INSTITUTE OF DISTANCE & ONLINE LEARNING BACHELOR OF ARTS ENGLISH LITERATURE - I BAQ105 Self Learning Material R101 BACHELOR OF ARTS ENGLISH LITERATURE - I BAQ105 Dr. Manjushree Vikrant Sardeshpande CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY Institute of Distance and Online Learning Course Development Committee Chairman Prof. (Dr.) R.S. Bawa Vice Chancellor, Chandigarh University, Punjab Advisors Prof. (Dr.) Bharat Bhushan, Director, IGNOU Prof. (Dr.) Majulika Srivastava, Director, CIQA, IGNOU Programme Coordinators & Editing Team Master of Business Administration (MBA) Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Co-ordinator - Prof. Pragya Sharma Co-ordinator - Dr. Rupali Arora Master of Computer Applications (MCA) Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) Co-ordinator - Dr. Deepti Rani Sindhu Co-ordinator - Dr. Raju Kumar Master of Commerce (M.Com.) Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) Co-ordinator - Dr. Shashi Singhal Co-ordinator - Dr. Minakshi Garg Master of Arts (Psychology) Bachelor of Science (Travel & Tourism Management) Co-ordinator - Ms. Nitya Mahajan Co-ordinator - Dr. Shikha Sharma Master of Arts (English) Bachelor of Arts (General) Co-ordinator - Dr. Ashita Chadha Co-ordinator - Ms. Neeraj Gohlan Master of Arts (Mass Communication and Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communication and Journalism) Journalism) Co-ordinator - Dr. Chanchal Sachdeva Suri Co-ordinator - Dr. Kamaljit Kaur Academic and Administrative Management Prof. (Dr.) Pranveer Singh Satvat Prof. (Dr.) S.S. Sehgal Pro VC (Academic) Registrar Prof. (Dr.) H. Nagaraja Udupa Prof. (Dr.) Shiv Kumar Tripathi Director – (IDOL) Executive Director – USB © No part of this publication should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author and the publisher. SLM SPECIALLY PREPARED FOR CU IDOL STUDENTS Printed and Published by: Himalaya Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.himpub.com For: CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY Institute of Distance and Online Learning CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM) English Literature - I Course Code: BAQ105 Credits: 3 Course Objectives: To motivate and encourage the students to understand and appreciate short lyrical poems. To study world famous poets such as Shakespeare, Blake, Tagore, etc. To develop in the students communicative competence by encouraging them to learn to listen. Syllabus Unit 1 – Marriage of True Minds – William Shakespeare Unit 2 – The School Boy – William Blake Unit 3 – The Education of Nature – William Wordsworth Unit 4 – All Things will Die – Alfred Lord Tennyson Unit 5 – Still I Rise – Maya Angelou Unit 6 – Where the Mind is without Fear – Rabindranath Tagore Unit 7 – Refugee Mother and Child – Chinua Achebe Unit 8 – Stanza Forms: 1. The Heroic Couplet, 2. The Blank Verse, 3. The Spenserian Stanza Unit 9 – Composition (Letter/Application Writing, Comprehension of Unseen Passage) Reference Books: 1. Khanna, V.K. and Paul, F.M. (2014), As Elaborated in the Blossoming Mind, New Delhi: Laxmi Publications. 2. Wren & Martin (2017), English Grammar and Composition, New Delhi: S. Chand Publishing. 3. Abrams, M.H. and Harpham, G.G. (2015), A Glossary of Literary Terms,Mumbai: Macmillan Publishers Indian Ltd. 4. Murphy, R. (2013), Elementary Grammar (Intermediate Level), UK: Cambridge University Press. 5. Hewing, M. (2012), Advanced English Grammar, UK: Cambridge University Press. 6. John, E. (2012), Oxford Practice Grammar (Intermediate Level), New Delhi: Oxford University Press. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM) CONTENTS Unit 1: The Marriage of True Minds 1 – 27 Unit 2: The School Boy 28 – 49 Unit 3: The Education of Nature 50 – 76 Unit 4: All Things will Die 77 – 97 Unit 5: Still I Rise 98 – 118 Unit 6: My Grandmother 119 – 132 Unit 7: Where the Mind is Without Fear 133 – 156 Unit 8: Refugee Mother and Child 157 – 183 Unit 9: Stanza Forms 184 – 202 Unit 10: Composition 203 – 228 Model Question Paper 229 – 230 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM) UNIT 1 THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS – WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Structure: 1.0 Learning Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Themes 1.3 Art vs. Time 1.4 Symbols 1.5 Form and Structure of the Sonnets 1.6 Summary 1.7 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) 1.8 References 1.0 Learning Objectives After studying this unit, students will be able to understand: The universal acceptance of Shakespeare, understanding why Shakespeare is not of a particular age but for all times and Shakespeare’s relevance in today’s modern world make him very important. He is considered a master in English Literature. Shakespeare’s plays have transcended even the category of brilliance and have had a profound impact on the course of Western literature and culture ever after. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM) 2 English Literature - I 1. Illumination of the Human Experience: Shakespeare’s ability to summarize the range of human emotions in simple yet profoundly eloquent verse is perhaps the greatest reason for his enduring popularity. If you cannot find words to express how you feel about love or music or growing older, Shakespeare can speak for you. No author in the Western world has penned more beloved passages. Shakespeare’s work is the reason John Bartlett compiled the first major book of familiar quotations. 2. Great Stories: Marchette Chute, in the Introduction to her famous retelling of Shakespeare’s stories, summarizes one of the reasons for Shakespeare’s immeasurable fame: William Shakespeare was the most remarkable storyteller that the world has ever known. Homer told of adventure and men at war, Sophocles and Tolstoy told of tragedies and of people in trouble. Terence and Mark Twain told comedic stories, Dickens told melodramatic ones, Plutarch told histories and Hand Christian Andersen told fairy tales. But Shakespeare told every kind of story – comedy, tragedy, history, melodrama, adventure, love stories and fairy tales – and each of them so well, that they have become immortal. In all the world of storytelling, he has become the greatest name. (Stories from Shakespeare, 11) Shakespeare’s stories transcend time and culture. Modern storytellers continue to adapt Shakespeare’s tales to suit our modern world, whether it be the tale of Lear on a farm in Iowa, Romeo and Juliet on the mean streets of New York City, or Macbeth in feudal Japan. 3. Compelling Characters: Shakespeare invented his share of stock characters, but his truly great characters – particularly his tragic heroes – are unequalled in literature, dwarfing even the sublime creations of the Greek tragedians. Shakespeare’s great characters have remained popular because of their complexity; for example, we can see ourselves as gentle Hamlet, forced against his better nature to seek murderous revenge. For this reason Shakespeare is deeply admired by actors, and many consider playing a Shakespearean character to be the most difficult and most rewarding role possible. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM) The Marriage of True Minds 3 4. Ability to Turn a Phrase: Many of the common expressions, now thought to be cliches, were Shakespeare’s creations. Chances are you use Shakespeare’s expressions all the time even though you may not know it is the Bard you are quoting. You may think that fact is “neither here nor there”, but that is “the short and the long of it.” Bernard Levin said it best in the following quote about Shakespeare’s impact on our language: If you cannot understand my argument, and declare “It’s Greek to me”, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool’s paradise - why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; 1.1 Introduction About the Poet William Shakespeare William Shakespeare, often called England’s national poet, is considered the greatest dramatist of all time. His works are loved throughout the world, but Shakespeare’s personal life is shrouded in mystery. Who was William Shakespeare? William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor of the Renaissance era. He was an important member of the King’s Men company of theatrical players from roughly 1594 onward. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM) 4 English Literature - I Known throughout the world, Shakespear’s writings capture the range of human emotions and conflicts and have been celebrated for more than 400 years. And yet, the personal life of William Shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. There are two primary sources that provide historians with an outline of his life. One is his work — the plays, poems and sonnets — and the other is official documentation, such as church and court records. However, these provide only brief sketches of specific events in his life and yield little insight into the man himself. When was Shakespeare Born? No birth records exist, but an old church record indicates that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date scholars acknowledge as Shakespeare’s birthday.