“Nature”: Justify the Title of the Poem by H.W. Longfellow

The title of a literary creation is decided keeping in view the central idea or dominant theme or the protagonist. In the poem ‘Nature’ by H.W. Longfellow, the role of nature in human life on earth is both the dominant theme and the central idea. The poem is a simile showing a comparison between nature and a caring mother. Nature nurtures human beings from cradle to grave and lulls them to the lap of eternal rest through death and takes them away from their material possessions. In the poem, nature and mother have got merged into one single entity characterized by love, care and affection for her children. As nature is the highlight of the poem from beginning to end, the title ‘Nature’ is highly relevant and apt.      

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Tips on Correct English Usage in Day-to-day Life

We often don’t know what is correct English in day-to-day spoken language. When we are talking about the time of day we need to be careful about how we say it. Unknowingly we say ‘today morning’ instead of ‘this morning’, ‘today night’ instead of ‘tonight’. It is crucial to know correct English grammar and correct English usage. So, here are some English grammar tricks:   

·         I spoke to my cousin yesterday night. – Wrong

·         I spoke to my cousin last night. – Right

·         It was raining very heavily yesterday evening. – Wrong

·         It was raining very heavily last evening. – Right

·         I will be having lunch with my brother today afternoon. – Wrong

·         I will be having lunch with my brother this afternoon. – Right

·         I spoke to her today morning. – Wrong

·         I spoke to her this morning. – Right    

·         I went to see him last to last day. – Wrong

·         I went to see him the day before yesterday. – Right

·         I saw the news report on the bomb blast today evening. – Wrong

·         I saw the news report on the bomb blast this evening. – Right  

·         I have to stay up late today night to finish the project. – Wrong

·         I have to stay up late tonight to finish the project. – Right

C

English Essay: “Is giving alms to beggars is a social crime or virtue?”

The human civilization is not free from evils. Greed, avarice, jealousy and lust are a few enduring evils in society. However, poverty is greater and more powerful than those evils. Poverty is a curse on the civilization. Though the civilization has come a long way, this social evil still lurks on the surface. Poverty exists in all nations of the world. It has given birth to a particular class in society that is the class of beggars.  In many developing countries like India, beggars are seen begging almost everywhere. Giving alms to beggars is considered a virtue from the perspective of humanity. Is it a virtue or social crime? There is a controversy around it. 

Beggars belong to the most deprived and poorest section of society. Giving some pennies to the deprived is no crime from any angle. This kind practice is called philanthropy. Philanthropy is a manifestation of humanity. But some beggars despite being physically able take up beggary as a means of sustenance. They find begging easier than doing any other work. If they try, they can earn a living by means of physical labor. They become physically inactive and inert by not exercising their arms and limbs in any work. At times, they feel so dejected that lost all hopes to rise from the state of misery. What they need the most is not alms but encouragement and confidence. Many people of different social groups neither prefer giving alms to those beggars not cheer them up with encouraging words. 

We see many old people begging outside the premises of temples and mosques, and at railway stations. Having no one to look after them at old age and no means of livelihood to feed themselves, they unintentionally turn into beggars. Cursed by ill fate and senility, they are unable to do any physical work. So they have no other option than begging to live on somehow. They deserve to be treated with kindness, to be pitied and to be given alms. There are old age homes where old people having a belonging in terms of money or property are taken care of. But there is no room for the old people who have no riches. 

Child beggars are not rare to find here and there in India. It is a pity to see those children begging instead of playing in fields and reading at schools. Most of those ill-fated children are orphans. They have no one to look after them in society. Hunger and starvation drive them to indulge in begging. Many children of school-going age are forced by their poor and jobless parents to beg so that the family can have a handful of food, at least, once a day. Often these children are employed for menial jobs like washing clothes or utensils, cleaning and sweeping floors at stores and shops. But they are often ill treated and exploited by the employers. Even they are deprived of the wages and dismissed from the work. Then, they take up beggary as the only means of survival. The civilized people do not take these harsh facts into account. Most of them consider giving alms to child beggars an unjust do.

There is no end to the debate on “Is giving alms to beggars a virtue or social crime?” it varies from man to man depending on their individual mentality and view.  

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Are People Turning away from Newspapers in the Internet Age?

Newspaper in Digital Age

Change is a sign of life. It is the only constant factor in the world. With time rolling on, everything mortal or immortal keeps changing. Similarly, technology is always on the wheels of change. The days of print technology seem to be gone by. Now is the age of digital or web or internet technology in the 21^st century. Newspaper, any age-old product of print technology, is a valuable mode of print communication. But, in present times of Internet people are turning to the web world for instant availability of information. The increasing number of internet users turning to online media for news has raised a debate “Is newspaper valued and read by people in the present digital times?”. 

Surveys show that the popularity of newspaper is still intact in Indian and China despite the advancement in Internet technology there. Definitely, there are valid reasons to quote in support of newspapers being read by people. Many people are in the habit of reading newspapers over tea or coffee in the morning. Reading newspaper in the morning is an integral part of their daily routine. After waking up, they wait for the arrival of newspaper at the doorstep. The number of such regular newspaper readers is huge. 

Newspaper is portable. People can carry it when they are on the move. Many people go through newspapers when they are on the way to their destinations like office, school, college and home. It helps relieve the tedium of journey. Nowadays, news is available on mobile phones by means of mobile internet. People using cell phones with mobile internet can be updated on events and happenings in real time through news every now and then. But it is not possible or convenient to read a news story in details on the screen of mobile phones. 

Reading newspaper is far more comfortable and convenient. Staring at the computer screen for reading online news is often stressful for the eyes. But, this is not an issue with reading the pages of newspapers. Newspaper can be read in a relaxed position and at ease. 

Newspaper houses have jumped into fray with digital media and web media. All leading newspapers in different parts of the world have gone online to survive in the stiff competition and keep up with the changing times. The sun in the sky of newspapers in India is smiling and shining despite the increasing glare of digital and web media.       

English Essays - 

The Changing Face of Journalism in the Digital Era

Generation Gap is a Myth or Reality 

   

Reasons for Wordsworth's Inability to Understand the Theme of the Solitary Reaper's Song

What is the theme of the Solitary Reaper’s song, according to William Wordsworth?

Why is the poet not sure about the exact theme of the reaper’s song?

Why could not the poet comprehend the theme of the reaper’s song?   

Williams Wordsworth is not sure about the theme of the solitary reaper’s song. By means of his imaginative power, the poet assumes that the theme might be inspired by “old, unhappy, far-off things”. Based on the unhappy past of the civilization, the theme is melancholic in essence. Or, the song pictures the account of the battles fought long ago, according to the poet. On the other hand, he guesses that the theme of the song is associated with the mundane affairs of daily life. It is expressive of human emotions like “sorrow, loss or pain”.

There are several various reasons why William Wordsworth is not sure about the theme of the solitary reaper’s song. The language in which the “Highland lass” was singing her song might be unknown to the poet. So, he could not comprehend the meaning of the song. It is also considerable that being fascinated by the lyrical beauty of the song, Wordsworth could not make out the theme of the song. He was so overwhelmingly enchanted that he lost himself in imagination and made his way to the world of nightingales and cuckoo birds to find a suitable match for the reaper’s song. That is why, the poet failed to have a hang of the song, most probably.         

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Note on Picturesque Comparisons in The Solitary Reaper

How has William Wordsworth highlighted the beauty of the solitary reaper’s song?

What comparisons has the poet drawn to highlight the beauty of the reaper’s song?

William Wordsworth was so touched to the core of his heart by the lyrical beauty of the reaper’s song that he started looking for an ideal match for the song in terms of quality and charm. In his desperate attempt to highlight the soulful melody of the reaper’s song, he compared it to the nightingale’s song and the cuckoo bird’s sweet voice. The voice that nightingales pour out to refresh the weary bands of travelers in the aridity of the Arabian Desert is not as much thrilling as the melancholy song of the solitary reaper. The reaper’s voice is more pleasing and charming than the cuckoo bird’s voice that is said to break the silence of the seas among the far-off Hebrides in spring. Through these picture-perfect comparisons, the poet intended to make us feel the charm and eloquence of the solitary reaper’s song. 

More English literature notes on The Solitary Reaper

The Relevance of the Title "The Solitary Reaper"

The Beauty of the Reaper's Song in "The Solitary Reaper"

Reasons for Wordsworth's Inability to Understand the Theme of the Song

Right Position of Adverbs: English Grammar Tricks

Adverb is one of the significant parts of speech in English grammar. It is among the essential elements that a complete sentence consists of. An adverb modified the meaning of a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Adverbs are of seven types. There are guidelines regarding the position of adverbs in sentences. Many students make mistakes in placing adverbs in a sentence. Placing adverbs rightly in sentences is one of the English grammar tricks that students need to know.   

The guidelines on where to place adverbs in sentence: 

Adverbs of manner like ‘well’, ‘quickly’, ‘fast’, ‘carefully’ ‘beautifully’, ‘wonderfully’ etc. are usually placed after the verb or the object in a sentence. For example, 

·         He speaks fast.

·         She works wonderfully.   

·         It is raining incessantly.

·         She sings melodiously.     

   

Adverbs of place or adverb phrases of place like ‘there’, ‘here’, ‘anywhere’, ‘everywhere’, ‘on the table’ etc and adverbs of time like ‘today’, ‘everyday’, ‘yesterday’, ‘then’ etc are generally placed after the verb or the object in a sentence. For example, 

·         We looked for it everywhere.

·         Keep the book on the table.

·         I went there yesterday.

·         He will leave for America next week. 

When two or more than two adverbs are there after a verb or its object in a sentence, the adverb of manner is followed by the adverb of place and the adverb of time is placed at the end. For example, 

·         The band entertained the audience amazingly in the function yesterday.  

·         He spoke earnestly at the meeting last night.

·         He can do any work meticulously anywhere and anytime.

In these three sentences: 

·         Adverb of manner – amazingly, earnestly, meticulously

·         Adverb of place – in the function, at the meeting, anywhere

·         Adverb of time – yesterday, last night, anytime 

Adverbs of frequency like ‘always’, ‘often’, ‘usually’, ‘rarely’, ‘never’ etc and other adverbs like ‘already’, ‘almost’, ‘nearly’, ‘quite’, ‘just’ etc. are placed between the subject and the verb. For example, 

·         He never plays cricket.

·         She just returned from work.

·         They quite agree with me. 

If the verb after the subject is a be-verb like am, is, are, was or were, the adverbs of frequency are put after the verb, not between the subject and the verb. For example, 

·         He is always anxious.

·         He is never late for school.

·         She is always busy doing something.  

When an adjective is modified by an adverb, the adverb is usually put before the adjective. For example, 

·         The movie is very interesting.

·         We are much interested to visit the place.

·         He is a rather lazy boy.  

The adverb ‘enough’ always comes after the word which it modifies. For example,

 

·         The distance is long enough from here.

·         She speaks loud enough to be heard.

·         The book is large enough to be read over a long time.