Explanatory note on Lord Ullin’s Daughter – Thomas Campbell

The atmosphere is one of the distinct characteristics of the poem Lord Ullin’s Daughter. The poem starts with an agitated atmosphere that arrests our attention. A chieftain of the highlands rushes to the seashore with his beloved and orders a boatman to row them across the sea without delay. He promises to give the boatman a silver pound.

The chieftain’s restlessness and anxiety are evident here, though why he is in a hurry is not clear. It arouses the boatman’s curiosity to know who they are. Then the chieftain introduces himself as the chief of Ulva Isle and his beloved as Lord Ullin’s daughter. Expressing his anxiety the chieftain tells the boatman in a troubled voice that they have been on the run for three days to escape the wrath of her father.

Adding to his agitation and the upset atmosphere are Lord Ullin’s horsemen chasing the love birds. The chieftain keeps worrying over the thought that if he is slain, what will become of his boney bride. He is being chased by Lord Ullin’s armed men on one hand and faced with the raging waves on the other hand. His miserable condition is like a person stuck between a rock and a stone.

All the forces of nature stand as a barrier on the way of the fleeing lovers. The storm grows wilder; the waves rise higher; the sky becomes more furious and the atmosphere gets darker making it difficult for them to reach a safe destination.

The chieftain’s heart beats rapidly as he hears the ‘tramping sound of the horsemen behind him. To see the impending danger the bride cries out, “O haste thee, haste!” She prefers facing the fury of the wild nature over her angry father. Her fear gives us an idea of how merciless her father could be.

When Lord Ullin catches a glimpse of his daughter amidst the roaring waves, the raging person in him turns into a wailing father. His heart misses a beat to see her in danger. The bride herself is in a dilemma. She stretches one arm towards her father for help and holds her lover with the other arm.

Marking a sudden change in the atmosphere from agitation to tranquility is the transformed mood of Lord Ullin from rage to grief. The lamenting father prays to his daughter to come back, but all his pleas fall on a stony ground. He is left with a heavy heart on the shore lashed by the loud waves.            

W.B Yeats has used many visual and sound images in the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” to express his heart-felt desire to stay close to nature. Pick out those images from the poem and explain them.

The poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is a collage of visual and sound images which are expressive of the poet W.B. Yeats’ yearning to stay close to nature. ‘Small cabin….of clay and wattles’ ‘nine bean-rows’, ‘honey-bee’, ‘bee-loud glade’, ‘midnight’s all a glimmer’, ‘moon a purple glow’, and ‘lake water lapping’ are the prominent visual images in the poem. These visually appealing images are used to reflect the peaceful, soothing natural ambience of the place of Innisfree. The palette of sound images includes ‘linnet’s wings’, ‘cricket sings’ and ‘lake water lapping with low sounds’. These sound images are carefully chosen to reflect the musical ambience of Innisfree.   

Why is the place of Innisfree special or close to the poet W.B. Yeats’ heart in the poem?

The place of Innisfree is close to W.B. Yeats’ heart for several reasons – natural beauty, pleasant environment, soothing ambience and peaceful surrounding. Innisfree is amidst natural artifices. The place appeals to the poet’s heart since it is very close to nature. Days and nights are cozy there. The place is abuzz with the music of crickets and linnets. Silence and peacefulness are nearly synonymous. A place that is free of noise is supposed to be peaceful. However, the silent and placid ambience of Innisfree is eloquent with the music of linnets and crickets. Such music is pleasant to the poet in the place far from the madding crowd.                  

Why I like Chandara the protagonist in Punishment by Rabindranath Tagore

Chandara is the protagonist in the story “Punishment” written by Rabindranath Tagore. In most of his short stories, dramas and novels, the protagonist is a female character. For instance, Ratan in “The Postmaster”, Nirupama in “Dena Paona”, and Binodini in “Chokher Bali” are a few to name among the most famous protagonists created by the Bard of Bengal. In the story “Punishment”, the plot of the story revolves around Chandara and her intentional acceptance of punishment.

The character of Chandara is an embodiment of self esteem, a true characteristic of human beings. In rural backwaters, women depend on their men in all aspects. They take their duty for husbands and children as the only reason to live on. Unlike those rural women, Chandara is conscious of her existence as an independent being. 

She does not let her husband control her. She does not hesitate to quarrel with husband’s sister-in-law; she does not mind the unjust restrictions imposed on her by her husband; she does not forget her own self in service to her husband and his family. To her utter astonishment, Chandara realizes that she does not mean anything to Chidam, when the latter accuses her of the murder in order to save his elder brother from the clutches of law. 

When the police arrest her and present her in court for trial, she does not beg her husband or the judge for her life. For her self-respect, she chooses death sentence from the judge over the humiliation of being with Chidam who does not value her. She embraces her fate with resilience and in silence. It bears out to her strength of character, an identity of Rabindranath Tagore’s most women characters. This is what makes me like Chandara, the life and soul of the story “Punishment.”            

Forest of Arden is the Golden World in As You Like It

The Golden World refers to the Forest of Arden which represents the Conventional pastoral world without any artificial idealization of its unalloyed bliss. In this idyllic region, the passage of time is not measured by minutes or seconds, and therefore hours of worries and anxieties do not trouble one. Here as life is not burdened with duty, nor fraught with toil and moil, all spend their time happily and freely in a state of fanciful idleness. Life in the Forest of Arden away from evils and envy, intrigues and iniquities at court is in harmony with nature. In As You Like It, the Forest of Arden with its natural artifices is a haven of ease and contentment, peace and rest to Duke Senior who seeks pleasure even out of the bowl of melancholy and believes:

Life exempt from public haunt

Find tongues in trees, books, in running brooks

Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

The Forest of Arden is free from the disgraces of reality like corruption, war, strife and avarice but cannot break loose from only one disgrace that is the inclemency of weather causing discomfort to Duke of Senior. The Golden World of the Forest of Arden has been splendidly celebrated in the song of Amiens:

Under the Greenwood true

Who loves to lie with me,

And tune his merry note

Unto the sweet bird’s throat

Come hither, come hither, come hither.

Here shall he see

No enemy.

But winter and rough weather.  

How did the nightingale die in Frog and Nightingale?

The cunning frog pressurized the nightingale to practice more and longer in order to improve the tonal quality of her voice, by taking advantage of the bird’s innocence. He also set his eyes on better billings by making a show of her performance. The foolish bird danced to the tune of her master and lost the sweetness of her voice due to long hour of practice. The hoarse and quivering voice began to leave the audience annoyed and tired. To see a dip in ticket sales, the frog teased her as ‘brainless bird’ and instructed her to puff her lungs out of passion. One day a vein burst due to excessive stress on the lungs, and the poor bird died.        

Who or what is responsible for the nightingale’s death in Frog and Nightingale

The frog was cunning, greedy and jealous of the nightingale. To stay unrivalled in the Bingle Bog, he deliberately chalked out a plan and executed it smartly to cause the bird’s death. The frog presented himself as a noble critic and advised her to get trained by him. Flattered by the frog the bird began to practice for long hours and could not see through his trick. The frog insisted on practice for long hours to improve her tonal quality, and the bird danced to his tune.

Consequently, her voice became hoarse and lost its charm. She became pale and sad. One day a vein burst due to excessive stress on her lungs during practice, and the poor bird died. Thus the frog drove the innocent nightingale to death. The bird herself is responsible for her death. She was not confident of her talent. She believed in the frog more than in herself, and followed his instructions blindly. 


For more notes on this poem, contact me at writeurown@gmail.com      

The use of and abuse of leisure

Leisure is a source of refreshment and relaxation, entertainment and enjoyment. This is what differentiates a man from a machine. A machine can be run or put to work for all the time, but a man cannot toil at a stretch and for a long time. Human beings are social animals who need to spend some time on themselves through indulgence in creative and recreational activities.

Leisure is an escape from toiling and a relief from monotony and boredom. The way we spend leisure depends on our likes and dislikes, and the type of our personality. Some use leisure to their benefit, while some idle it away. Students must not while away their leisure at a lazy pace. In the present competitive times, students are burdened with studies and stressed by performance pressure. They are hardly left with free time for any creative pursuit. If they fortunately get some leisure, they should make the most of it. Playing on musical instruments, singing, dancing, swimming, reading story books, diary writing etc are leisurely activities with creative value, edifying lessons and entertainment aspects.

With the changing lifestyle of urban youngsters in metropolitan cities, the definition of leisure has been completely changed. It has been downgraded from creative activities to mere entertainment like catching movies in multiplexes, visiting shopping malls and hanging out with friends and playing virtual games.

Leisure is the time for creative and mediation. During this time we can think deeply, explore innovative ideas, meditate our mental living and wonder at the beautiful things of nature in our surroundings. We can sight many examples of the fruitful use of leisure from the past. Isaac Newton while sitting lazily in the garden wondered why the apple fell to the ground; why it didn't rise up towards the sky. Then he discovered the laws of gravitational force. William Wordsworth used to get flooded with creative thoughts while wondering at the beauty of nature.

by Sayan Biswas, Aditya Academy 

One day at the Shaymbazar Crossing Kolkata

Today I went to Shyambazar on an errand. When I reached Shyambazar, I was at a loss to see the five – route crossing. I didn’t know the exact way where I was going to buy my school uniform. So I got down from the auto and stood near the crossing. It was noon; the sun was shining brightly over the head. Just imagine how hot the day was!

It was my first visit to the place which is one of the crowded centers of Kolkata. So many buses, vehicles were plying the entire area teaming up with traffic. The traffic jam was being controlled by the traffic police. It was very troublesome for the pedestrians to cross the busy roads. The place was abuzz with a mix of different kinds of noise.

There were many stalls-juice sellers, magazine stalls newspaper stalls and other-near the entrance of the roads. Seeing the crowd around me, I felt suffocated I approached a traffic controller and enquired him about shops. I felt relieved when I came back home. However the picture of congestion, crowd and chaos at Shyambazaar was lying heavy on my mind.


by Debanjan, Class IX, Hariyana Vidya Mandir 

Explanation on “The Seven Ages” from As You Like It

All the word is a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts.

This extract from “The Seven Ages”, a brief part of the play “As You Like It” by William Shakespeare has become a famous saying over the years. It is a piece of the great philosophy propounded by Shakespeare who is popularly known as the ‘Bard of Avon’. As per the ‘insightful view’ of Shakespeare, the world is a stage where all men and women perform under the instructions of the Fate. They are mere puppets in the hand of their destiny that is responsible for distributing joy and sorrow to them. Our birth on earth is like an actor’s entrance on the stage, and our death is like the actor’s exit or departure from the stage. During the time between our birth and death, or between our entrance and exit, we play many different roles and perform our duties. This period is divided into seven different phases of human life. Like actors on stage, we laugh and cry, live some moments of joy as well as some moments of sorrow, and then bid adieu to the world. 

Three words indicating different intensity levels of rainfall in “Song of the Rain”

Kahlil Gibran has subtly used three words ‘cry’, ‘humble’, and ‘bow’ to personify the rain in "Song of the Rain". These three words have not only personified the elements but also adjectified the worlds describing the different intensity of rainfall. ‘Cry’ refers to the speed and sound of falling rains. It is known that driving rainfall at a great speed and with huge sound. The word ‘humble’ indicates the mild intensity with which the rain falls. When it is a mild shower of rain drops with a soft and soothing touch, flowers rejoice. Unlike driving rains, mild rains pat flowers softly. When it is a spell of shower, all things on earth get refreshed, rejuvenated and feel elated. Thus the ran blends three different personalities in itself.        

English grammar trick: Use of 'ON' as a preposition:

The ball is on the table. 











A board is hanging on the wall

Why does Kahlil Gibran call rain “earthly life” in "Song of the Rain"?

Every mortal being on earth is bound to go through a define life cycle. The boundary of earthly life is definite. In the poem “Song of the Rain”, rain has been personified as a living being bound to a life cycle. Like every other thing on earth, rain moves in a circular way by coming back to its origin where it rises up from. From this perspective, the poet Kahlil Gibran is right in describing rain as ‘earthly life’.   

A heart-warming quote by the poet Kahlil Gibran

Explanation on Kahlil Gibran’s “Song of the Rain”

“Song of the Rain” is a beautiful poem appealing to the sensitive hearts touched by the heavenly beauty of rains. The poet Kahlil Gibran has composed this poem as a eulogy in praise of rain and its affection for earth. The poem is written in the first person, and rain itself is the speaker. Rain has held a mirror to its identity and activity in the poem.

Rains look like ‘silver threads’ while falling on earth. It is a divine gift from the gods to nature. Nature accepts this gift as a blessing to nourish and nurture her ‘fields and valleys’. Rains are as beautiful as pearls to the eyes of beauty worshippers. Rain drops shine with the white gleams of the pearls in the ‘crown of Ishtar’, goddess of fertility, love, war and sex in the Babylonian Pantheon.

Rains come down with showers of pleasure and joy for everyone and everything. It makes the hills laugh, the flowers rejoice, and all things feel elated. Rain is a wand of magic with a transforming touch. Rain, a messenger of mercy in the poet’s speak, connects the field with the cloud high in the sky. It fills in the void between the sky and the earth. Raindrops quench the thirst of the earth and cure the blisters caused by the heat of simmering summer. This heavenly blessing works as a panacea to many problems.

The poet Kahlil Gibran has elucidated the majesty of rains through a picturesque description and in a poetic way. The deafening voice of thunder announces the arrival of rains on earth, just like a king’s arrival is heralded by the beating of drums. The rainbow sprinkling a handful of seven different colors across the blue surface of the sky after the clouds disappear declares the departure of rains from earth.

Rains spring up from the deep of seas and oceans. It soars great heights with the breeze and then, comes back to its source. Thus rains run round in a cyclic process. Out of its caring attitude towards earth, this natural phenomenon comes down to nourish, refresh and rejuvenate flowers and trees in a million ways. The verity is that not everyone can percept the soothing feel, affectionate nature and caring attitude of the rain. The song of the rain does not warm every heart. Only the sensitive hearts can be touched to the bottomless pit by Kahlil Gibran’s “Song of the Rain”.   

My celebration of 31st December in Kolkata to share with you

Kolkata tops the list of Indian cities known for their festive ambience on 31^st December; the last day of the year. The celebration of the day to ring out the old and ring in the new is full of thrills and spills in the city of Kolkata. Kolkata a cosmopolitan city metropolis cheers in the evening and chills out the night on 31^st December with so much gusto as if there is no tomorrow. 

The entirety of Kolkata soaks in the joyous spirit of 31^st December. The jovial celebration of the day as ceremonious festivity has become one with the identity of Kolkatans, irrespective of their caste, religion and language. Nicco Park, Millennium Park, City Center, South City, Nandan, Nalban, Park Street, and Esplanade are the places across the cityscape where the joyous mode runs high on 31^st December.

Very few people stay indoors resisting the attraction of joy and pleasure outside. I too go out. On 31^st December evening this year, I went out to visit the New Market area and Park Street with my parents. These two elite places in the heart of the city receive thousands of footfalls. It is a pleasure to be part of the cheering crowd. Both New Market and Park Street were decorated with colorful lights as new brides. Many were hanging out; many were queuing up for entry to restaurants; many were surrounding roadside food stalls. There was so much to see, so much to feel and so much to wonder at that it can’t be summed up in a few words. New Market and Park Street became beautiful fairgrounds where there was no roller-coaster though; the revelers were on a fun ride.

The tempo of these two places continued till wee hours. Though we came back before it was 12 at night, I was under the fascination of the 31^st December outing.  

Does Media Thrive on Sensationalism

The scenario of commercial industries such as media, IT, hospitality and likes is highly competitive. The adage “Strike the iron when it is hot” is one of the key secrets to survival in the current dog-eat-dog world. Media is no exception. Sensationalism is the new-age success recipe in the field of print and digital journalism.

Both digital media and print media are neck-and-neck in competition for a lion’s share of the market. Print newspapers are engaged in a rat race for increasing their own circulation. Advertisement is the chief source of revenue for a print media house. A newspaper needs to extend its circulation in order to get more advertisements. Evidently, print media sensationalize news and serve it as a spicy dish for the readers to feed on. 

Digital media is steps ahead of print media when it comes to practicing sensationalism. Television news channels or digital media companies are racing against each other at a break-neck speed for higher TRP. Sensationalism is the only way out for them.

What is sensationalism in the media world? It refers to emotionalizing news to appeal to the soft corners of human minds. It is somewhat akin to emotional branding. Or, to say precisely, sensationalizing news is adding to the excitement or hype around an interesting or shocking event.

At present, media sensationalism is running high centering round the fire incident at an AMRI Hospital in Kolkata. TV journalists are using their camera lens to capture and print journalists are using their pens to write on the pictures of damage caused by fire and the public outcry against the hospital authority.

Every news channel and every daily is dishing out stories focused on the angst and anguish, grief and grievance of the victims’ families. Such news stories rich in emotional elements click with the audience. To some extent, it is necessary to highlight the pictures of public outcry against the at-fault authority, so that the responsible may taste the bitter fruit of its unjust action. Sometimes media sensationalism takes a toll on the emotional health of readers, though.

Peepli Live produced by Amir Khan is the latest and best reference to how media thrives on sensationalism around a poor farmer’s plan to commit suicide.