Aesthetically, it signalled the recognition of a literary feature or features of universal
significance. Goethe’s notion of Weltliteratur invited comparisons with the concept of
Bishwasahitya, also meaning world literature that Tagore spoke about in 1907.
2. What is Eurocentrism?
The early understanding of Europeans on literature and culture of other regions was indicative of the
political supremacy of Europe. It had colonial implications associated with it. It was Eurocentric, as
it was dominated by European interests and tastes. One could identify a change in this attitude
with the emergence of Comparative literature. It originated in the West with the notion of
weltliteratur (world literature) proposed by Goethe in 1827. Péter Szondi also gave a new orientation
to comparative literary studies. However, despite the efforts of Szondi and Goethe, western
comparative literature in general and German comparative literature in particular remained
Eurocentric.
3. Write a short note on the importance of Genology.

Genology is the study of genres. Genology relates to the study of form in comparative literature.
Indeed there are some theorists who argue that it is futile to study genres as genres keep changing.
Some authors do not respect genres at all. According to this perception, literature should be taken as
a whole. But going with the traditional definition of genre, one is compelled to ask about the relation
between a text and a genre. Aristotle had included tragedy, comedy and the epic in his discussion of
poetry. During Elizabethan period, the noble characters used verse, while the ordinary characters
used prose. Even in modern times, some texts defy the categorization of genres. For instance, novels
like The Golden Gate of Vikram Seth are written in the sonnet sequence, a poetic form used for
narrative poetry. In the Indian context, one could find genre categorisation of kavya to drisya (plays
intended to be watched) and sravya (poetry meant to be read). There are also further categories of
Akhyanakavyas(narrative poems), mahakavyas(long poems or ithihasas) and khandakavyas(short
narrative or lyric poems)
4. Trace the growth of comparative Literature in India.

Though recent in origin, Indian comparative literature contributed significantly to Indian literature,
especially in the post-independence era. The very concept of Indian literature, with works written in
various Indian languages has the implication of comparative literature inbuilt in it. Though written in
many languages, one can consider Indian literature as a unified whole. It is marked by a feeling of
shared experiences and the spirit of one nation. Due to this, the presence of different languages is
beyond the problem of petty nationalistic sentiments. One of the tasks of Indian comparative
literature is the exploration of the texts either derived from or inspired by epics like the Ramayana
and the Mahabharatha. The notion of intertextuality helps us conceptualise this phenomenon better.
Answer in about 300 words.
1. Critically consider the growth of Comparative Literature as an academic discipline.

or
2. Which are the three major schools of Comparative Literature? Evaluate their contributions.
Comparative Literature is a method of evaluating and interpreting literature. It consists in the

comparison of more than one aspect of literary analysis. These can be texts, authors, languages,
cultures or modes of literary enunciation itself. It is the study of literature beyond the confines of one
particular country. It is the study of the relationships between literature on one hand and other areas
of knowledge and belief, such as the arts, philosophy, history, the social sciences, the sciences,
religion, etc. on the other.
Comparative Literature developed as an academic discipline of a cross disciplinary character towards

the end of the 19th century. The English term was coined by Matthew Arnold in 1848. The growth of
Comparative Literature in the 19th century coincided with the growth of systems of knowledge on a
global scale. In the West three major schools of Comparative Literature gained prominence. They are
the French School, the German school and the American school.
The French School
Sorbonne University in France has been in the forefront in making Comparative Literature a major
academic discipline. The French school of Comparative Literature dealt with the textual elements.
Some even argue that it attempted a forensic approach to the study of literature. At the same time,
the French School concerned itself with questions of influence of one literature over another.
Similarly, the French school promoted the nation-state approach of the discipline, even though it
had largely remained a European phenomenon.
The German School
The German school of Comparative Literature also had its origins in the late 19th century. In the
beginning it was folklore studies that interested the German comparatists, though later the Nazis
took control over it. The work of Peter Szondi after the World War II deserves special mention. His
efforts opened the disciplines to scholarship in several areas and gave a new orientation to
comparative literary studies. Even with the concept of Goethe’s weltliteratur(1827) and Szondi’s
efforts, German Comparative Literature remained Eurocentric, dominated by European interests and
tastes.
The American School
The American School was less interested in detailed historical analysis and investigation. Instead, it
followed a method closer to traditional literary criticism. For the American School, Comparative
Literature means comparing literature beyond one’s frontiers. In fact, the American School is more
interested in the original internationalist vision of Goethe and H.M. Posnett.
Extra Questions
 Discuss the disciplines that Comparative Literature shares space with.
Comparative Literature shares a lot of critical space with recent developments in Linguistics,
Cultural Studies, Critical Theory, Translation Studies, Religious Studies, Anthropology and History.
Disciplines like Stylistics too have contributed to the growth of Comparative Literature. Comparative
Literature is increasingly being seen as study of literature across disciplines like psychology,
philosophy, architecture and the like but also between other art forms like music and painting.
 Who is behind the notion of “La Littérature Comparée”?
Marius-Franҫois Guyard
 Who identified “sociology of literature” with a difference in Comparative Literature?
Leo Lowenthall
 Who authored Theory of Literature?
René Wellek and Austin Warren
 Who considered Comparative Literature as a branch of history?
Jean –Marie Carré
 What is influence, according to A. O. Aldridge?
Influence, according to A. O. Aldridge, is “something which exists in the work of one author
which could not have existed had he not read the work of a previous author”
 What is the third element added to the scheme of relationship between form and content, in
comparative literature?
Meaning
 Which discipline is referred by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak in her Death of a Discipline?
Comparative Literature
*********************************************
What is Comparative Literature Today?
Susan Bassnett
1. What is interdisciplinarity?
Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combining of two or more academic

disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields like
sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics etc. It is about creating something by thinking
across boundaries. Susan Bassnet considers Comparative Literature as interdisciplinary as it
involves the study of texts across cultures.
2. What is the role of history in Comparative Literature according to Bassnett?
Bassnett quotes Benedetto Croce in explaining the role of history in Comparative Literature.
According to Croce, literary history, rather than Comparative Literature, is the proper object of
study. He says that he could not distinguish between literary history and comparative literary history.
In fact, the term comparative literature is confusing, as the true object of study is only literary
history. Comparative history of literature is history understood in its true sense as a complete
explanation (raison d'être) of the literary work, encompassed in all its relationships within the
composite whole of universal literary history.
3. What is the crisis of Comparative Literature?
A decade after the publication of his work, Theory of Literature (1949), Rene Wellek could find a
crisis in comparative literature. In his essay, "The Crisis of Comparative Literature" (1959), he
critizes it for its inability “to establish a distinct subject matter and a specific methodology". The
great waves of critical thought that swept through one after the other from structuralism through to
post-structuralism, from feminism to deconstruction, from semiology to psychoanalysis-shifted
attention away from the activity of comparing texts and tracking patterns of influence between
writers towards the role of the reader. And as each new wave broke over the preceding one, notions
of single, harmonious reading were shattered forever.
4. How does Ganesh Devi look at Indian Comparative Literature?
Ganesh Devi finds the comparative literature in India directly linked to the rise of modern Indian
nationalism. According to him, comparative literature ‘has been used to assert the national cultural
identity’. National literature and comparative literature cannot be considered incompatible.

1. How according to Susan Bassnett has the term Comparative Literature changed?
Initially, Goethe came up with the notion of Weltliteratur (world literature) in 1827.
In 1903, Benedetto Croce argued that comparative literature was a non-subject. He thought it as an
arid (barren/dry) study. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a separate discipline. Instead of
comparative literature, the proper object of study should be literary history. He argued that the term
comparative literature had no substance to it.
But other scholars made grandiose claims for comparative literature. In 1903 itself, Charles Mills
Gayley proclaimed that the student of comparative literature should consider literature as a common
expression of humanity, differentiated by the social conditions and racial, historical, cultural and
linguistic opportunities; and at the same time, prompted by the common needs and aspirations of
man, sprung from common faculties(psychological and physiological) in accordance with the
common laws of individual and society. Similarly, in 1974, Franҫois Jost claimed that comparative
literature “represents more than an academic discipline”. According to him it is “an overall view of
literature, of the world of letters, a humanistic ecology, a literary Weltanschauung (world view), a
vision of the cultural universe, inclusive and comprehensive”. Jost, like Gayley and others before
him, propose comparative literature as some kind of world religion. All cultural differences would
disappear when readers take up great works. Art is an instrument of universal harmony and the
comparatists facilitates the spread of that harmony. Wellek and Warren in their Theory of Literature
(1949) demanded high linguistic proficiencies, widening of perspectives, and suppression of local
and provincial sentiments of comparatist scholars
However, the high ideals of such a vision of comparative literature have not been met. By 1960,
Wellek was already talking about the crisis in comparative literature. In the 1960s and early 70s,
even as the subject appeared to be gaining ground, flaws in the idea of universal values and of world
literature could already be seen. The great waves of critical thought that swept through one after the
other from structuralism through to post-structuralism, from feminism to deconstruction, from
semiology to psychoanalysis-shifted attention away from the activity of comparing texts and
tracking patterns of influence between writers towards the role of the reader. And as each new wave
broke over the preceding one, notions of single, harmonious reading were shattered forever.
2. Discuss how Susan Bassnett argues that the reading of one author automatically lead to another.
Matthew Arnold once said: “everywhere there is connection, everywhere there is illustration. No
single event, no single literature is adequately comprehended except in relation to other events, to
other literatures”. Susan Bassnett elaborates on this concept and argues that anyone who has an
interest in books embarks on the road towards comparative literature. A reading of Chaucer leads
one to the works of Boccaccio. Shakespeare’s source materials can be traced through Latin, French,
Spanish and Italian. Romanticism developed across Europe at a similar moment in time.
Baudelaire’s fascination with Edgar Allan Poe enriched his own writing. English novelists learned a
lot from the great 19th century Russian writers. James Joyce borrowed from and loaned to Italo
Svevo. When we read Clarice Lispector we are reminded of Jean Rhys, who in turn recalls Djuna
Barnes and Anais Nin.
3. How does Bassnett argue that art is an instrument of cultural harmony?

Charles Mills Gayley proclaimed that the student of comparative literature should consider
literature as a common expression of humanity, differentiated by the social conditions and racial,
historical, cultural and linguistic opportunities; and at the same time, prompted by the common needs
and aspirations of man, sprung from common faculties(psychological and physiological) in
accordance with the common laws of individual and society. Similarly, in 1974, Franҫois Jost
claimed that comparative literature “represents more than an academic discipline”. According to him
it is “an overall view of literature, of the world of letters, a humanistic ecology, a literary
Weltanschauung (world view), a vision of the cultural universe, inclusive and comprehensive”. Jost,
like Gayley and others before him, propose comparative literature as some kind of world religion.
All cultural differences would disappear when readers take up great works. Art is an
instrument of universal harmony and the comparatists facilitate the spread of that harmony.
4. Why did the students in the 50s and 60s turn to Comparative Literature?
In the 1950s and early 1960s, high flying graduate students in the West turned to comparative
literature as a radical subject, because at that time it appeared to be transgressive, moving across
the boundaries of single literature study. Of course, comparative literature did not have a coherent
methodology. There was also continuing debates on the existence of the subject, “comparative
literature”. But none of these drawbacks affected those students. In 1969, Harry Levin even spoke
for the need of more practical work on comparison, rather than theoretical talking about
comparative literature. Nevertheless, the love for comparative literature did not last long. By the late
1970s, a new generation of high-flying graduate students in the West turned to Literary Theory,
Women’s Studies, Semiotics and Cultural Studies as the radical subject choices, abandoning
comparative literature.
1. What is the contribution Translation Studies towards Comparative Literature?
Since the early use of the term in the mid-1970s, Translation Studies has developed to such an extent
that there are many now who consider it to be a discipline in its own right. Translation studies is
derived from polysystems theory which considers literature as a differentiated and dynamic
‘conglomerate of systems’ characterised by internal oppositions and dynamic shifts. In this approach,
individual literary system is seen as part of multi-faceted whole. There is no scope for dichotomy of
‘majority’ and ‘minority’ cultures, or ‘great’ literatures and ‘marginal’ literatures. Translation
Studies derives from work in linguistics, literary study, history, anthropology, psychology, sociology
and ethnology. It posits the radical proposition that translation is not a marginal activity but has been
a major shaping force for change in the history of culture. Comparative literature has traditionally
claimed translation as a sub-category, but this assumption is now being questioned.
The work of scholars such as Toury, Lefevere, Hermans, Lambert and many others has shown that
translation is especially significant at moments of great cultural change. Evan-Zohar argues that
extensive translation activity takes place when a culture is in a period of transition. But when a
culture believes itself to be dominant, then translation is less important. Looking at the present
scenario, we need to reassess the role of translation studies vis-à-vis comparative literature. While
comparative literature in the West is losing ground, translation Studies is undergoing the opposite
process. Just as semiotics, which once was considered as a subcategory of linguistics reversed the
case, translation studies also established itself as a subject. At the same time, Comparative literature,
nowadays, appears less like a discipline and more like a branch of something else.
2. Write an essay on the Growth of Comparative Literature?
Susan Bassnet considers comparative literature as interdisciplinary as it involves the study of

texts across cultures. When a person moves beyond a single subject area or following up
similarities between texts or authors from different cultural contexts, there begins the scope of
comparative literature. Matthew Arnold once said: “everywhere there is connection, everywhere
there is illustration. No single event, no single literature is adequately comprehended except in
relation to other events, to other literatures”. Susan Bassnett elaborates on this concept and argues
that anyone who has an interest in books embarks on the road towards comparative literature. One
can connect Chaucer to Boccaccio; . Shakespeare to various works written in Latin, French,
Spanish and Italian; Baudelaire to Edgar Allan Poe; James Joyce to Italo Svevo; Clarice Lispector
to Jean Rhys; and so on.
In 1903, Benedetto Croce argued that comparative literature was a non-subject. He thought it as an
arid (barren/dry) study. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a separate discipline. Instead of
comparative literature, the proper object of study should be literary history. But other scholars made
grandiose claims for comparative literature. In 1903 itself, Charles Mills Gayley proclaimed that the
student of comparative literature should consider literature as a common expression of humanity,
Similarly, in 1974, Franҫois Jost claimed comparative literature as “an overall view of literature.
Jost, like Gayley and others before him, propose comparative literature as some kind of world
religion. All cultural differences would disappear when readers take up great works. Art is an
instrument of universal harmony and the comparatists facilitates the spread of that harmony. Wellek
and Warren in their Theory of Literature (1949) demanded high linguistic proficiencies, widening of
perspectives, and suppression of local and provincial sentiments of comparatist scholars.
However, the high ideals of such a vision of comparative literature have not been met. By 1960,
Wellek himself started talking about the crisis in comparative literature. The great waves of critical
thought that swept through one after the other from structuralism through to post-structuralism,
from feminism to deconstruction, from semiology to psychoanalysis, shifted attention away from
the activity of comparing texts and tracking patterns of influence between writers towards the role of
the reader. And as each new wave broke over the preceding one, notions of single, harmonious
reading were shattered forever.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, high flying graduate students in the West turned to comparative
literature as a radical subject, because at that time it appeared to be transgressive, moving across
the boundaries of single literature study. Of course, comparative literature did not have a coherent
methodology. There was also continuing debates on the existence of the subject, “comparative
literature”. But none of these drawbacks affected those students. In 1969, Harry Levin even spoke
for the need of more practical work on comparison, rather than theoretical talking about
comparative literature. Nevertheless, the love for comparative literature did not last long. By the late
1970s, a new generation of high-flying graduate students in the West turned to Literary Theory,
Women’s Studies, Semiotics and Cultural Studies as the radical subject choices, abandoning
comparative literature. As a result, is in a crisis and is out of syllabus from the Western
universities. Even if it is present, it appears less like a discipline and more like a branch of
something else. Even then, Bassnett finds it reappearing in terms like “post-colonial”, which is
defined by Ashcroft as a term for the new cross cultural criticism (The Empire Writes Back).
At the same time, one can still find comparative literature outside Europe and the United States.
Ganesh Devi finds the comparative literature in India directly linked to the rise of modern Indian
nationalism. According to him, comparative literature ‘has been used to assert the national cultural
identity’. Earlier, the comparative literature started with the Western literature and looked outwards;
now what is happening in the West is being scrutinized from without (outside of the West). African,
Indian and Caribbean critics have challenged the refusal of a great deal of Western literary criticism
to accept the implication of their literary and cultural policy. For instance, even the study of
Shakespeare has to be from two angles in the Eastern context: Shakespeare as a great figure in
European literature; and Shakespeare as a representative of colonial values.
The Thought Fox

Ted Hughes
1. Why is the page blank?
In the starless night, the speaker wants to write something—may be a poem—but for some reason,
he's at a loss for inspiration. The absence of stars and the lonely clock also symbolise the lack of
inspiration. Poet’s fingers move over the blank page, but no words come. Hence the page is blank.
2. What does enter the loneliness of the poet?
The thought process allegorised as the fox
3. What does the eye of the Fox signify?
The fifth stanza is entirely devoted to the fox’s eye. The eye stands for the whole fox, ‘Coming about
its own business’. This is what all wild animals are doing, regardless of the feelings humans might
have about them, but this line’s deeper meaning concerns the fox’s symbolic role as representative of
the poet’s hidden self, the self from which his poetry comes, the ‘deeper darkness’ that he can access
only by escaping from the mechanical world of clock-time.
4. What is the change that happened to the clock?
Earlier, the poet did not hear the ticking of the clock. Now he listens to its ticking. Earlier the clock
was alone while the page was blank and unwritten. Now the clock is not alone; there is a page
printed.

1. Write a short not on the structure of the poem
The Thought Fox is a six stanza poem, all quatrains, with one or two full end rhymes. There is no set
metre, but through careful use of punctuation and enjambment (where one line runs into another
without losing the sense) the rhythms of the fox as it moves onto the page come through. Set in the
present, this poem entices the reader in to an intimate midnight world that is not quite real. The tone
is one of mystery and dream-like suspension. The long vowels stretch out time as the consciousness
awakens. In the third stanza, the skilfully placed punctuation helps keep the pace and rhythm slow.
The reader knows something is about to appear but is uncertain until when the fox's nose manifests,
smelling a twig, a leaf in the imaginary forest. In the fifth stanza, the poem as the mind and finger
construct it out of imaginary material, the personified fox transformed into words that seem to form
of their own accord. And the poet's vision finally in the sixth stanza, unmistakably becomes one with
the page with a sudden sharp hot stink of fox.
2. Describe the appearance of the Fox
First, the speaker's intuition that "Something else is alive" and "near" in stanzas 1 and 2 suggests the
vague outline of the idea developing in his mind, while also foreshadowing that some creature will
soon emerge from the "darkness" outside of his window. The fox is described through the animal's
actions and features—its nose sniffing a twig, its paw prints neatly measured in the snow, its shadow
lagging by stump—which allows us to form a complete picture of the fox by filling in the gaps in the
information the speaker presents to us. This strategy corresponds to the manner in which an idea for
a poem takes shape as a writer ruminates on an image or figure. The fox, like an idea, emerges
slowly; all the writer needs to do is put pen to page.
3. Make a comparison between the beginning and the ending of the poem.
In “The Thought-Fox”, Ted Hughes uses the metaphor of a fox to illustrate the art of writing a poem.
The poem begins with a vivid image, the “mid-night moment’s forest”. It signifies the world of
imagination and inspiration. The “clock’s loneliness” echoes his own blankness, as he is unable to
pen anything on “this blank page”. He knows the idea is there somewhere, but it is eluding him, and
not translating into words. In the last stanza of the poem, “with a sudden sharp stink of fox”, the
poem comes together, and “enters the dark hole of the head”. The idea emerges entirely and takes
shape. The “window is starless”, and now there is no inspiration outside, it has been written on the
paper, “the page is printed”. The cyclical movement of the idea is symbolised by the clock, which
was silent at first, then it ticked, and there was a lot of noise in the poet’s mind. Now there is silence
again, while “the clock ticks”.
4. What does the page stand for?
The poem is written on the page. However, in the beginning of the poem, the page is blank. It is
symbolic of the poet’s mind which lacks poetic inspiration. The idea is reinforced with the mention
of “clock’s loneliness,” . The “widening greenness” depicts the fertile mind of the poet, which is now
“concentratedly” giving birth to an idea. Towards the end of the poem, “with a sudden sharp stink of
fox”, the poem comes together, and “enters the dark hole of the head”. The idea emerges entirely and
takes shape. The “window is starless”, and now there is no inspiration outside, it has been written on
the paper, and the poet says that “the page is printed”. At last poet regains his poetic inspiration and
produces a poem.
1. How does the Fox become the symbol of poetic process?
or
2. Write an essay on the animal imagery of Ted Hughes.
In “The Thought-Fox”, Ted Hughes uses the metaphor of a fox to illustrate the art of writing a poem.
This is the first animal poem, after which he wrote several volumes of poems to do with animals,
often using animals as metaphors of qualities in humans.
The most striking quality of the poem is its exquisite imagery. Hughes has an uncanny ability of
transforming ordinary words or objects into a striking metaphor, for example, it is unusual to look at
a fox’s movements as the metaphor for the entrance of an idea in the mind. Hughes disregards strict
rhyme and meter in the poem, and the rhythm stimulates the actions. The swift, sudden trot, then the
cautious tread, and the confident, even pace of the fox’s movements echo the journey of an idea in
the mind. The idea strikes suddenly, then cautiously grows, and then comfortably settles down,
becoming a piece of written work.
The poem begins with a vivid image, the “mid-night moment’s forest”. It signifies the world of
imagination and inspiration. The “clock’s loneliness” echoes his own blankness, as he is unable to
pen anything on “this blank page”. He knows the idea is there somewhere, but it is eluding him, and
not translating into words.
Something however is emerging slowly, “entering the loneliness” touching his mind. The ideas
inside his mind are building up, and they are no longer far away; so he sees “no star”. The tactile,
sensuous images describe the entering of the idea, “delicately”. The idea is not bold enough yet, like
the cautious fox whose eyes “serve a movement”, and slowly “sets neat prints in the snow”,
imprinting thoughts in the mind. It peeps “between trees”, and is somewhat visible.
The idea is slowly reaching a height of fertility, and coming along fast. The “clearing” is a metaphor
for the page where the poem is being written, and the “eye” is the insight of the poet. The “widening
greenness” depicts the fertile mind of the poet, which is now “concentratedly” giving birth to an idea.
Then “with a sudden sharp stink of fox”, the poem comes together, and “enters the dark hole of the
head”. The idea emerges entirely and takes shape. The “window is starless”, and now there is no
inspiration outside, it has been written on the paper, “the page is printed”. The cyclical movement of
the idea is symbolised by the clock, which was silent at first, then it ticked, and there was a lot of
noise in the poet’s mind. Now there is silence again, while “the clock ticks”.
The appeal of the poem lies in its imagery and unusual juxtaposition of words and phrases, like “this
midnight moment’s forest”, and “sudden sharp stink of fox”. The average reader does not relate to
the metaphor of the fox, and fails to completely comprehend the poem’s meaning, but the tactile
imagery makes an impact on him.
Personal Helicon
Seamus Heaney
1. Whom is the poem “Personal Helicon” dedicated to?
Michael Longley
2. What does the title of the poem “Personal Helicon” signify?
Helicon is the name of a mountain in Greek mythology where nine Muses live. The streams
running down from this mountain give the people power(poetic inspiration) to write poetry. The
streams are sacred to the Muses Hippocrene and Aganippe. The place is also noted for the myth
of Narcissus. Seamus Heaney was inspired by this myth. So in choosing the title “Personal
Helicon,” Heaney explores and describes his personal source of inspiration.
3. How does Seamus Heaney use sound in the poem?
The poet makes use of both onomatopoeia and alliteration. For example, "rich crash" is
onomatopoeic because it evokes the sound of the bucket crashing into the well. An example of
alliteration is "dark drop" because the same sound is repeated in the first syllable of each word.
These techniques indicate that Heaney would like the reader to enter into the world of the poem
in order to picture and understand the images and themes he describes.
4. What does the well signify?
In the poem “Personal Helicon,” Seamus Heaney uses well as the symbol of life, excitement,
knowledge and inspiration.
5. What does the root stand for?
Roots are frequently considered as a symbol of family and traditions. According to Seamus
Heaney one has to clear those relations and connections away, in order to look at the true self. By
removing societal customs and traditions, Heaney is able to see the real personality inherent in
him.
1. Write a short not on the symbols used in the poem.
Seamus Heaney has employed a significant number of symbols in the poem, “Personal Helicon”.
Well in this poem is the symbol of life, excitement, knowledge and inspiration. Darkness in well
symbolizes the mysteries and depth of life. Portrayal of natural images such as waterweeds,
fungus, mulch, foxgloves and windlasses symbolizes the childhood innocence, physical sensation
and consciousness. Hovering of the white face symbolizes his understanding about life. The
slapping of a rat is symbolic of something that disturbs him while exploring within himself.
2. Write a short note on the metaphor of well.

In the poem, “Personal Helicon,” wells are considered as strange doorways to the hidden world.
They held untold mysteries to the poet when he was a young child. The first well, which the poet
describes, was “so deep you saw no reflection in it.” The memories inherent in the mind of the
poet consist in allegories, rather than explicit experiences. Being deep, the well may be
considered as a symbol for life, inspiration, or knowledge. Heaney’s third quatrain brings us to
another well, “a shallow one under a dry stone.” If the depth of the well is taken for his level of
ignorance about the world around him, then at this point there is not much left. Just as he gazed
at the farthest end of the wells in his childhood, the poet expresses the hidden mind through
poetry as he says, “I rhyme to see myself, to set the darkness echoing.”
3. How does the well change its appearance as the poem progresses?
They held untold mysteries to the poet when he was a young child. The first well, which the poet
describes, was “so deep you saw no reflection in it.” It was located in a brickyard. Its top board
was decayed. The poet remembers how he relished the crashing of the bucket when it fell down
to water at a high speed. Heaney’s third quatrain brings us to another well, “a shallow one under
a dry stone.” This well, though drying up, is still teeming with life. The poet describes himself as
dragging “out long roots from the soft mulch,” where he discovers “a white face hovered over the
bottom.” There was also a well which echoed his voice added with a musical tone. Another well
was scary, when the poet found a rat slapped across his reflection. Towards the end, the poet,
being an adult, stops prying into the selfish past life and finds “himself” by writing poetry.
4. How does the poem become a manifesto of poetic process?

They held untold mysteries to the poet when he was a young child. They may be considered as a
symbol for life, inspiration, or knowledge. The poet was not happy with any of the wells
described in the poem as they did not lead him to real life. For instance, the first well was so deep
that one could not find any reflection in it. Though the second well was a shallow one, the poet
could only find a whiteface after dragging out the long roots. Towards the end of the poem, the
poet leaves the narcissistic attitude of concentrating on one’s own roots. Having grown into an
adult, he considers his childhood activities “beneath all adult dignity,” The memories inherent in
the mind of the poet consist in allegories, rather than explicit experiences. The best expression of
it is by writing poetry. The poet says: “I rhyme to see myself, to set the darkness echoing.”
1. The poem is a journey from childhood to adulthood. Explain.

In the poem, “Personal Helicon,” wells are considered as strange doorways to hidden the world.
They held untold mysteries to the poet when he was a young child. They always attracted him but he
was not allowed to go near them. He was curious to see what was inside them. Wells with buckets,
pumps and windlasses drew his attention. By looking back to those olden days, poet gives instances
of several types of wells to which he frequented. The first well, which the poet describes, was “so
deep you saw no reflection in it.” The memories inherent in the mind of the poet consist in allegories,
rather than explicit experiences. Being deep, the well may be considered as a symbol for life,
inspiration, or knowledge. There is a bottom to everything, and Seamus Heaney is starting to get to
the end. However there is still darkness, and in the darkness there are yet things for him to learn.
Heaney’s third quatrain brings us to another well, “a shallow one under a dry stone.” This well,
though drying up, is still teeming with life. If the depth of the well is taken for his level of ignorance
about the world around him, then at this point there is not much left. After dragging “out long roots
from the soft mulch,” he finds only “a white face hovered over the bottom.” The third well echoes
his own voice. The poet begins to learn about himself. Presently, the poet no longer peers into the
darkness or stare into wells. He thinks that it is time for introspection. “Pry[ing] into the roots, to
finger slime” is unfitting for the man he has become. He considers looking into himself as
narcissistic. Having grown into an adult, the poet gives precedence to other matters. His childhood
activities are now “beneath all adult dignity,” and he must find alternatives. Finally, he finds the real
goal of his life in writing poetry. He says: “I rhyme to see myself, to set the darkness echoing.” The
echo in the darkness much like the echo in the wells, we find the act of poetry has taken the place of
gazing into wells. And we find him once again being able to live.
2. Write an essay on the images used in the poem(In 300 words).
The poem “Personal Helicon” is written by the Irish poet, Seamus Heaney. It is dedicated to
Michael Longley, a contemporary poet of Heaney. The poem depicts the theme of childhood,
natural world, loss of innocence and maturity. The poem shows Heaney’s reasons for writing
poetry. Heaney uses a number of imageries in the poem. The central image of the poem is a well,
or a series of wells, remembered from the poet's childhood. Heaney uses the well as a metaphor;
it is a source of wonder, enjoyment and self-reflection (as in stanzas 1, 2, 3 and 4) but also
represents the unknown and fear (as in stanzas 2 and 4). He makes heavy use of natural, earthy
imagery, such as waterweed, bucket, fungus, rats, foxgloves and mulch. A list of images is given
below:
a. Wells
b. Old pumps
c. Buckets and windlasses
d. Image of sky reflected in the river.
e. Smell of waterweed, fungus and dank moss
f. Brickyard
g. Rotted board top
h. Rich crash of the bucket
i. Bucket falling down
j. Dragging the roots
k. Soft mulch
l. Hovering of the white face
m. Ferns and foxgloves
n. Rat slapping across his reflection
o. Prying into roots
p. Fingering slime
q. Staring like Narcissus (ഓേരാ ഇേമജിെന പ ിയും ഓേരാ െസ ൻ വീതം എഴുതുക)
These images conjure a sense of childhood innocence, the poet's ongoing fascination with the
natural world and physical sensation, and they also are easily recognizable to the average reader,
reinforcing Heaney's efforts to speak clearly to his audience. His imagery appeals to five senses.
Tulips
Sylvia Plath

1. Why did the speaker of the poem give “my history to the anesthetist and my body to surgeons”?
The speaker is given anaesthesia before the surgery. Once anaesthetised, the person loses
consciousness. The past memories are not remembered at that time. She does not have any
control over the body, which is being operated upon by the surgeons.
2. Describe the atmosphere in the hospital.
Hospital, according to Plath, is very calm and quiet. It doesn’t have life. She says that it is winter
there. Winter is a season of stagnation. She also says that the place is as white as snow. Though
she was accustomed to life and vigour, she has to accommodate herself to the new situation of
“peacefulness”.
3. Who is described as a “thirty-year-old cargo”?
The poet (Sylvia Plath) herself is called as a “thirty-year-old cargo”.
4. What does the poet ask for?
The poet wants to be peaceful. One needs only a name tag and a few trinkets in order to be
peaceful. As tulips disturbed the poet, she wants it to be behind bars just as dangerous animals
are kept.
1. How does the poet describe the life in the hospital?

The poem “Tulips” is about a bouquet of tulips that Plath received as she recovered from an
appendectomy in the hospital. Plath describes the hospital life as quiet and peaceful. She finds
everything white and snowed-in. In the hospital, she is “nobody” amidst a sea of faceless nurses
who bring "no trouble." She is frequently numbed by medications, and has lost all the "baggage."
She is a “thirty-year-old cargo boat” whose former life has disappeared. She had given her name
and day-clothes to the nurses; her history to the anaesthetist; and her body to the surgeons. They
positioned her head between the pillow and the sheet-cuff. She does not even know how many
nurses are in the hospital as all of them looked similar in their uniform.
2. Why does the poet say that “my body is a pebble to them”?
The poem “Tulips” is about a bouquet of tulips that Plath received as she recovered from an
appendectomy in the hospital. The poet is “nobody” amidst of a sea of faceless nurses who bring
"no trouble”. She had given her name and day-clothes to the nurses; her history to the
anaesthetist; and her body to surgeons. They positioned her head between the pillow and the
sheet-cuff. Thus, the poet is not in a position of doing any activities. She is passive and is being
acted upon by the nurses, the anaesthetist and the surgeons. Her body is mere a pebble at the
hands of the hospital staff. Just as water smoothes the pebbles, the hospital staff moulds her.
3. “I am sick of baggage.” Explain
The poet has already lost her identity, when she had given her name and day-clothes to the nurses
and her history to the anaesthetist and her body to the surgeons. She also considers her body as a
pebble being smoothed by others. In short, she has become nobody in the hospital. This passivity
is strengthened by telling that she has lost herself. She says that she is “sick of baggage.” The
baggage she wants to leave behind is partly literal: the little black case that she took with her to
the hospital. At the same time, she finds a metaphorical baggage also. In that baggage, she
cruelly includes her “husband and child” in the photograph at the side of the bed, where they
catch onto her skin like “little smiling hooks”. There is no love here, but only the narcissistic self
on its journey unto death. It is quite unusual when looked from the point of view of common
family relationship.
4. Why does the poet say that “I am a nun now”?

Sylvia Plath notes that her body is mere a pebble at the hands of the hospital staff. Just as water
smoothes the pebbles, the hospital staffs mould her. The nurses bring her sleep and numbness
with their needles. In short, she has become nobody in the hospital. Because of her illness and her
sense of selflessness, she does not need the "baggage" that her life had before surgery: she does
not need her black suitcase, or her husband and child that she sees in a family photo. She is like a
"thirty-year-old cargo boat" that holds onto her name and address only, and has lost all other
"associations" in life. All of the material items from her old life melted away as she sunk below
the water, and she likens herself to a pure nun, who leaves every material thing before selecting
the spiritual way of life.
1. How do tulips become a symbol for life?

The poem “Tulips” (1961) is about a bouquet of tulips that Plath received as she recovered from
an appendectomy in the hospital. In the poem, Plath makes a contrast between the whiteness and
sterility of the hospital room with the liveliness of the tulips. The poem presents the subtle mental
status of the speaker which dodges between the desire for the simplicity of death and the
harshness of life.
Plath describes the hospital life as quiet and peaceful. She finds everything white and snowed-in.
She had given her name and day-clothes to the nurses; her history to the anaesthetist; and her
body to the surgeons. They positioned her head between the pillow and the sheet-cuff. Thus, the
poet is not in a position of doing any activities. Her body is mere a pebble at the hands of the
hospital staff. Just as water smoothes out the pebbles, the hospital staff moulds her. She is
frequently numbed by medications. She does not even know how many nurses are in the hospital
as all of them looked similar in their uniform. She is but a “thirty-year-old cargo boat” whose
former life has disappeared. She says that she is “sick of baggage,” where she includes her
“husband and child” in the photograph at the side of the bed, where they catch onto her skin like
“little smiling hooks”. She is like a "thirty-year-old cargo boat" that holds onto her name and
address only, and has lost all other "associations" in life. She likens herself to a pure nun, who
leaves everything before selecting that way of life.
Sylvia Plath never wanted the tulips; she only wanted to lie in her bed and be empty, free, and
peaceful. This simple peacefulness requires only a "name tag, a few trinkets." She considers it
akin to what the dead must feel; what they must close their mouths on. The redness of the tulips
pains her, and she believes she can hear them breathing lightly through their wrapping paper. The
color also speaks subtly to the color of her wound. The tulips oppress and upset her, and she
compares them to "a dozen red lead sinkers round [her] neck," dragging her down. She used to
be alone in the room, but now the tulips share her space, watching her and eating up the oxygen.
She feels caught between the tulips and the window behind her, believing she has lost her face
while surrounded by the flowers and the sun.
Thus in “Tulips,” the speaker, while lying in a hospital bed, contemplates her potential for life
through the presence of the red tulips which are presumably given to her by a visitor. An
important characteristic of Plath’s poetry – which acts as one of the many keys to understanding
it – is her intense concentration on colour-symbolism and its relevance to life and death. Death,
to Plath is often associated with the colour ‘white’. However, life and vitality in the tulips
fundamentally holds back the speaker from the romanticized view of death. The speaker claims
that ‘the tulips are too excitable…[they] are too red in the first place, they hurt me’, which seems
to ultimately suggest a desire for death, but the presence of vitality and ‘red’ at times overturns
this wish; but this is ultimately viewed negatively by the speaker. The speaker seems to visualize
death as a cathartic release which will bring about a ‘peacefulness’ as she lies there in a ‘snowed-
in’ environment filled with death, but the tulips hold her back from submitting to it and draw her
focus to life.
2. Write an essay on the images used in the poem.
The poem “Tulips” (1961) is about a bouquet of tulips that Plath received as she recovered from
an appendectomy in the hospital. In the poem, Plath makes a contrast between the whiteness and
sterility of the hospital room with the liveliness of the tulips. The poem presents the subtle mental
status of the speaker which dodges between the desire for the simplicity of death and the
harshness of life.
Imagery is the use of words to create clear mental images. Sylvia Plath is known for her use of
vivid imagery. Because the pictures brought to mind by Plath’s words are so intense, it is easier
to connect with her and the poem itself seems more alive. Each stanza builds up a stage scene,
from the initial peaceful, white walls of the hospital room, to the loud, excitable tulips who
remind the speaker of open mouthed African cats.
In the beginning of the poem, she uses it to show how peaceful she feels. For instance, she
describes the way she is being treated in a very detached manner so that the reader understands
how relaxed she is:
My body is a pebble to them, they tend it as water

Tends to the pebbles it must run over, smoothing them gently,
They bring me numbness in their bright needles, they bring me sleep.
These lines bring to mind an image of a river, which is free of thought and has no responsibilities
other than running its course. This is what Plath desires: to have no duties and to be empty and
forgetful in a state similar to death. She compares herself to a rock, which has no thought and is
not affected by changes in its environment.
At the end of the poem, imagery is used again to contrast the way Plath feels after the tulips
disrupt her calmness. They force her out of her dreamlike state, and she hates them for it. She
shows them as dangerous and hungry, quite the opposite of the harmless plants that they really
are. By using this vivid scene in the poem, the effect the tulips have become is very clear. They
shake her out of her uncaring rest and force her to pay attention to her responsibilities.
The tulips should be behind bars like dangerous animals;

They are opening like the mouth of some great African cat,
And I am aware of my heart: it opens and closes
Its bowl of red blooms out of sheer love of me.
Colour plays an important role in this poem and adds to the deeply emotional feelings the speaker
experiences. White is chosen as a symbol of peace, virginity and winter - and eventually death.
The red of the tulips represents the life-force, from that of a carnivore to the bodily wound and
the surfacing of blood.
Resumé
Dorothy Parker

1. What do razors do to you?
Razors, according to Dorothy Parker’s “Resumé,” make pain for a person. However, it is an
understatement to say that they only pain you. Combining the last line of the poem, “You might as
well live,” one can deduce the use implied for the razor, that is to kill oneself.
2. Why does the poet say that “rivers are damp”?
The poet wants to commit suicide. However, she does not like the different means used by various
people. One can do it by jumping into the river. However, it may not be a quick death. It certainly
wets the person who jumps into it. There are also other consequences like getting suffocated etc.
3. What do the acids do to you?
According to the poet, applying or drinking acids is not a good method for ending one’s life. It burns
the person. It will be painful as well. There will certainly be stains which one has to bear all
throughout his or her life, if the attempt fails to obtain its goal, death.
4. Why do the drugs cause cramp?
One can die by using poisonous drugs. However, as they are chemicals, they would certainly have
side effects like cramps to the human body. Sometimes, they might be painful as well. If one cannot
die the moment he/ she takes it, the person will have to suffer a lot.
1. Comment on the irony in the line “You might live as well”.
Through the poem, “Resumé,” Dorothy Parker provides different ways to end one’s life. People want
to die, in order to end the sufferings associated with the day to day life. However, all the methods –
use of razor, jumping into rivers, swallowing acids and drugs, using gunshot etc.— used for dying
have their own negative sides. Therefore, the remedy used for alleviating the problems of life is more
problematic. So, one has to choose to continue the life, even though the person does not like it.
Therefore, it is ironic when poet says that “You might live as well.”
2. How does the title of the poem “Resumé” become a paradox?
The title of the poem ‘resume’ denotes ‘begin again’ or ‘continue after a pause or interruption,’
which subtly brings out the theme “despite all hazards and tragedies in life, continue to live it”. The
momentary pain or fear caused before suicide is enough to choose between life and death. The pun
on the word resume appears with the connotation as in ‘Resumé’ which states one’s qualifications
and experience for the purpose of considering someone favourable for something. In this poem, the
qualifications described are attempts made to end the life. However, these attempts are failures. The
resumé comprising the disappointing attempts makes the poet to continue her life by saying, “You
might live as well.” Thus the title “Resumé” becomes a paradox.
3. Comment on the images of death used in the poem.
Dorothy Parker's poem 'Resumé' deals with the subject matter of suicide. Images of blood, death and
despair run throughout this poem, as she provides various methods of suicide. There is shocking
visual imagery evoked by the very first line ‘razors pain you’. Rivers that dampens the person who
jumps into it is another image. It certainly wets the person who jumps into it. Similarly acids burn a
person. It will be painful as well. There will certainly be stains which one has to bear all throughout
life, if the attempt fails to obtain its goal, death. One can die by using poisonous drugs. However, as
they are chemicals, they would certainly have side effects like cramps to the human body. Similarly,
one cannot use guns as they are illegal. If you incorrectly make the loop, hanging cannot get the
intended result. Using poisonous gases will be obnoxious and suffocating. Thus, the poet pictures
various methods of suicide.
4. Why does the poet find problems with different methods of suicide?
Dorothy Parker's poem 'Resumé' deals with the subject matter of suicide. Although a rather concise
poem, it speaks of a dark notion in an ironic tone. She makes various means of committing suicide
rather mundane(ordinary). At the same time, she consciously hides the actual probable effect of such
an attempt, the death, which ends one’s life. Images of blood, death and despair run throughout this
poem. There is a shocking visual imagery evoked by the very first line ‘razors pain you’. Razors pain
the person who uses it. Rivers dampen (wet) the person who jumps into it. Similarly acids burn the
person. It will be painful as well. There will certainly be stains which one has to bear all throughout
life, if the attempt fails to obtain its goal, death. One can die by using poisonous drugs. However, as
they are chemicals, they would certainly have side effects like cramps to the human body. Similarly,
one cannot use guns as they are illegal. Likewise, if you incorrectly make the loop, hanging cannot
get the intended result. Using poisonous gases will be obnoxious and suffocating. Due to the
problems and hazards associated with these methods, poet decides to live.
1. The poem “Resume” is the portrayal of the contempt for life. Explain.
OR
2. How does the poem become the manifesto of Parker’s life and attitude?
Dorothy Parker's poem 'Resume' deals with the subject matter of suicide. Although a rather concise
poem it speaks of a dark notion in an ironic tone. She makes various means of committing suicide
rather mundane (ordinary). At the same time, she consciously hides the actual probable effect of such
an attempt, the death, which ends one’s life. Being alive is not a matter of concern for the poet.
Images of blood, death and despair run throughout this poem. There is a shocking visual imagery
evoked by the very first line ‘razors pain you’. Razors pain the person who uses it. Rivers dampen
(wet) the person who jumps into it. Similarly acids burn the person. It will be painful as well. There
will certainly be stains which one has to bear all throughout life, if the attempt fails to obtain its goal,
death. One can die by using poisonous drugs. However, as they are chemicals, they would certainly
have side effects like cramps to the human body. Similarly, one cannot use guns as they are illegal.
Likewise, if you incorrectly make the loop, hanging cannot get the intended result. Using poisonous
gases will be obnoxious and suffocating. Due to the problems and hazards associated with these
methods, poet decides to live.
The title of the poem ‘resume’ denotes ‘begin again’ or ‘continue after a pause or interruption,’
which subtly brings out the theme: “despite all hazards and tragedies in life, continue to live it”. The
momentary pain or fear caused before suicide is enough to choose between life and death. The pun
on the word resume appears with the connotation as in ‘Resumé’ which states one’s qualifications
and experience for the purpose of considering someone favourable for something. In this poem, the
qualifications described are attempts made to end the life. However, these attempts are failures. The
resumé comprising the disappointing attempts leads the poet to the ‘achievement’ of continuing the
life by saying, “You might live as well.” Thus the title “Resume” becomes a paradox.
People want to die, in order to end the sufferings associated with the day to day life. However, all the
methods –use of razor, jumping into rivers, swallowing acids and drugs, using gunshot etc.-used for
dying have their own negative sides. Therefore, the remedy used for alleviating the problems of life
is more problematic. The poet considers life as a necessary evil. She is unable to end it only because
the means to achieve this end has problems. Therefore her life is merely a compromise. She decides
to live further as she cannot die due to the difficulties associated with it. And she reveals this feeling
ironically with the words, “You might live as well.” Thus, the poem can be seen as Parker’s
contempt for life. In the portrayal of the tragic life, this poem may be seen at par with Silvia Plath’s
‘Lady Lazarus’.
Reading Hamlet
Anna Akhmatova
Translated by Tanya Karshtedt
1. How does the poet make a contrast between the grave and the river?
According to Anna Akhmatova, the place surrounding the grave was a dusty hot land. It was not
pleasant to the senses and the mind. However, the river behind the grave looked blue and cool.
2. Why does the poet say that “Princes always say that”?
It was Hamlet who curtly dismissed the love of Ophelia by asking her to go to a convent or marry a
fool (Act III. Scene ii: “Get thee to a nunnery, go, farewell. Or if thou wilt needs marry, marry a
fool”). Akhmatova says that princes, or men in general, while they are in superior
position(especially, in a patriarchal society) in terms of money or social status, can change their
words at will, irrespective of the occasion.
3. How are the princes described in the poem?
Princes are described as cruel and unsympathetic. They are harsh even to the people who love
them, irrespective of their mental condition (being placid or fierce), In the poem, Anna
Akhmatova describes how Prince Hamlet dismissed his lover Ophelia by asking her to go to a
convent(nunnery) or to marry a fool. The poet considers this as a habitual response from the
princes.
4. Why does the cheek blaze?
When Prince Hamlet declined Ophelia’s love by asking her to go to a convent(nunnery), or to
marry a fool, she addressed him formally by using the word “Thou”. She considers it as a
mistake. However, she notices the smiling face of the prince on such an inadvertent flaw. She
consoles herself by thinking that it is a common expression from people when someone makes a
mistake, either mental or spoken.
1. What is the allusion in the line “forty gentle sisters”?
In Scene I of Act 5 of the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, Laertes and Hamlet were standing near
Ophelia’s grave. Laertes declared his love towards his sister, Ophelia. On hearing this Hamlet, who
declined Ophelia’s love earlier and probably caused her suicide, jumped into the grave and said,
“Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love Make up my sum”. In their grief,
Hamlet and Laertes are fighting over the quantity of their love towards Ophelia. In the poem, Anna
Akhmatova exposes the hyperbolic expression made by Hamlet by omitting thousand from “Forty
thousand”. Similarly, the one-time lover retorts his cruel denial by modifying her love as a sisterly
one.
2. Bring out the irony in the poem.
The poem “Reading ‘Hamlet’” is a reading of Shakespeare’s Hamlet from Ophelia’s view point. It
exposes the patriarchal behaviour manifested in declining the love of Ophelia and the harsh words
uttered towards his lover. In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare makes the heroine to commit suicide,
when her love was not reciprocated. However, in the poem by Anna Akhmatova, Ophelia is stronger
and considers the words like “go to a convent or go marry a fool” as a natural utterance by a prince.
Instead of committing suicide, she retorts his cruel denial by telling that she loves him like forty
sisters.
3. Write a short not on the images used in the poem.
The poem “Reading ‘Hamlet’” is a reading of Shakespeare’s Hamlet from Ophelia’s view point. The
poem has a number of striking imageries in it. In the beginning of the poem, the location is vividly
described. It is a dusty hot land where the grave is located. It is behind a river which is blue and cool.
Hamlet’s uttering of the cruel words, “go to a convent” is another image. One can also find an image
when Ophelia likens the flourishing of Hamlet’s words to the mantles of fur that flows over one’s
shoulders for thousands of years. One can find the picture of a person addressing when Ophelia
addresses Hamlet by saluting him, “Thou”. There is also a smile of pleasure from the addressee. We
can also picturize Ophelia equating her love towards Hamlet to that of forty sisters as an image.
4. Comment on the allusion in the line “Well, go to a convent…”
In Scene I of Act 3 of the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, Ophelia meets Hamlet and is puzzled at
the comments made by him. When Hamlet, who is either not in a good mood or acting as mad,
makes contradictory remarks regarding his past love towards her, she says that she was deceived.
Then Hamlet makes this comment, “Well, go to a Convent”. By saying this, Hamlet exhorts Ophelia
to put herself away so that she may never breed sinners like Hamlet. The original Shakespearean
verse is this: “Get thee to a nunnery”. Specialists in Shakespeare’s bawdy language are fond of
noting that “nunnery” was a common Elizabethan slang for “brothel” and that therefore Hamlet’s
command is ironic and even more despairing than it seems. Anna Akhmatova, the poet considers this
kind of heartless attitude as a common behaviour of princes, irrespective of their mood (being placid
or fierce).
1. How does the poem become a re-reading of Hamlet?
OR
2. Attempt a comparative study of the play Hamlet and the poem “Reading ‘Hamlet’”
Hamlet is the longest tragedy of Shakespeare which tells the story of Prince Hamlet who takes
revenge against his uncle Claudius who killed his father. The play is noted for certain remarks
against women. Anna Akhmatova’s poem “Reading ‘Hamlet’” is a reading of Shakespeare’s Hamlet
from Ophelia’s view point. The poem is a gentle reply to Hamlet’s remarks on Ophelia.
The first comment which Anna Akhmatova takes from Hamlet is the prince’s remark:”Well go to a
convent, or go marry a fool….” In Scene I of Act 3 of the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, Ophelia
meets Hamlet and is puzzled at the comments made by him. When Hamlet, who is either not in a
good mood or acting as mad, makes contradictory remarks regarding his past love towards her, she
says that she was deceived. Then Hamlet makes this comment, “Well, go to a Convent”. By saying
this, Hamlet exhorts Ophelia to put herself away from marriage so that she may never breed sinners
like Hamlet. The original Shakespearean verse was this: “Get thee to a nunnery”. Specialists in
Shakespeare’s bawdy language are fond of noting that “nunnery” was a common Elizabethan slang
for “brothel” and that therefore Hamlet’s command is ironic and even more despairing than it seems.
Anna Akhmatova, the poet considers this kind of heartless attitude as a common behaviour of
princes, irrespective of their mood (being placid or fierce). Even then, Ophelia values his words and
likens it to the mantles of fur that flows over one’s shoulders for thousands of years.
In Scene I of Act 5 of the play Hamlet, Laertes and Hamlet were standing near Ophelia’s grave.
Laertes declared his love towards his sister, Ophelia. On hearing this, Hamlet, who declined
Ophelia’s love earlier and probably caused her suicide, jumped into the grave and said, “Forty
thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love Make up my sum”. In their grief, Hamlet
and Laertes are fighting over the quantity of their love towards Ophelia. In the poem, Anna
Akhmatova exposes the hyperbolic expression made by Hamlet by omitting thousand from “Forty
thousand”. Similarly, the one-time lover retorts his cruel denial by modifying her love as a sisterly
one.
One may justify Hamlet’s behaviour as he is a hero torn by contradictory emotions and introspection.
However, Anna Akhmatova’s “Reading ‘Hamlet’ is a befitting reply to the patriarchal attitude of
Shakespeare and his hero Hamlet.
King Claudius
C P Cavafy
1. Where does the poet’s mind move to?
The poet’s mind moves to distant places like Elsinore, the place where the palace of Hamlet is
situated. He feels that he is walking on the streets of Elsinore. While walking through its squares,
poet remembers the sad story of an unfortunate king named Claudius who was killed by his nephew
Hamlet, as described in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
2. Who is the unfortunate king killed by his nephew? Why is the king killed?
King Claudius is the unfortunate king killed by his nephew as per the play Hamlet, by William
Shakespeare. C P Cavafy, in his poem “King Claudius” says that the king was killed by Prince
Hamlet, his nephew, because of some fanciful suspicions.
3. Why did the poor mourn secretly?
As per the poem, “King Claudius” by C P Cavafy, the poor mourned secretly on the death of King
Claudius. They did it secretly as they were afraid of King Fortinbras who succeeded King Claudius.
4. What was the basis of the prince’s suspicion?
When Prince Hamlet was walking along an old parapet on a night, he felt like a ghost speaking with
him. The ghost levelled certain accusations against the king. Poet considers it as an optical illusion
resulted from a delirious condition of the prince. Poet further thinks it as the basis of the prince’s
suspicion regarding the murder of the late King by his brother, Claudius.
1. What does the poet refer to as “optical illusion”?
As per the play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, when Prince Hamlet was walking along an old
parapet on a night, he felt like a ghost speaking with him. The ghost levelled certain accusations
against the king. Poet C P Cavafy in his poem “King Claudius” considers it as an optical illusion
resulted from a delirious condition of the prince. Poet further thinks it as the basis of the prince’s
suspicion regarding the murder of the late King by his brother, Claudius. The poet elucidates further:
The prince was extremely nervous. Even while he was studying at Wittenberg in Germany, many of
his fellow students had considered him a maniac.
2. Describe the prince’s meeting with his mother.
A few days after the prince had his optical illusion of conversing with his father’s ghost, he went to
his mother’s room to discuss certain family matters. As he was talking, he lost his self-control and
started shouting. He was screaming about the presence of the same ghost in front of him. At the same
time, his mother could not see any ghost there. The poet also speaks about the prince’s killing of an
old gentleman of the king’s court without having any reason on the same day. Thus, the poet tries to
convince the readers about the delirious mind of the prince.
3. Why did some people call out “Long live King Laertes!”?
On killing an old gentleman (Polonius) of the court by Prince Hamlet, according to C P Cavafy, the
king tried to save the prince soon by sending him to England in a ship. Though Hamlet was sent
accordingly, the people were very angry and suspicious about the murder of Polonius. There were
also rebels who tried to get inside the palace. Laertes, the son of Polonius, was leading them. He was
brave and ambitious. Some of his friends, says the poet, even called out slogans like “Long live
King, Laertes”. It implied the dethronement of the present king, Claudius, who is inefficient in
finding and punishing the culprit of the murder.
4. How does Cavafy look at the ending of Hamlet?
Though Hamlet was sent to England after his murdering of Polonius, he escaped from the ship and
came back to Denmark. Horatio, a friend of Hamlet made fabricated stories and tried to exonerate the
prince. Horatio tried to establish the expatriation of the prince to England as a plot by King Claudius
to kill the prince. According to Cavafy, there is no proof for such a plot. Cavafy even considers the
words of Laertes regarding the poisoning of the wine by the king as mistaken claims or lies.
Moreover, these were words by a dying man full of wounds and not in a good mental condition. It
was blamed that the weapon used by Laertes was poisoned by the king to ensure the death of the
prince. However, Cavafy says that the weapon was poisoned by Laertes himself. Horatio was also
speaking about a ghost who said and did certain things. People could never believe it. They, in fact,
pitied King Claudius. Fortinbras was the one who took advantage of these fabricated stories and lies.
He believed all the tales of Horatio and obtained the throne very easily.
Answer in about 300 words.
1. Attempt a character sketch of King Claudius in the poem “King Claudius”.
King Claudius is the king killed by his nephew as per the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. C P
Cavafy, in his poem “King Claudius,” says that the king was killed by Prince Hamlet, his nephew,
because of some fanciful suspicions. According to Cavafy, even the poor mourned secretly on the
death of King Claudius. They did it secretly as they were afraid of King Fortinbras who succeeded
King Claudius. Prince Hamlet had suspected King Claudius in the death of his father. According to
Cavafy, the suspicion was based on some optical illusion of the prince. The prince claimed to have
seen his father as a ghost, who levelled certain accusations against the king. Cavafy, in fact, is trying
to prove the innocence of the king. According to the poet, being nervous with the history of a
maniac, the prince might have been mistaken.
The prince also lost his presence of mind at times. One day, he was screaming in front of his mother.
He also killed Polonius, a member of the court. It was King Claudius who helped him to escape to
England soon. The king had to face serious protests from some rebels led by Laertes, the son of the
deceased. There were also rebels who tried to get inside the palace. Some of his friends even called
out slogans like “Long live King, Laertes”. It implied the dethronement of the present king, Thus,
according to Cavafy, Claudius risked his own position while saving the prince.
Meanwhile, Hamlet came back to Denmark without completing the journey. Horatio, a friend of
Hamlet made fabricated stories and tried to exonerate the prince. Horatio tried to establish the
expatriation of the prince to England as a plot by King Claudius to kill the prince. According to
Cavafy, there is no proof for such a plot. Cavafy even considers the words of Laertes regarding the
poisoning of the wine by the king as mistaken claims or lies. Moreover, these were words by a dying
man full of wounds and not in a good mental condition. It was blamed that the weapon used by
Laertes was poisoned by the king to ensure the death of the prince. However, Cavafy says that the
weapon was poisoned by Laertes himself. Horatio was also speaking about a ghost who said and did
certain things. According to Cavafy, people could never believe it. They, in fact, pitied King
Claudius. Fortinbras was the one who took advantage of these fabricated stories and lies. He believed
all the tales of Horatio and obtained the throne very easily. Thus, According to Cavafy, King
Claudius is totally innocent. He exonerates the king from all the blames made by others.
2. How does the poem become a subversion of the play Hamlet?
In the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, King Claudius is presented as a villain who had killed his brother
by poisoning. After murdering the present king, he replaced himself to that position. He even
married, Gertrude, the wife of the king murdered by him. In the play, Prince Hamlet and his friends
see the apparition of the murdered king. King reveals the secret of his murder to the prince. Prince
Hamlet is totally confused about his future actions. He wants to expose the secrets. In order to do
this, he feigns madness before everyone, including Gertrude, his mother, and Ophelia, his lover.
When he kills Polonius, he is sent to England in a ship. King Claudius entrusts two individuals,
Rosencratz and Guildenstern for tricking Hamlet to death in England. Knowing this, Hamlet escapes
from the ship and returns to England. When Ophelia commits suicide, a duel between Hamlet and
Laertes is decided. King Claudius treacherously poisons the weapon used by Laertes against the
prince. If Hamlet happens to survive, he ensures his death by preparing poisoned wine for the prince
to drink. During the battle, Hamlet and Laertes are wounded with the same poisoned weapon.
Gertrude drinks the poisoned potion. Hamlet kills Claudius before his collapse. Fortinbras arrives at
that time and takes charge of the kingdom of Denmark.
C P Cavafy, in his poem “King Claudius,” says that King Claudius was killed by Prince Hamlet, his
nephew, because of some fanciful suspicions. According to Cavafy, even the poor mourned secretly
on the death of King Claudius. They did it secretly as they were afraid of King Fortinbras who
succeeded King Claudius. According to Cavafy, the suspicion of Prince Hamlet was based on some
optical illusion of the prince. The prince claimed to have seen his father as a ghost, who levelled
certain accusations against the king. Cavafy, in fact, is trying to prove the innocence of the king.
According to the poet, being nervous with the history of a maniac, the prince might have been
mistaken.
The prince also lost his presence of mind at times. One day, he was screaming in front of his mother.
He also killed Polonius, a member of the court. Though Shakespeare considered it as a plot to kill the
prince, according to Cavafy, it was King Claudius who helped him to escape to England soon. The
king had to face serious protests from some rebels led by Laertes, the son of the deceased. There
were also rebels who tried to get inside the palace. Some of his friends even called out slogans like
“Long live King, Laertes”. It implied the dethronement of the present king. Thus, as per the poem,
Claudius risked his own position while saving the prince.
Meanwhile, Hamlet came back to Denmark without completing the journey. According to Cavafy,
the stories of Horatio regarding the prince are fabricated ones. They are used only to exonerate the
prince. Cavafy even considers the words of Laertes regarding the poisoning of the wine by the king
as mistaken claims or lies. Moreover, these were words by a dying man full of wounds and not in a
good mental condition. As per Shakespeare’s play, it was blamed that the weapon used by Laertes
was poisoned by the king to ensure the death of the prince. However, Cavafy says that the weapon
was poisoned by Laertes himself. In Shakespeare’s play, Horatio was also speaking about a ghost
who said and did certain things. Nevertheless, according to Cavafy, people could never believe those
stories. They, in fact, pitied King Claudius. Fortinbras, for Cavafy, was the one who took advantage
of these fabricated stories and lies. He believed all the tales of Horatio and obtained the throne very
easily. Thus, According to Cavafy, King Claudius is totally innocent. Through his poem, “King
Claudius” Cavafy exonerates the king from all the blames made by others.
Wings Flapping Somewhere…
G. Sankara Pillai
1. What is choottattom?
Choottattom is a peculiar theatrical form in which the actors wave torches in their hands.The
play, “Wings Flapping, Somewhere…” by G Sankara Pillai opens with a choottattom by the
attendants.
2. Whose voice did Kunti hear as she was blessing her sons?
When Kunti was blessing her sons after their winning over the Kauravas in the Kurukshethra
war, Kunti could hear the muffled sob of another mother who had lost all her sons in the war.
3. Why did Kunti wish to throw the baby into the river?
When Kunti experimented with the mantra she received from the sage before her marriage, it
resulted in her conceiving of a child (Karna) from the Sun god. After delivery, she wished to throw
the baby into the river for respecting the pride of her family. Personally she did not want to do this as
her mind was numb.
4. When did Kunti feel that she was a miserable creature?
Before Kurukshetra war, there were various incidents of enmity and rivalry that occurred
between Kauravas and Pandavas. Kunti felt miserable as Karna, her eldest son was with the
Kauravas, being the king of Anga, a favour given to him by Duryodhana. In the battle, Karna was
going to fight against his younger brothers, the Pandavas. The sons were ignorant of their
brotherhood. It was Kunti who knew all the secrets. However, she was unable to give them advice.
1. What does the actress say about the plight of women?

According to the actress, women have several troubles: she is betrayed in love; she is a wife
without any rights; and she is crushed under several boundaries. The knot tightens as the women try
to break it away. The society is always ready to accuse her for a false step. Her desires die down in
her funeral pyre. Even then, the present women are content with their lot. The rules of culture
restrain the women from revolting against these exploitations.
2. Who is the superhuman figure and what does he tell Kunti?
The superhuman figure is Karna. He asks Kunti whether she is looking for the dead bodies of
himself or his brothers in the battleground of Kurukshetra. He blames her for preferring her other
sons to him in the war. He was denied the benefits of a son. He was abandoned on birth. The nature
reared him up. He accuses Kunti for claiming that the fight was for Dharma. He mocks her plight of
coming to him and asking for showing mercy towards his younger brothers. Karna consoles himself
by telling that he has no regrets since he was immortalized by death. He wants to call her his mother.
In the end Karna exhibits mixed feelings and asks her not to be pained by thinking of him. He asks
her to go away from him.
3. What made Kunti say that the victors became the vanquished?
In the Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas became victorious. The Purvapandavas were making a
libation and offering homage to the dead. Kunti instructed her children to include Karna also among
the people to whom such homage is given. But her sons were reluctant as he was their opponent in
the war. They never knew him as their elder brother. At last she revealed the truth (that Karna was
their mother’s first born child)to them. At that moment they came to know that they killed their own
brother in the battle. On hearing this all of them began to cry. At the end of the war, they obtained
the kingdom. However, the sin of killing their own blood would remain as a blemish. Thus, the
Pandavas, the victors of the war felt like vanquished.
4. Write a short not one the theatrical techniques used in the play.
G Sankara Pillai is known for synthesizing traditional and modern techniques of theater in his
plays. His play named “Wings Flapping Somewhere…” centers around Kunti, the main character.
The play shows the subtle psychological conflict of Kunti as a mother symbolized by the wing beats
of an unknown bird. The play uses various theatrical techniques. Even the attendants who take care
of music and background narration, takes part in acting. They also use various masks. The play
opens with traditional representation of “kaļam”, lighting of “nilaviļakku” and the choottattom by the
attendants. There is only one main character, who acts as Kunti. It is she who transforms herself into
the superhuman figure of Karna. Fire is a prominent symbol in the play. It is worshipped in the
beginning and in the end.
1. The play “Wings Flapping, Somewhere…” brilliantly portrays the conflicts that Kunti had to go
through as a mother. Discuss
Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas in The Mahabharata, is the central character of the play
“Wings Flapping Somewhere…”.The wing-beats of the unknown bird brushing past Kunti at the
most critical moments in her life symbolize the conflicts that she had to go through as a mother.
In her younger days, Kunti saw the world only as a reflection of her own beauty. She considered
all natural phenomena were for her sake.
Kunti’s rejection of Karna-her first son born before her marriage- haunted her forever. He was
born as a result of her experiment with the mantra given by Durvasa, the impetuous sage. She had to
abandon her son (received from the sun after invoking the mantra), in the bushes on the banks of a
river for the sake of her family. Accordingly, her first son had to be brought up as the foster child of
Athiratha, the Suta. She had to use the mantra again (legally), with the consent of her husband who
was denied a natural offspring as the result of a curse.
Kunti had to see the humiliation faced by Karna, her elder son, before his brothers. She had to
travel incognito countless forest paths and to sleep in strange places in the name of Dharma.
When the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas became a reality, she found herself the
most miserable of all mothers, with her own sons fighting on both sides. She had to beg her elder son
for the lives of her other sons. When the war ended, her elder son was killed. His brothers came to
know this only when it was told by Kunti.
The realization that at the end of the war there are no winners or losers, but only guilt-ridden
sorrowful souls, makes the monologue of Kunti heart-rending. In the end of the play, Kunti decides
to accompany the old couples, Drutharashtra and Gandhari, leaving her victorious sons. Her last wish
is to end her life in the hands of her first love, Agni.
2. Attempt a comparative study of G Sankara Pillai’s Kunti and Tagore’s Kunti.

(Compare with the lesson “Dialogue between Karna and Kunti)
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Arthur Conan Doyle

1. How does Holmes deduce that the man is an intellectual?
By assessing the cubic capacity of the hat, Holmes deduces that a man with such ‘a large brain must
have something in it’. Here, Holmes correlates intelligence with the magnitude of brain
2. What is blue Carbuncle?
Blue carbuncle in the story of Arthur Conan Doyle, is a priceless diamond possessed by the Countess
of Morcar. It was stolen and a plumber named John Horner was jailed on being accused as its thief.
In fact, it was stolen by James Ryder who made a goose to swallow it. In the beginning of the story,
the wife of Peterson found the same carbuncle from the crop(stomach) of the lost goose of Mr. Henry
Baker. According to Holmes, this stone was not even twenty years old. It was found in the banks of
the Amoy River in southern China and was remarkable in having every characteristic of the
carbuncle except that it was blue instead of ruby red.
3. Who is the narrator of the story?
Dr. Watson, the assistant of Sherlock Holmes is the narrator of the story “The Adventure of the Blue
Carbuncle”.
4. How are the female characters presented in the story?
Mrs. Maggie Oakshott, Countess of Morcar, Catherine Cusack, Mrs. Henry Baker, Mary Sutherland,
Jove, Mrs. Hudson and Wife of Peterson are the female characters mentioned in the story. None of
them are major characters. They do not directly participate in the story either. The author shows his
patriarchal nature occasionally. For instance, Holmes says that Mrs Henry Baker had ceased to love
her husband, as his hat had not been brushed for weeks.
1. What is the red herring in the story?
A red herring is a common device used in mystery and thriller stories to distract the reader from
identifying the real culprit. The red herring in a story can take the form of characters that the reader
suspect, but who turn out be innocent when the real murderer is identified. There are several red
herrings in the story, “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”. In the beginning of the story, one
would suspect Henry Baker, the owner of the goose as a criminal. However, he is innocent. When
the carbuncle comes into the story, there is already one suspect, a John Horner. He is in jail also. But
towards the end of the story, Holmes finds him as innocent. It was James Ryder who stole the
carbuncle.
2. Describe James Ryder.
James Ryder was an attendant at the Hotel Cosmopolitan in London. He stole the Blue Carbuncle, a
precious jewel, from the room of its owner, the Countess of Morcar, with the help of her maid
Catherine Cusack. The pair tried to frame John Horner for the theft. James Ryder made a goose to
swallow the carbuncle. The goose was domesticated in the house of his sister Mrs Maggie Oakshott.
His plan was to take the goose to his friend Maudsley, a thief who could help him make money out
of the gem. Unfortunately, he selected a wrong goose and found nothing inside it. When he returned
to his sister’s house, all the geese had been sold out. Sherlock Holmes happened to come across with
the goose which swallowed the carbuncle and discovered the truth using his investigative prowess.
Even then, Holmes let Ryder go free as Ryder was unlikely to become a career criminal. Afterwards,
Ryder fled to continental Europe.
3. Write a short note on the ethos of Holmes.
Ethos is the set of moral beliefs, attitudes, habits, etc., that are characteristic of a person. Analysing
the story of the “Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” one can understand the ethos of Holmes. He
takes interest in a case even when there was not a slightest suspicion of it being a criminal case. He
says to Watson: “Even the smallest problems are of interest to me”. Holmes's explanation of why he
has let Ryder off the hook reveals much about Holmes' ethos as an investigator and a moral man: "I
am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. If Horner were in danger it would be
another thing; but this fellow will not appear against him, and the case must collapse. I suppose that I
am commuting a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong
again; he is too terribly frightened".
4. Write a short note on the ironies in the story.
The story of “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” begins with the incidence of finding an old hat
by Peterson, the commissionaire. When the matter came into the consideration of Holmes, he did not
have an iota of suspicion regarding its involvement in a crime. However, it turned out to be an
important case. Similarly, James Ryder, the person who stole the carbuncle had hidden it by making
a goose to swallow it. However, when he selected the goose to take home, he selected the wrong one.
The goose having the gem in its stomach became a main lead in finding the culprit of a major theft.
Mr Beckinbridge would never have revealed the whereabouts of the geese he supplied to Alpha, even
if Holmes had offered 100 pounds. However, he revealed more than necessary when Holmes waged
a bet for merely a sovereign (one pound). Similarly James Ryder told Holmes that he was the very
man whom he had longed to meet. However, Holmes turned out to be the person who found him to
be the culprit of stealing the carbuncle. There is also an irony when Holmes freed Ryder after finding
him the culprit of the crime.

1. How does the story become a manifesto of the intellectual capacity of Sherlock Holmes
In the beginning of the story, Peterson, a commissioner, brings to Holmes a hat that was left by a
man, along with a Christmas goose. The owner had run away when Peterson rushed over to try to
save him from a fight. Holmes at first tried to deduce who the owner of the hat was by a close
examination of it. He found the person to be an intellectual named Henry Baker. The person was rich
earlier. He might have been drinking liquor recently. As a result, his wife might have ceased to love
him. When Peterson returned with the discovery the blue carbuncle in the goose's crop, Holmes
identified it as the jewel owned by the Countess of Morcar which was recently reported as stolen.
John Horner, a plumber who was at the Hotel Cosmopolitan, the hotel where the Countess was
staying at the time of the theft, was accused of the crime, but Holmes suspected someone else.
To begin the investigation, Holmes had to find who Mr. Henry Baker was. He advertised about the
hat and the goose and found the person. Finding Henry Baker was just the first step in a longer chain
of identities to discover. Holmes traced the path of the goose back to its source, beginning with the
Alpha Inn, where it was sold. He then went to Mr. Breckinridge, a wholesale dealer of geese. Mr
Beckinbridge would never have revealed the whereabouts of the geese he supplied to Alpha, even if
Holmes had offered 100 pounds. However, he revealed more than necessary when he waged a bet for
mere a sovereign (one pound). It was pure intelligence and practical experience that helped him get
the details. From this, he could easily reach James Ryder, the person who was making similar
enquiries regarding a particular goose. When Holmes came to know about this, he could connect it
with the stealing of the stone. It was James Ryder, the head attendant at the Hotel Cosmopolitan, who
stole the carbuncle after hearing of it from Catherine Cusack, the Countess's maid. After the theft,
Ryder had struggled for an idea to conceal the carbuncle, lest it were found it in his person(dress);
but his idea of stuffing it down a goose's crop backfired when he lost track of the goose, owned by
Mrs Oakshott.
2. Write an essay on the stereotypes in the story.

In the story, “Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” one can find the typical representation of the people
of the late Victorian age. When Mr Watson meets Sherlock Holmes, he finds a typical Victorian
gentleman who was “lounging upon the sofa in a purple dressing-gown, a pipe-rack within his reach
upon the right, and a pile of crumpled morning papers, evidently newly studied, near at hand”. The
attacking of Henry Baker by a group of ruffians is typical of the time. The man who brings home a
goose as a peace-offering to his quarrelsome wife is another typical instance. The attachment of
Countess of Morcar with the blue carbuncle is similar to the characteristic feature of the Victorian
women. She does not even hesitate to offer a thousand pounds as a reward for the one who finds the
lost carbuncle. Another stereotype is Mr Breckinridge who is reluctant to give the details of the
goose he sold, even after various requests; but was happy to share it when waged a bet for a
sovereign. He also manages an inventory of his purchase and sales.
James Ryder is another typical character in the story. He wants to make a sudden fortune. He has a
sister, Mrs Oakshott who domesticates geese for sale. One can associate her as a loving sister as she
was ready to give her brother a goose. When Ryder was running after the sold geese, she thought him
to be mad. Another typical character is Maudsley, a thief trusted by Ryder to help him in cashing the
stolen stone. The readers will be sympathetic like Holmes towards Ryder when he repents about his
mistake. One can also find the narrator as a stereotype. Mr Watson is an assistant of Holmes. Just
like any assistant, he always admires at Holmes’s prowess as a detective.
Sherlock Holmes
VKN
1. Why did the narrator of the story stand at the verandah of an old shop?
The narrator of the story stood on the spacious verandah of an old shop due to the slight drizzle. He
had not bought an umbrella for that season.
2. How does the author make his appearance in the story?
The author was shamming gentility when he stood on the verandah. According to the Captain, if
Sherlock Holmes happened to take a look at the author, he would immediately tell him that he was a
second grade clerk in the magistrate’s court, a debtor, and a rogue.
3. What is peculiar about Sherlock Holmes?
According to the Captain, Sherlock Holmes was a detective who could annihilate instability and
disorder. No case he investigated went without a clue. No offender escaped scot-free. He believed in
non-violence. He solved cases using his brain and intellect. A look at the place of murder, and he
would come out with all details such as the complexion, height and weight of the murderer, the time
of murder and the kind of weapon used, and also the possibility of finding the murderer at a
particular place.
4. How does the narrator try to become Holmes?
On seeing a woman who was walking straight on like a horse, with her saree hitched up above her
ankles, holding a half-sized umbrella and notebook tucked in tight under her armpit, the narrator
tried to imitate Holmes. He said: “She must be an elementary school teacher. It is likely that she has
a husband and a child at home. And she could only have eaten some light food for lunch”. The
woman was, in fact, the wife of the narrator.
1. How did the captain describe Sherlock Holmes?
According to the Captain, Sherlock Holmes was a detective who could annihilate instability and
disorder. No case he investigated went without a clue. No offender escaped scot-free. He believed in
non-violence. He solved cases using his brain and intellect. A look at the place of murder, and he
would come out with all details such as the complexion, height and weight of the murderer, the time
of murder and the kind of weapon used, and also the possibility of finding the murderer at a
particular place. According to the Captain, if Sherlock Holmes happened to take a look at the author,
he would immediately tell him that he was a second grade clerk in the magistrate’s court, a debtor,
and a rogue.
2. Describe the story that the captain tells the narrator to make him believe in the ability of Holmes.
In order to make the narrator believe the abilities of Holmes, Captain told a story. One day Holmes
and a friend were standing on the verandah of a shop. At that time a fifty-year-old man passed by,
carrying a bag and a few magazines. Holmes pointed at him and said to his friend: ‘Look, that fellow
must have been to India, is probably a military pensioner, and a widower.’ The friend, who wanted to
check out on Holmes, hailed the man and spoke to him. Holmes was right. And Holmes explained
the reasons for his conclusion. From the dark complexion of his face, Holmes concluded the person
to be an Indian. Seeing the physique, Holmes deduced him as a soldier. Seeing the age of the person,
Holmes found the person as a pensioner. From the bag, Holmes understood that the person was
shopping. As he was doing all these shopping alone, Holmes arrived at the fact that his wife was
dead. Holmes also found him to have children as he bought children’s books.
3. Describe the appearance of the lady who walked in the street.

The woman was walking straight on like a horse, with her saree hitched up above her ankles. She
was holding a half-sized umbrella. A notebook was tucked in tight under her armpit. Seeing her, the
narrator tried to imitate Holmes. He said: “She must be an elementary school teacher. It is likely that
she has a husband and a child at home. And she could only have eaten some light food for lunch”.
Listening this, the captain was wonderstruck and admired at the narrator’s abilities. The narrator also
explained the details of how he arrived at those conclusions. The irony was at the end of the story
when the narrator revealed that the woman, they referred to was his wife, Ammalu Kutty.
4. The short story is an example of the literary style of VKN. Elucidate.
The short story “Sherlock Holmes” is a humorous story of VKN, an author noted for his satirical
writings. His works showcase a multi-layered humour, criticism of the socio-political classes and the
ability to play with words. In the beginning of the story “Sherlock Holmes” itself, VKN provided the
detailed setting as in the fashion of Holmes. He humorously asked the readers to bear in mind about
the various sounds in the background. He admired at the abilities of Holmes when the Captain told
about them. However, he belittled those capacities, when he himself tried to be like a detective by
telling the details of a woman who passed by. Even the Captain admitted his abilities and exclaimed
that he had surpassed Holmes. However, in the climax, there is a twist in the real fashion of VKN.
The person about whom he described a lot was his wife, Ammalu Kutty.
1. Bring out the irony in the story “Sherlock Holmes.”
OR
2. Make a comparative study between Sherlock Holmes and the narrator of the story
The short story “Sherlock Holmes” is a humorous story of VKN, an author noted for his satirical
writings. His works showcase a multi-layered humour, criticism of the socio-political classes and the
ability to play with words. While the narrator was standing on a verandah of an old shop due to rain,
a Captain joined him there. The Captain began to talk about Sherlock Holmes. According to the
Captain, Sherlock Holmes was a detective who could annihilate instability and disorder. No case he
investigated went without a clue. No offender escaped scot-free. He believed in non-violence. He
solved cases using his brain and intellect. Just by looking at the place of murder, he would come out
with all details such as the complexion, height and weight of the murderer, the time of murder and
the kind of weapon used, and also the possibility of finding the murderer at a particular place.
According to the Captain, if Sherlock Holmes happened to take a look at the author, he would
immediately tell him that he was a second grade clerk in the magistrate’s court, a debtor, and a
rogue.
In order to make the narrator believe the abilities of Holmes, Captain told a story. One day Holmes
and a friend were standing on the verandah of a shop. At that time a fifty-year-old man passed by,
carrying a bag and a few magazines. Holmes pointed at him and said to his friend: ‘Look, that fellow
must have been to India, is probably a military pensioner, and a widower.’ The friend, who wanted to
check out on Holmes, hailed the man and spoke to him. Holmes was right. And Holmes explained
the reasons for his conclusion. From the dark complexion of his face, Holmes concluded the person
to be an Indian. Seeing the physique, Holmes deduced him as a soldier. Seeing the age of the person,
Holmes found the person as a pensioner. From the bag, Holmes understood that the person was
shopping. As he was doing all these shopping alone, Holmes arrived at the fact that his wife was
dead. Holmes also found him to have children as he bought children’s books.
On seeing a woman who was walking straight on like a horse, with her saree hitched up above her
ankles, holding a half-sized umbrella and notebook tucked in tight under her armpit, the narrator
tried to imitate Holmes. He said: “She must be an elementary school teacher. It is likely that she has
a husband and a child at home. And she could only have eaten some light food for lunch”. Listening
this, the captain was wonderstruck and admired at the narrator’s abilities. The narrator also explained
the details of how he arrived at those conclusions. The irony was at the end of the story when the
narrator revealed that the woman, they referred to was his wife, Ammalu Kutty. The smartness
shown by the narrator was not genuine. Sherlock Holmes was the real hero.

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Comparative Literature: An Introduction

Answer in two or three sentences

1. What is comparative literature?

Comparative Literature is a method of evaluating and interpreting literature. It consists in the

2. What is the objective of Comparative Literature?

4. What is the contribution of Veselovsky towards comparative literature?

3. Write a short note on the importance of Genology.

4. Trace the growth of comparative Literature in India.

1. Critically consider the growth of Comparative Literature as an academic discipline.

Comparative Literature is a method of evaluating and interpreting literature. It consists in the

Comparative Literature developed as an academic discipline of a cross disciplinary character towards

Jean –Marie Carré

 What is influence, according to A. O. Aldridge?

Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combining of two or more academic

2. What is the role of history in Comparative Literature according to Bassnett?

3. What is the crisis of Comparative Literature?

4. How does Ganesh Devi look at Indian Comparative Literature?

Answer in about 100 words

3. How does Bassnett argue that art is an instrument of cultural harmony?

2. Write an essay on the Growth of Comparative Literature?

Susan Bassnet considers comparative literature as interdisciplinary as it involves the study of

The Thought Fox

Answer in about 100 words

2. Write a short note on the metaphor of well.

4. How does the poem become a manifesto of poetic process?

1. The poem is a journey from childhood to adulthood. Explain.

Answer in two or three sentences

1. How does the poet describe the life in the hospital?

4. Why does the poet say that “I am a nun now”?

1. How do tulips become a symbol for life?

My body is a pebble to them, they tend it as water

The tulips should be behind bars like dangerous animals;

Answer in two or three sentences

2. Why does the poet say that “rivers are damp”?

3. What do the acids do to you?

4. Why do the drugs cause cramp?

Answer in about 100 words

1. Comment on the irony in the line “You might live as well”.

2. How does the title of the poem “Resumé” become a paradox?

Answer in about 300 words

1. What is the allusion in the line “forty gentle sisters”?

2. Bring out the irony in the poem.

3. Write a short not on the images used in the poem.

4. Comment on the allusion in the line “Well, go to a convent…”

Answer in about 100 words

1. How does the poem become a re-reading of Hamlet?

1. What does the actress say about the plight of women?

Answer in about 300 words

2. Attempt a comparative study of G Sankara Pillai’s Kunti and Tagore’s Kunti.

Answer in two or three sentences

Answer in about 300 words

2. Write an essay on the stereotypes in the story.

3. Describe the appearance of the lady who walked in the street.

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