Thinking Activity 2 - Renaissance Literature

Hello Readers !

Literature, in many ways provokes us to think critically. Questions, which arise in our mind, set us to start a thoughtful quest and they never let us rest. In Renaissance period of literature, the same quest begins for the search of knowledge, and very interesting answers are also found. As a student of literature, this thinking activity enables me to compare and contrast the two ages of English literature. This is an academic task given by Dr. Dilip Barad.

• Write in brief about Edmund Spencer or Ben Jonson or Francis Bacon or on any one of their works.

Ben Jonson (1573? - 1637)

Ben Johnson was an English dramatist and poet who enjoyed his literary space for twenty-five years in London. Known for his ability and great learning, he stood like a rock against his contemporaries. He wanted to restore the classic form of drama, but he couldn't. On the other hand his great work and influence lived longer and became classicism of the 18th century.

Ben Jonson's first comedy, Every Man in His Humour, is the key to all his dramas and comedies. He has the ability to highlight a particular qualities of a character, that all the other qualities lose their importance. This kind of style is also used by Charles Dickens in his many novels. Ben Jonson exaggerates the humor just like a cartoonist makes a humorous picture of any person and makes some features remarkable by drawing them extra big or large.

• Can we differentiate general characteristics of Renaissance literature with that of Reformation / Restoration or Neo-classical or Romantic or Victorian or Modern literature?

At first, let's go through some of the main characteristics of the

Renaissance literature.

(1) The Renaissance Literature has very deep connection with the age of Elizabeth. About this age, it is said by Milton "a noble puissant nation, rousing herself, like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks." The queen Elizabeth gave full freedom to create and pursue for new things. This age was the witness of Religious Tolerance. The queen decided to unite all the religions and break all the false ideals. Under the queen's reign, Spanish Armada was defeated and the event brought much more patriotism and enthusiasm to do many explorations and quest for finding new things was started. 

(2) It was an age of social-contentment. The increase of manufacturing town gave the contentment to the people and labor who have had been idle for longer time. Trade with other countries was started and it brought enormous wealth to England.

(3) Exploring new things was the key characteristic feature of the age. Drake explores the world, and the young philosopher Francis Bacon said, "I have taken all knowledge for my province". Some literary work like Collection of Voyages, Purchas, His Pilgrimage, were produced. Explorers found many new places and lands which were wealthier than ever. Marston writes in Eastward Ho! "Why, man, all their dripping pans are pure gold. The prisoners they take are fettered in gold; and as for rubies and diamonds, they goe forth on holydayes and gather 'hem by the seashore to hang on their children's coates." New Earth was revealed by new explores - Cabot, Drake, Frobisher, Gilbert, Raleigh, Willoughby, Hawkins.

(4) All the characteristics found reflection in Drama. Corneille, Racine, and Moliere, brought drama to France. Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare and Jonson carried forward the genre.

Restoration Age and it's literature

French Influence played a vital role in producing certain kind of literature in Restoration period. After the Revolution of 1688, many French writers like Pascal, Bossuet, Malherbe, Racine brought forward new literature. But when one has to take something as a model, he selects virtues but not vices. But, writes of England adapted and copied the vices of French comedy. Poems written by Rochester, plays of Dryden, Wycherley, Congreve, Vanbrugh and Frquhar, are now mostly unreadable.

Many new Tendencies also came into existence like Realism and formalism. Writes of this period have painted realistic pictures of the corrupt court and society. Restoration writers opposed the style of long Latin quotes, and filtered the unnecessary words and descriptions from the text, and made very short, clean-cut literary work.

Citation

Long, W. J., English Literature - It's History and It's Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World (2015)

Thinking Activity 1 - Aristotle's Poetics

Welcome Readers !

Digital Skill, nowadays, has become the most essential part of our routine life. At the Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University, this skill is shaped very well with the endless encouragement by Dr. Dilip Barad. By making blog, we can make our entire workplace portable. Anywhere we go, we can just open some useful applications and sites to complete our tasks. By using Google Classroom, Barad sir has enabled himself as well as students to stay connected with each others all the time, and here is the thinking activity task, in which I've answered the questions which were uploaded by Dr. Dilip Barad in his Blog on Aristotle's Poetics.

Readers might be wondering that what is thinking activity ? Here you are! After completion of a unit or a topic of syllabus, students are given some questions and points to think upon. Whatever answers students find, they have to publish them on their respective blogs. By doing so, students not only understand the whole unit thoroughly but also start re-thinking the unit critically and raise their own questions regarding the unit. This kind of Student-Teacher interaction really helps in many ways.

Q1.  How far do you agree with Plato’s objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writers? Name the texts (novels, plays, poems, movies, TV soaps etc which can be rightfully objected and banned with reference to Plato’s objections)

Ans. Plato objects to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by the creative writers, because they produce immoral and unethical work. According to Plato, a creative work should be produced morally and philosophically, rather than the intention of pleasure and enjoyment. By reading such highly moral and philosophical work, people can take some lessons and apply them in their lifestyle and up-bring their morality. There are many examples such as Marvel Cinematic Universe's Movies like Thor, Spiderman, Daredevil, Avengers, Hulk, etc. All the characters depicted in these movies are far from reality and morality. Though they are shown as good characters and they do every good to "save the world", but if we look with Plato's eyes, we must say that these characters are immoral and unethical. Children immediately copy and imitate these kind of unreal things. So I agree with the objections of Plato.

Motivational Talk on YOLO by Himal Pandya

Motivational Talk on YOLO by Himal Pandya

You Only Live Once, we've got only one life, and if we live it right way, once is enough.

On 8th July 2019, at the Department of English, MK Bhvanagar University, there was a talk organised by Dr. Dilip Barad and Himal Pandya sir was invited for session.

In his talk, Himal sir gave many valuable examples, like being thankful to Almighty God, that we've given a perfect body and mind. there are hundreds and thousands of people who have not such perfection and they face many hurdles in doing routine tasks like brushing and wearing clothes.

Sir also talked about how a person named Peng Shuilin survived a terrible accident, and how he is living his life today. Peng, after accident, has completely lost his lower body, including his reproductive system. After such a shocking accident he did not lose hope and started a Half Price Store in which all the items are sold half priced as Peng believes that if I am half, all the things which will be sold from should also be sold half-priced.

We, in the 21st century, are becoming less caring and we hardly look at our neighborhood. People have become less concerned about whats happening around them. They don't even know that someone in our neighborhood is in problem. From Himal Sir's talk, we took a lesson that we should take care of the people even if we don't know them. It is possible that the person who is in trouble right now, and we can see his sufferings in front of our eyes, may be he can stand at our place and thinks that to help or not to. Because someone in some part of this earth is praying for us and wishing for our well being. That's why if we can help at some place, we shouldn't deny. The power of prayer is well explained

The other thing Himal sir talked about was on committing suicide and what are the reasons that people do that every now and then. In that case, sir gave us some wonderful quotes from Gujarati that were very motivating. The main reason why people commit suicide is that they don't find anyone who can help them, or stand with them in such critical situation. Their minds are full of negative thoughts, and they don't find any positive ray of hope in such condition. If someone from somewhere comes and tell him/her that "don't worry, I am with you, no matter what your problem is." These are the words that can really make a positive effect on them and it's quite possible that he/she may return to their normal state of mind and start living a normal life.

All we need to do is to be empathetic to others. Empathy is the vital force that can help not only other people but yourself also. We learned many beautiful lessons of life in this talk session.

If you liked this blog, please comment and share.

Movie Screening - The Modern Times

Welcome Readers !

On 25th June 2019, there was a film screening of "The Modern Times" organized by the Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.


The film is directed and acted by a polymath, Charles Chaplin in the year of 1936.
The word polymath is used for a multi-talented person who does all task single-handed, even though they are from different field.

The very title suggests that in the year of 1936, the time was changing and many new things were being introduced. After the industrial revolution, machines took place of human workers and silently, the people started becoming slave of machinery.

There is no doubt that Charles Chaplin make us laugh even without saying a single word but he also conveys a great message by his humorous and eye-catching acting.

As a director, Chaplin utilized every single frame of the film.
The film is set on the time during the great depression when thousands of people became jobless.

The tone of this film is comedy and laughter, but still it tells a tragic story about how people suffered from joblessness and craving for job, how people were used to work monotonously in giant factories, and working as a small part of machines. The film satires the overuse of machinery, and how the humans have become slave of them.

The significance of the first screen shows the time of 6 o'clock.

Joblessness had increased so much that one had to steal food from restaurants and thus, once a person having good job had become a thief. 

After becoming free from jail a sheriff writes a recommendation letter, and on the basis of that letter he get a job at departmental store as a timekeeper. but again the chain of going jail and being free continues, at the end of the movie he conveys a message that one should keep on trying and never stop. the significance of last morning scene is indicating hope.

By the screening of this film students became familiar with the time of The Great Depression and what were the zeitgeist of Chaplin's days, and students also came to know that how the movie is critically appreciated and reviewed.

If you want to watch the full movie, here is the link. Charles Chaplin in Modern Times

Thank You!

Come Along - Cosmo Sheldrake

Hello friends !
I'm sharing a song which has very melodious music and thought provoking lyrics also.
Below is a song "Come Along" by Cosmo Sheldrake.

This song has beautiful words that make us think philosophically and critically.
In this song Sheldrake has conveyed a good message that we should not be stressed and suppressed under the burden of lot of work all the time and we should spend some time with ourselves. Life is very short to waste on doing worthless things and we should live thousands of moments in one.

The lyrics will definitely take you in another world. Sheldrake has wisely selected some words that make us think that in which way we are living our present life and how it should be lived.

In this song I have found both, meaning plus music. Tell me in the comments what you've found.
Thank You.