DRAMA (Ref To The Context)

Your vanity is ridiculous, your conduct an
outrage, and your presence in my garden

utterly absurd. However, you have got to
catch the four-five, and I hope you will have a
pleasant journey back to town.
Your vanity is .......... journey back

to town.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Importance of Being Earnest
(ii) Dramatist: Oscar Wilde
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2
(ii) Content: Jack and Algernon are wealthy gentlemen. Jack lives in the country
and Algernon dwells in London. Algernon visits Jack's house and introduces to Jack's
young ward Cecily as Ernest, the assumed named of Jack. Shortly after, Jack arrives
home announcing Ernest's death. Cecily and Gwendolen have a genteel stand-of
over which of that has a prior claim on "Ernest". Jack and Algernon vie to be
christened Ernest. Eventually, Jack discovers that his parents were Lady Bracknell's
sister and brother-in-law and that he is Algernon's older brother, called Ernest.
Algernon/Cecily, Jack/Gwendolen and Chasuble/Prism fall into each other's arms as
Jack realizes the importance of being earnest.
EXPLANATION
These lines describe Jack's hypocritical judgment of Algernon. Jack snubs
Algernon's vanity as absurd. He wants to say that Algernon's excessive pride in his
own appearance invites derision for others. He says so because Algernon always
claims to be "over dressed" and "immensely over-educated". He also spurns
Algernon's behaviour disdainfully. He calls his behaviour an extremely strong
reaction of anger, shock and indignation. Moreover, he is not happy at all to have
Algernon in his "garden". He wants to get rid of him as soon as possible. When
Algernon says that he is going to stay for a whole week as Jack's guest, Jack replies,
"You are certainly not staying with me for a whole week as a guest or anything else.
You have got to leave by the four-five train." He ironically says that Algernon will
have an enjoyable journey back to his town. In short, these lines express Jack's
disdain and contempt for the decorative bachelor, Algernon.
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SATURDAY, 28 MAY 2016
EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR

WILDE
I do not approve of anything that tampers

with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a
delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is
gone. The whole theory of modern education
is radically unsound. Fortunately in England,
at any rate, education produces no effect
whatsoever.
I do not approve .......... no effect

whatsoever.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1
EXPLANATION
In these lines Lady Bracknell thinks of ignorance as a virtue of the rich.
She speaks these lines as a part of her inquiry into Jack's suitability for marriage
with her daughter Gwendolen. She has just told him she believes that a man who
wants to marry should know everything or nothing, and Jack, sensing the trap, has
said he knows nothing. Lady Bracknell greets the news with complacency and says
only, "I am pleased to hear it". She is, in fact, against anything that can cause
damage to "natural ignorance". "Anything" here means "modern education"; the
biggest rival of ignorance. Her statement "Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit" is
a beautiful simile. Many exotic flowers and plants are delicate, if we touch them, the
petals or leaves fall of. Ignorance is the same; a touch of knowledge destroys it.
"Education produces no efect" is a paradox to explain that, in the upper classes,
education is worthless. The typical upper class Victorian was notorious for being
"sent down" of the major university of Oxford or Cambridge. Being "sent down" was
almost a trademark of the upper-class dandy. In short, Lady Bracknell, in these lines,
embodies the mind-bogging stupidity of the British aristocracy.

FRIDAY, 27 MAY 2016
EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR

WILDE
Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury,

and if you ever get married, which seems to
me extremely problematic, you will be very
glad to know Bunbury. A man who marries
without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious
time of it.
Nothing will induce ..........

tedious time of it.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Part I
EXPLANATION
In these lines Algernon tells the importance of Bunbury in a married
life. Algernon speaks these lines in reply to Jack's announcement that he plans to
assassinate his imaginary brother Ernest and his suggestion that Algernon do the
same with Bunbury. Algernon refuses to part with Bunbury at any cost. He thinks
that Bunbury is an excuse for a person to get out of his responsibilities. He says to
Jack that "in married life there is a company and two is none". If Jack ever gets
married, he will be glad to know Bunbury because Bunbury is a very useful tool for a
husband or wife for "married bliss". It also suggests that couples are not faithful to
each other after matrimony. Thus absence of Bunbury in the lives of married
couples makes their lives "a very tedious time". In short, these lines suggest that
husbands and wives in Victorian society were hypocrites as they led double lives.

THURSDAY, 26 MAY 2016
EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY SHAKESPEARE
There's some ill planet reigns:

I must be patient till the heavens look
With an aspect more favourable.
There's is some ill ......... more

favourable.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: The Winter's Tale
(ii) Dramatist: William Shakespeare
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2, Scene I
(ii) Content: Leontes, king of Sicilia, suspects that his wife Hermione has an afair
with his friend Polixenes, king of Bohemia. Her orders Camillo to poison Polixenes.
However, Camillo helps Polixenes to escape back to Bohemia. Hermione is thrown
into jail and has a baby while imprisoned. The king orders Antigonus to abandon the
child. Hermione dies in the jail. Antigonus takes the baby to Bohemia. The little girl
is found by a Shepherd and is named Perdita. Camillo, after serving Polixenes
sixteen years, longs to return to Sicilia. Polixenes also goes with him in disguise. At
a festival, Florizell declares his love for Perdita in front of his disguised father. The
king threatens to disown Florizell and execute Perdita. The lovers go to Leontes.
Here Perdita's true parentage is revealed and the royal families are reunited
EXPLANATION
In these lines Hermoine says that human destiny is determined by
stars. She thinks that some malign star is in the ascendant so the tides of her
fortune have changed. Her husband, Loentes has wrongly accused her of adultery
and pilloried her for infidelity. Due to this evil star, her happiness has been poisoned
by the frantic jealousy of her husband. She deems that she has little chance to
avoid her predicament as far as this "ill planet" is governing her her destiny.
However, what cannot be cured must be endured. So she determines to wait
patiently until the heavens are more favourably aligned and gods "look" on her with
kinder expressions. Hermoine had to wait a solid 16 years in that misfortune for the
manifestation of said "more favourable aspect". In short, Hermoine's resolve to
undergo the saint-like patience thrills us with admiration as well as pity. These lines
also contradict Shakespeare's famous notion;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings,
(Julius Caesar)
Notes Prepared By: Prof. Shahbaz Asghar
Should a villain say so,

The most replenish'd villain in the world,
He were as much more villain: you, my lord,
Do but mistake.
Should a villain .........do but

mistake.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2, Scene I
Here Perdita's true parentage is revealed and the royal families are reunited
EXPLANATION
These lines are spoken by Hermione in response to Leontes' false
accusation at her. Leontes has just burst into Hermione's room where she was
having a quiet time with her son. Here he accuses her, in no uncertain terms, of
adultery, with his friend Polixenes. Hermione receives the first intimation of her
husband's jealous suspicions with incredulous astonishment. It is not that, like
Desdemona, she does not or cannot understand, but she will not. When her
husband accuses her more plainly, she replies with a calm dignity. She says that her
husband is not a villain or scoundrel. If a villain had accused her of such a thing,
even though he were the perfect villain in the world, his villainy would become
double that it was before. She thinks that slinging false accusation of adultery at
someone is the meanest act that a villain can do. However, as for husband, he is
merely mistaken. He is absolutely wrong in his judgment. In short, Hermione thinks
that her husband is not a true villain but a mistaken jealous tyrant.
WEDNESDAY, 25 MAY 2016
No, in good earnest.

How sometimes nature will betray its folly,
Its tenderness, and make itself a pastime
To harder bosoms!
No, in good earnest ......... to

harder bosoms!
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Scene II
Here Perdita's true parentage is revealed and the royal families are reunited.
EXPLANATION
In these lines Leontes wants to say that affections not felt are
disbelieved or despised. When his wife Hermione asks him "Are you mov'd, my
lord?", he says, "No, in good earnest". However, this is an ironical statement of
Leontes because he is, in fact, agitated; he suspects that there is a torrid afair
between his wife Hermione and his friend Polixenes. "No, in good earnest" also
connotes that there is no advantage or benefit of being a sincere and honest
person. Leontes then contemplates the power of human nature. He wonders how
sometimes human nature can seduce a man's foolishness and weakness. He
generalizes that the betrayal of human nature makes man the laughing stock of
those unsentimental people who have stronger hearts. In short, these lines a a true
description of human nature and its power to control passions and sentiments, and
thus a perfect example of Shakespeare's aphorism.
SUNDAY, 15 MAY 2016
DOCTOR FAUSTUS BY CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE
Had I as many souls as there be stars,

I'd give them all for Mephistopheles.
Had I as many.......... all for

Mephistopheles.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: Doctor Faustus
(ii) Dramatist: Christopher Marlowe
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Scene III (Lines 100-101)
(ii) Content: After mastering medicine, law, logic and theology, Faustus decides to
pursue black magic in order to gain universal power. The Good Angel and the Bad
Angel vie for Faustus' conscience, but Faustus ignores the Good Angel's pleas. He
summons Mephistopheles and bargains to surrender his soul in exchange for
twenty-four years of easy living. He performs marvelous deeds with the Devil's help.
The twenty-four years of his deal with Lucifer comes to an end. He dies and is taken
away by devils to his eternal damnation.
EXPLANATION
These lines show Faustus' love for Mephistopheles and his desire to
become the great Emperor of the world. Mephistopheles, a demon, is a source
of never-ending delight for Faustus. It is no wonder Faustus is so willing to sign over
his soul to Lucifer in exchange for twenty-four years of having Mephistopheles as his
servant. Mephistopheles agrees to take this ofer to his master and departs. Left
alone, Faustus remarks that if he has "as many souls as there be stars" he would
ofer all to hell in return for the kind of power that Mephistopheles ofers him. "As
there be stars" is proverbial for an infinite amount. Faustus' combination of romantic
imagery of stars linked with the souls is ironic, as there is only one soul in one body
and countless stars in the single sky. This makes Faustus seem idiotic. These lines
also suggest a slight homoerotic relationship between Faustus and Mephistopheles.
How am I glutted with conceit of this!

Shall I make spirits fetch me what I please,
Resolve me of all ambiguities,
Perform what desperate enterprise will?
How am I glutted ..... desperate

enterprise will?
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: Doctor Faustus
(ii) Dramatist: Christopher Marlowe
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 1, Scene I (Lines 77-80)
(ii) Content: After mastering medicine, law, logic and theology, Faustus decides to
pursue black magic in order to gain universal power. The Good Angel and the Bad
Angel vie for Faustus' conscience, but Faustus ignores the Good Angel's pleas. He
summons Mephistopheles and bargains to surrender his soul in exchange for
twenty-four years of easy living. He performs marvelous deeds with the Devil's help.
The twenty-four years of his deal with Lucifer comes to an end. He dies and is taken
away by devils to his eternal damnation.
EXPLANATION
In these lines Faustus fantasizes himself as a great magician who is
able to conjure up anything he desires. After the departure of good Angel and
evil Angel, Faustus is at once launched at the long rodomontade in a soliloquy. He
wonders that his mind is supersaturated with conceit. It means that he has an
excessively favourable opinion of his own ability; the ability to become a
commander and a godlike magician. He boasts of that with his black magic, spirits
and demons will be under his control. With their aid, he will be able to get anything
he wants. Moreover, he will become able to resolve his own problems, doubtfulness
and wavering opinions. There will be no "desperate enterprise" for him. He will only
wish and the hopeless or impossible task will be done. In short, Faustus has become
a victim of megalomania and these lines enlist some of the plans of this
megalomaniac magician.
FRIDAY, 13 MAY 2016
PARADISE LOST BY JOHN MILTON
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where

peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all.
Regions of sorrow, ......... that

comes to all.
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: Paradise Lost
(ii) Poet: John Milton
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Book I (Lines 65-67/798)
(ii) Content: Satan lies dazed in a lake of fire that is totally dark. Next to him is
Beelzebub, Satan's second-in-command. Satan speaks to him and laments their
current state. Satan suggests that they should leave the burning lake and find
shelter on a distant shore. Beelzebub asks Satan to summon his armies. Satan takes
up his armor and calls to his legions to join him on land. He addresses his legions
and commits himself to continue his fight against God. With their supernatural
powers, the devils construct a massive temple, Pandemonium, for meetings.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes the utter despondency of Satan in
Hell. Satan and his cohorts, after their revolt against God, were cast down from
Heaven to Hell. They lay unconscious in the fiery lake of Hell for nine days. When
consciousness recovered, Satan observes that the region in which they are
imprisoned is a horrible, round and fiery dungeon like a great furnace. It is a region
of permanent sorrow, misery and sufering. Not a single ray of sun reaches down
here; it has "doleful shades", i.e. its utter darkness evokes only sadness. Moreover,
there is never a chance of peace and rest here. Above all, hope which comes to all
beings is totally absent. It is because hope comes from God, hope is in God and
they have revolted against God. Thus there is never a possibility of release for them
from Hell. "Hope never comes" is a deliberate echo of Dante's Inferno 3.9: "All hope
abandon, ye who enter in!" In short, the Hell described by the poet in these lines is
full of endless sorrow, darkness, restlessness and hopelessness.
Click Here to Read the Complete Poem
A dungeon horrible, on all sided round,

As one great furnace flamed; yet from those
flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Served only to discover sights of woe.
A dungeon horrible, .......... sights

of woe.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet portrays the traditional topography of Hell. Satan
and his cohorts, after their revolt against God, were cast down from Heaven to Hell.
They lay unconscious in the fiery lake of Hell for nine day. When consciousness
recovered, Satan observes that the region in which they are imprisoned is a
horrible, round and fiery dungeon like a great furnace. This simile conjures up the
image of the lake of Hell very clear. Satan notices that in Hell there is fire, but no
light; it is utter darkness, darkness in extremity, without any remainder, or mixture,
or hope of light. It is the blackness of darkness forever. The poet is here using the
universal symbolism of light and dark to indicate good and evil. Satan, before his
fall, as Lucifer was the brightest of all the angels; as he becomes progressively more
evil after his fall, he gradually loses all of his brightness. Satan concludes that these
fires would never go and the torture would never end. In short, the Hell described by
the poet in these lines is a horrible, fiery and murky region of woe and sufering.
Nine times the space that measures day and

night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf,
Confounded though immortal.
Nine times the space ..........

though immortal.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT

EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet portrays the scene of the fiery lake of Hell where
Satan and his cohorts lay unconscious for nine days. Satan and other rebel
angles, after their revolt against God, were thrown from Heaven to Hell. In
Hesiod's Theogony, the Titans take a similar fall at the hands of Zeus. Interestingly,
though Milton alludes to the fall of the Titans here, he likens their nine-day fall, not
to the fall of the rebel angels, but to the time they spend in the flaming lake of Hell
after their fall. "Horrid crew" means the dreadful and hideous followers of Satan. The
word "horrid" permeates the whole poem; "horrid Vale", "horrid silence", "horrid
Kings", "horrid crew" and so forth. Satan and his "horrid crew" lay defeated
thoroughly in the flaming waves of the lake of Hell. They lay unconscious, rolling like
dismasted hulks. However, they were dammed "immortal". They did not die and
remained alive. In short, God Almighty put Satan and other rebel angels into a state
of dormancy in the flaming lake of Hell for nine days.
Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit

Of that forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our
woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us.
Of Man's first
disobedience, .......... restore us.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes Man's first disobedience, his exile
from Eden, and his eventual redemption through Jesus Christ. The word "of"
is a generative case. It echoes how the events described in the work brought forth
the rest of mankind as we know it today. The words "Man's first disobedience"
foretell the theme of the poem. In the Western traditions, the very first line or even
words of the poem are often used as a sort of a frame; the essence of the work, the
main theme and pivot. Thus the Iliad begins with "Anger (menis) of Achilles", the
Odyssey with "The ingenious (polu-tropos) man" and Dante's Divine Comedy with
"Midway on the road of our life". "Forbidden Tree" is a reference, obviously, to Adam
and Eve being tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden to eat the forbidden
fruit. When they relished the "mortal taste" of this fruit; sin, mortality and woe
entered the world, and they were cast out of Paradise. Fortunately, "One greater
Man", which is an implicit reference to Jesus, came and saved humanity.
TUESDAY, 10 MAY 2016
IS IT POSSIBLE BY SIR THOMAS WYATT
All is possible
Who so list believe.
Trust therefore first, and after preve,
All is possible .........., and after

preve,
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: Is it Possible
(ii) Poet: Sir Thomas Wyatt
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: End of the Poem (Lines 26-28/30)
(ii) Content: The poet speaks directly to a lady he has had a close relationship
with. He wonders how their relationship ends with such sharp quarrel. However,
they decide to end their quarrel by putting an end to their love. His love is
converted into hate. He emphasizes the idea of unpredictability and changeability of
women's emotions by comparing his beloved to a wind or weather. He also
mentions that the relationship between him and his beloved is something like
playing a dice game, based on chance and luck. Finally, he advises all men to trust
women first before loving them.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet advises that one should not be swayed by the
feelings of heart and be very cautious before loving someone. The phrase
"All is possible" suggests that the poet has come into a state of confinement and
consolation. After questioning through the poem as to how could his lover reject his
love, the poet comes out of the wondering thoughts. He is trying to come to terms
with the reality which is that he has lost his love and there is no way to get it back
now. He here claims that it is possible for love to turn hostile. It is possible that the
feelings of love can transform into hatred after they have reached a peak. He
admits that it is quite possible that love does not show up as you expect and want it
to. "Whoso list believe" means whoever wants to love must believe in his words:
"trust therefore first, and after preve". He wants to say that love cannot exist
without trust. Trust is worth more than love. In short, it is very important to trust
someone before loving them.
MONDAY, 9 MAY 2016
THEY FLEE FROM ME BY SIR THOMAS WYATT
It was no dream: I lay broad waking.

But all is turned through my gentleness
Into a strange fashion of forsaking;
It was no dream: .......... fashion

of forsaking;
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: They Flee From Me
CONTEXT
(ii) Content: The poet complains about the fact that women keep running away
from him. They used to stalk his chamber, barefoot, and take bread from his hand,
but now they don't come around anymore. Instead, they roam free, seeking change.
But there was one, once, who was a little diferent. She came to him, scantily clad,
and kissed him. It was not a dream, but it was a strange encounter nonetheless.
After all, she just leaves him there, and goes of in search of other, new men. When
all is said and done, he is not sure how this woman should be treated.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet insists that the erotic scene of kissing with Anne
Boleyn was not a dream, but real. He was wide-awake, he swears! The phrase
"through my gentleness" means because of my gentleness. The poet's promiscuous

gentleness tame this girl. She kissed him, and this time he, not she, acquiesced.
"Forsaking" suggests that the poet is the one now being forsaken by this girl, rather
than the other way round. So basically, even though he was totally nice to her, this
girl totally gave him the cold shoulder. Apparently, the poet's "gentleness" has
somehow caused her to do so. Moreover, by using the words "gentleness" and
"forsaking", the poet is trying to understand the "rejection he has undergone". This
rejection is catastrophe to the poet because he has undergone a switch in roles. At
the beginning of the poem he plays the dominate role by having many mistresses,
then in the second stanza he allows himself to one mistress, who in the third stanza
leaves him. So he is the one left stranded as he stranded many mistresses in the
first stanza.
Posted by Prof. Shahbaz Asghar at 22:59
If it be yea, I shall be fain;

If it be nay, friends as before,
You shall another man obtain,
And I mine own, and yours no more.
It it be yea, .......... and yours no

more.
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: Yea or Nay

CONTEXT
(ii) Content: The poet challenges his lady to decide whether she is accepting of his
suit. He pleads her to give up her trick and rely instead on her wit to impress him
and show her true worth. He expresses that he burns with passion, and requests
that if she has any compassion for him, she would tell him clearly, yes or no. He
says that he will be happy with the answer yes, but if she says no, they will return to
being friends as they were before. She will then be free to move on to get herself a
new man, and the poet will be independent again, and no longer possessed by the
lady.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet wants to get a clear cut answer from his beloved
about their relationship to determine the course of their lives. The poet
says that if her lady agrees to his suit, then he will be "fain" i.e. happy. Of course, a
clever pun has been used here as the homophone "feign" means false, and it would
be difficult to tell the two words apart without seeing the written word. If the poet is
rejected, he says that they will return to being friends as they were before. There is
no implication the he will be destroyed by grief or will mourn forever; the result will
be undramatic. The poet callously implies that the lady will move on to anther lover.
He, however, will be content to be "mine own" - his own man. His final words show
that he will be relieved to no longer be owned by the lady. His freedom sounds
much more appealing than her return to the fakery of courtly relationships with her
beloved.
SUNDAY, 8 MAY 2016
THE LONG LOVE THAT IN MY THOUGHT DOTH HARBOUR BY SIR THOMAS

WYATT
The long love that in my thought doth

harbour
And in mine hert doth keep his residence,
Into my face presseth with bold pretence
The long love that .......... with

bold pretence.
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: The Long Love that in my Thought doth Harbour
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Start of the Poem (Lines 1-3/14)
(ii) Content: Love is lasting and resides in a heart. The poet is besotted in love, to
the point that it shows on his face and he is just a fool overwhelmed by it all. Love
has taken control of his thoughts. The object of his love, a woman, is turned of by is
silly exuberance and reveres more substantial love. Anyway, love grows angry
because his lust is not satisfied and retreats back into his lair, the poet's heart;
where it is safe to experience pain and cry. The poet considers love his master, one
who is control of his senses. He concludes that loving is life and it ends faithfully
too.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poets says that love harbours in thoughts, resides in
heart and appears on face. The poet gives love the adjective of "long". Looking
at the Oxford definition of long, it doesn't just mean an elongated shape; but also
means lasting a great amount of time or relatively great in extent. Looking at it that
way, the poet is telling us that his love is lasting and vast. Then he says that love
harbours in thoughts. "Harbour" means keeping a thought or feeling in one's mind,
especially secretly. The love that harbours in thoughts resides in the poet's heart.
The word "his" suggests that the poet has personified love as a male. The love that
resides in his heart is able to press against his face boldly and give away his
emotions. The phrase "with bold pretence" likens the male lover's actions to that of
the actions of a warrior who is making an audacious claim and therefore showing of
his presence by utilizing the banner.
SATURDAY, 7 MAY 2016
PAST PAPER AMERICAN LITERATURE (PU) - 2015

Attempt any FOUR questions. All questions carry equal marks.
1. Write a detailed critical appreciation of the poem "Still Citizen Sparrow" by
Richard Wilbur.
2. What is the main theme of the poem "Aunt Jenifer's Tigers" by Adrienne Rich?
3. Write a critical appraisal of Sylvia Plath's poem "Bee Meeting".
4. "Jazz" is about race and slavery. Comment.
5. "The Crucible" is a play about moral conscience, free will and fate. Discuss.
6. "Mourning Becomes Electra" can be called a modern tragedy. Elucidate.
7. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is about man's struggle to find meanings in a world
dominated by chaos and disorder.
PAST PAPER PROSE (PU) - 2015

1. After reading Bacon's essays, do you think that you could trace a philosophy of
life. Discuss with reference to Bacon.
2. A satirist is a perfectionist. Discuss with reference to Swift.
3. Elaborate the ideas that according to Russel have harmed mankind.
4. How can we resist cultural imperialism in the modern times. Take Said's
theoretical position and develop your own narrative of resistance.
5. Is it the function of the poet to redress through poetry? What are your views?
6. Which part of the voyage in "Gulliver's Travels" is interesting to you and why?
7. Discuss Russell's prose style.
PAST PAPER NOVEL (PU) - 2015

1. "Jane Austen described life as a matrimonial game". How far do you agree with
this statement based on "Pride and Prejudice"?
2. To what extent is Eustacia Vye responsible for the tragedy in Hardy's "The Return
of the Native"?
3. Describe George Eliot's art of characterization with special reference to Adam
Bede.
4. "Power and ambition are the key-notes in the novel "Barchester Towers". How far
do you agree with this point of view?
5. Discuss "A Tale of Two Cities" as a historical novel.
6. What role do superstitions, pagan culture and fantasy play in Hardy's "The Return
of the Native?
7. Write critical notes on any TWO of the following:
(i) The Role of Nature in Hardy's "The Return of the Native"
(ii) The Role of Women in "Barchester Towers"
(iii) George Eliot's Morality
(iv) Theme of Social Justice in "A Tale of Two Cities"
PAST PAPER 2015 - DRAMA

Attempt any FOUR questions including question
COMPULSORY. All questions carry equal marks.
No.
which
1. Explain with reference to the context any THREE of the following passages:
(i) I will wear my heart upon sleeve for daws to peck at; I am
is
not what I am.

(ii) Man of agony .....
That is the only name I have for you,
That, no other ..... ever, ever, ever!
(iii) Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscrib'd in one self place;
But where we are in hell, And where hell is, they must we
Ever be.
(iv) But jealous souls will not be answered so;
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But jealous for they're jealous. It is monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.
(v) A sad tale's best for winter: I have on
Of Spirits and goblins
(vi) "I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should
know either everything or nothing."
2. Comment on the theme of "ungodly pollution" with reference to Sophocles' play
"Oedipus Rex".
3. Discuss Dr. Faustus as a man of Renaissance in Christopher Marlowe's play "Dr.
Faustus".
4. Can you justify Shakespeare's play "Othello" as a tragedy?
5. Discuss and analyze the feminist strains in Shakespeare's play "The Winter's
Tale".
6. Who is your favourite character in Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being
Ernest"? Justify your answer.
7. Iago is the real hero of Shakespeare's play "Othello". Discuss.
PAST PAPER 2015 - CLASSICAL POETRY
Attempt any FOUR questions including question

COMPULSORY. All questions carry equal marks.
No.
which
is
1. Explain with reference to the context any THREE of the following.

(i) And yet he was but esy of dispence;
He kepte that he was in pestilence.
For gold in phisik is a cordial;
Therefore he lovede gold in special
(ii) He spoke; the spirits from the sails descend;
Some, orb in orb, around the nymph extend;
Some third the mazy ringlets of her hair,
With beating hearts the dire events they wait,
Anxious, and trembling for the birth of Fate.
(iii) In Battles feign'd; the better fortitude
Of Pafience and Heroic Martydom
Unsung; or to describe Races and Games
(iv) More subtle than then the parent is
Love must note be, but take a body too,
And therefore what thou wert, and who,
I bid Love aske, and now
(v) But she that taught me love and sufer pain
My doubtful hop and eke my hot desire
With shamfast look to shadow and refrain
2. In the "Prologue to the Canterbury Tales", Chaucer exhibits an unusual tolerance
of human weakness. Discuss.
3. Discuss Eve's character in the light of Temptation Scene in Book IX.
4. Why is Pope considered a representative poet of the 18th century England?

Elaborate your answer with reference to his poem "The Rape of the Lock".
5. Write a detailed note on the theme of love in Wyatt.
6. "Images can be used in two ways, as simile or as metaphor: simile compares, but
metaphor feigns the identity of the objects". Is this definition application to Donne's
poems in your course?
7. Write a critical note on the following;
(i) So Cruel Prison
(ii) Imagery in Donne
Posted by Prof. Shahbaz Asghar at 00:24
OTHELLO BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
I had rather be a toad

And live upon the vapor of a dungeon
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others' uses.
I had rather be .......... for other'

uses.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: Othello
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 3, Scene III

(ii) Content: Iago plots against Othello and sends Roderigo to tell Brabantio that
Othello has seduced Desdemona, Brabantio's daughter. After convincing Brabantio
that he has won Desdemona's love, Othello is sent to Cyprus for a military
command. Iago plants a handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona on Cassio to
convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona have an afair. Iago also convinces
Roderigo to make an attempt on Cassio's life. He frames the courtesan Bianca and
murders Roderigo. Mad with jealously, Othello smothers Desdemona, Iago's wife
Emilia stumbles upon the murder and exposes Iago's plots, for which Iago kills her.
Othello, realizing his error, kills himself.
EXPLANATION
These lines are seized on as an example of Othello's self-pity, and of his
insensitivity to Desdemona as a person. When Othello is convinced by Iago
that Desdemona has cheated on him, he is drowned in self-pity. He wishes he were
the most loathsome toad in the filthiest basement than to have only a part of
someone he loves, sharing the rest of her with others. He feels injured in his pride,
and in his self-respect. The animal reference clearly shows Iago's influence on
Othello. The toad analogy is also a hyperbole used to express the direness of his
angst. Othello also uses depersonalizing words "corner" and "thing" for Desdemona
which can be interpreted as misogynistic or simply terminology from Shakespeare's
time. These words also suggest that if she is promiscuous, then she is indeed an
object; attempting to push away from him the pain of the sexual hurt, or the
disappointment of his conviction of her uniquely individual value.
Now, by heaven,
My blood begins my safer guides to rule,
And passion, have my best judgment collied,
Assays to lead the way.
Now, by heaven, ......... to lead

the way.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: Othello
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act 2, Scene III
EXPLANATION
These lines reveal an important flaw in Othello's character for the first
time. Othello is not a logical and sensible person. When he is angry or emotionally
moved, he allows himself to act according to his heart rather than his mind. His selfcontrol is overcome by his anger, and his best judgment is darkened by his
passions. In fact, Othello is awakened from his wedding bed by a commotion and a
brawl in a tavern involving none other than his lieutenant Cassio and a gentleman
Roderigo. He is surprised more than a little irritated by the fact that he is aroused
and ousted from his bed in the middle of the night. Othello dismisses Cassio without
even waiting until morning to further consider and consult others before making a
decision. Othello himself knows this flaw and describes it perfectly in these lines.
Why then does he not, knowing his weakness, endeavour to correct it? It seems that
he does not consider this aspect of his character a flaw at all, rather an integral part
of his personality.
To be suspected, framed to make women

false.
The Moor is of a free and open nature
That thinks men honest that but seem to be
so,
And will as tenderly be led by the' nose
As asses are.
To be suspected, .......... as asses

are.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: Othello
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Act I, Scene III
EXPLANATION
These lines are spoken by the antagonist Iago. In these lines Iago says
that suspicion leads to destruction and honest people are easy to
manipulate. Iago has made a plot to destroy Othello. For this purpose, he wants to
make Othello believe that Desdemona, Othello's wife, is having an afair with
Cassio. He plans to plant the seed of suspicion in Othello to make Desdemona false.
Moreover, Iago has openly recognized Othello's good nature. He knows that Othello
is generous and straightforward. He thinks any man who seems honest is honest.
These people are gullible and easy to handle. They are just like asses who can easily
be led by the nose. We can control them so that they do exactly what we want them
to do. In short, Iago implicitly suggests that he himself has none of the virtuous
attributes which Othello does have.
LOVERS' INFINITENESS BY JOHN DONNE
If yet I have not all thy love,

Dear, I shall never have it all;
I cannot breath one other sigh, to move,
Nor can intreat one other teare to fall;
If yet I have ........ other teare to

fall;
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: Lovers' Infiniteness
(ii) Poet: John Donne
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Stanza 1 (Lines 1-4/33)
(ii) Content: The poet complains that he does not yet have "all" of his beloved's
love, despite using all of his resources to woo her. She should not leave some love
for others, nor should she leave herself open to wooing by others later. Yet, he also
wants her to keep some of her love for him in reserve so that they can enjoy a
constantly growing relationship. He says that love must be "all" like the infiniteness
of God's love, and cannot be partial. Any partition of love makes it less.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes the impossibility of gaining the entire
love of his lady. He regrets that if he does not have all the love of his lady, then he
is not likely to ever have it all. He has striven hard to gain her entire love but
unfortunately he has not got any more than what he had at the beginning. He has
used his entire treasure of tears, entreaties and letters but he is not richer in love
now than when the bargain for love began. Thus he cannot sigh, weep or plead with
her anymore to gain her more afection. The poet is disturbed by the fact, if he only
has a part his his lady's love, someone else must have the rest of it. In short, the
poet has no faith in the ability of her lover to love him completely, and he is getting
tired of all the pieces of work he has done to try to convince her do do so.
THE RAPE OF THE LOCK BY ALEXANDER POPE
Oft, when the world imagine women stray,

The sylphs through mystic mazes guide their way,
Through all the giddy circle they pursue,
And old impertinence expel by new.
Oft, when the world .......... expel

by new.
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: The Rape of the Lock
(ii) Poet: Alexander Pope
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Canto I
(ii) Content: Belinda arises to prepare for the day's social activities. After an
elaborate ritual of dressing and primping, she travels on the Thames River of
Hampton Court Palace, where a group of wealthy young societies are gathering for a
party. Among them is the Baron, who has already made up his mind to steal a lock
of Belinda's hair. At party, the Baron takes up a pair of scissors and cuts of the
coveted lock of Belinda's hair. Belinda is furious. She initiates a scuffle between the
ladies and the gentlemen to recover the severed curl. The lock is lost in the
confusion of this mock battle.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes the main job of sylphs. Sylphs, the
spirits of air, guard the good name of young women through all kinds of social
situations, especially regarding those with the opposite sex. Upper-class women in
Pope's day had to be very careful about their reputations when it came to dealing
with men who were not their fathers or husbands. They have to preserve their
honour at all costs; in these lines, Pope imagines that the sylphs are are on a
specific mission to help girls do just that. When the behaviour of girls seems
absolutely inexplicable; they drop a friend for no good reason, they don't show up
where or when they are supposed to, they fall in and out of love often - it's really
the sylphs who are masterminding the whole confusing deal. Young men's music
softens the minds of young girls and dancing inflames their passion. However, the
sylphs guide the young girls through the "mystic mazes" of allurement, and and
save them from the "giddy circle" of love. In short, the young girls are forced by the
sylphs to show insolence towards men.
WEDNESDAY, 4 MAY 2016
To fifty chosen sylphs, of special note,

We trust th' important charge, the petticoat;
Oft have we known the seven-fold fence to
fail,
Though stiff with hoops, and armed with ribs

of whale;
To fifty chosen sylphs, ......... with

ribs of whale;
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Canto II
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes how does Ariel assign sylphs to
protect the petticoat of Belinda. Ariel, the head of sylphs, assigns an army of
fifty selected sylphs to keep an eye on Belinda's skirt. Ariel thinks it a very
important duty to protect Belinda's dress. There are two main reasons behind it.
Firstly, women's skirts were huge in those days; Belinda's petticoat is seven-layered.
Secondly, someone getting up Belinda's skirt, figuratively and literally, would
probably be one of the worst things that could happen to her reputation. Reputation
and honour, mainly when it came to sex, were really important to young society
women in the 18th century. Although women's corsets and petticoats were pretty
formidable in those days -- Belinda's petticoat was made with hoops and whale
bone - the implication here is that all of that construction might not be enough to
keep out a persistent suitor. In short, in these lines the poet critiques society's
contradictory expectations with regard to female sexuality.

SONG: GO AND CATCH A FALLING STAR BY JOHN DONNE
Goe and catche a falling starre,

Get with child a mandrake roote,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to heare Mermaids singing,
Or to keep of envies stinging,
Goe and catche ......... keep off

envies stinging,
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Stanza 1 (Line 1-6/27)
(ii) Content: The reader is told to do seven impossible tasks; catching a falling
star, begetting a child on a mandrake root, memory of past years, finding the name
of the person who clove the Devil's foot, listening to the music of mermaids,
changing human nature, and finding out the climate which would promote man's
honesty. Just as it is impossible to do these jobs, in the same way it is impossible to
find a "true and fair" woman even after a lifetime travels. The poet wishes he could
go and see such a woman if she existed, but he knows that she would turn false by
the time he got there.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet throws out fanciful notions of impossible

attainments. Falling star is known for its destruction and being out of reach.
Mandrake is a type of plant from which drugs may be made, especially for causing
sleep. The root of mandrake splitting in two parts is often thought to be man's two
legs. Consequently a mandrake root represents male. However, the wish for female
to be pregnant on mandrake root can only be heard in fairy tales. "All past years"
indicate those past can never return. "The Devil's foot" is believed to be like that of
the ox or the sheep, as observed that the foot or an ox or a sheep can never be
split. Mermaids are mythological Greek creatures who lured sailors to their deaths
with their singing, and enchanted the brain of a sailor to crash. The most
astonishing thing is that mermaids were actually gender-less, which meant that
their beauty was nothing but to kill. To envy is out of one's instinct while to keep of
envy's stinging is out of question. In short, these lines describe the things beyond
the bounds of possibility.
Know further yet: whoever fair and chaste

Rejects mankind, is by some sylph embraced.
For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease
Assume what sexes and what shapes they
please.
Know further yet ........ what

shapes they please.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes about the birth and power of sylphs. The poet,
through the mouth of a sylph, Ariel, says that there are four kinds of spirits;
salamander, nymphs, gnomes and sylphs. These are all the allotropes of dead
persons. Those women who were "fair and chaste" and rejected mankind, after their
deaths, their souls went to air and they became sylphs. Here "fair and chaste" are
very ironical words. These suggest that those women were, in fact, flirt and
coquette. They were full of spleen and vanity and their spirits were too full of dark
vapours to ascend to the skies. So they became the spirits of the air. Secondly he
says that the sylphs are very powerful spirits. They are "freed from mortal laws"
Now they have become divine beings and are no more subject to death. Moreover,
they can change their sex and shape with ease. Ariel, a sylph, appears in the shape
of a handsome young man in Belinda's dream.
MONDAY, 2 MAY 2016
THE GOOD MORROW BY JOHN DONNE
If our two loves be one, or thou and I

Love so alike that none doe slacken, none can
die.
If our two loves ......... none can

die.
REFERENCE
(i) Poem: The Good-Morrow

CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Stanza 3 (Lines 20- 21/ 21)
(ii) Content: This poem is considered to be one of the best poems belonging to the
metaphysical school of poetry. It describes the poet's profligate past and his present
spiritual awakening. The subject is love, love seen as an intense, absolute
experience, which isolates the lovers from reality and gives them a diferent kind of
awareness; a simultaneous narrowing and widening of reality. This perfect love is
immortal and it makes the lovers immortal too.
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet has beautifully applied a metaphor of eternal
love. He says that if the total love which is formed with the love of each of the
members of the couple is in perfect proportion, that love will be a perfect body, a
healthy heavenly being, and it will never weaken or die. Medieval theories of
medicine state that diseases and death are caused by an imbalance in bodily
humors. According to current thinking; only what is contrary or of diferent measure
can disintegrate. So if the well-balanced love never ceases, dissolution is
impossible. It means the couple, John Donne and Anne Moore, will go on living and
loving each other forever. Thus perfect love in not only immortal; it makes the
lovers immortal, too. In short, this image is very typical of Donne, and a perfect
sophism.
THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2016
Sol through white curtains shot a timorous

ray,
And opened those eyes that must eclipse the
day:
No lap-dogs give themselves the rousing

shake,
And sleepless lovers, just at twelve, awake:
Sol through white .......... just at

twelve, awake:
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
EXPLANATION
In these lines the poet describes the beauty of Belinda and satirizes the
idleness, late rising and fondness for domestic pets of the aristocratic
ladies. "Sol" in the very first line is a personification of the sun, and Pope makes
him seem almost shy to be peeking into Belinda's window, as if he is afraid to
disturb the sleeping Belinda in her London home. And indeed he should be. The very
next line uses a metaphor to compare Belinda's own eyes to the sun, in fact, her
eyes are more beautiful (they "must eclipse the Day") than he is. He recognizes in
Belinda a rival. Belinda is hardly waking up with the dawn, though: these lines tell
us that, like the pampered lapdogs owned by the 18th-century upper classes, or the
sleepless lovers who don't need to work and so they have the energy to stay awake
all night thinking about romance, it's closer to noon. In fact, these lines are the
opening of action for this epic.

WEDNESDAY, 27 APRIL 2016
OEDIPUS REX BY SOPHOCLES
At a feast, a drunken man maundering his

cups
Cries out that I am not my father's son!
I contained myself that night, though I felt
anger
And a sinking heart. The next day I visited
My father and mother, and questioned them.
They stormed,
Calling it all the slanderous rant of a fool;
And this relieved me.
At a feast, .......... this relieved

me.
REFERENCE
(i) Drama: Oedipus Rex
(ii) Dramatist: Sophocles
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Scene II (Lines 251-257)
(ii) Content: Thebes is struck by a plague and the oracle of Apollo says the
sickness is the result of injustice: the old king's murderer still walks free. The blind
seer Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer and is living incestuously. Jocasta
says an oracle said her husband, the old king, would be killed by his child, but that
never happened since they abandoned the baby and her husband was killed by
robbers. Oedipus begins to suspect that he was the abandoned baby. A messenger
and a servant confirm the tale. Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus stabs out his own
eyes.
EXPLANATION
In these lines Oedipus is conversing with his wife, Jocasta, and telling
her a strange event of his youth in Corinth. He tells her that Polybos of Corinth
is his father and his mother, Merope, is a Dorian. He was brought up to be the chief
of Corinth. But a strange event turned the tables. A drunken man at a public feast
proclaimed that he was not his father's biological son; he is an adaptation. He got
furious at his maundering. However, he suppressed his anger that night though with
a sinking heart. The very next day he went to his parents and questioned about the
drunken man's allegations. They were ofended, and said it was a foolish allegation.
He was no longer feeling distressed or anxious; he was reassured by their words.
However, he was not fully satisfied. In short, this particular event is the main cause
that Oedipus left Corinth.
MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2016
O holy majesty of heavenly

powers!
My I never see that day! Never!
Rather let me vanish from the
race of men
Than know the abomination
destined me!
O holy majesty .........

abomination destined me!
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Scene II (Lines 304-307)
eyes.
EXPLANATION
In these lines Oedipus is praying to holy God to save him from seeing the day
when he will be declared the murderer of his father and the husband of his mother.
He wishes to vanish from the midst of human beings before such an abomination
devolves on his shoulders. He has just told his wife Jocasta when he passed Phokis,
a place where the Theban road bifurcates into Delphi road and Daulia road, he came
across a herald and a royal chariot whose driver when ordered by his lord to force
him of the road leaned out towards him to beat him but he himself hit him with his
stick. The old man sitting in the chariot could not tolerate it and flogged him at his
head. In exasperation, he pulled the old man down from the chariot and killed him
on the spot. Now if the old man was his father, then he unknowingly perpetrated
parricide. In that case, he is the man hated most by the gods. So Oedipus fears that
this cruel fate has created him for all his misfortunes emerging him from
unintentional parricide and incest. If his fate is cruel, none would deny the savagery
of gods. To remove all these fears, Oedipus is in these lines praying to God to keep
him safe from such misfortune.

SUNDAY, 24 APRIL 2016
OEDIPUS REX BY SOPHOCLES
How dreadful knowledge of the truth

can be
When there's no help in truth! I knew
this well.
But did not act on it! Else I should not
have come.
REFERENCE
CONTEXT
(i) Occurrence: Scene I (Lines 101-103)
eyes.
EXPLANATION
These are the very first words spoken by blind Tiresias before Oedipus in which
he confesses that he must not have come to Oedipus' palace when he knew that
the disclosure of the secret concerning Oedipus' parentage would shatter the whole
palace. When this blind seer entered the palace, Oedipus was happy to notice that
his visitor was a prophet who knew the secrets of heaven and earth and could as
such tell him who the murderer was. He told the Tiresias that Apollo had sent back
his messenger with the word that the catastrophe of pestilence would not be lifted
from Thebes until and unless the identity of those who murdered Laius was
established clearly and unless they were killed or banished. Oedipus then requested
Tiresias to use bird-flight or any other sleight of hand to purify Thebes from the
devastating contagion. Tiresias' reply in these lines shows that he knew the secret
of the murder but he realized it as well as that his disclosure of truth would prove
ruinous than the plague infecting Thebes.

SATURDAY, 23 APRIL 2016
MAJOR THEMES IN SYLVIA PLATH'S POETRY
MAJOR THEMES IN SYLVIA PLATH'S POETRY

Introduction
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary
work that may be stated directly or indirectly. Themes are truths that exhibit
universality and stand true for people of all cultures. Through themes, a writer tries
to give his readers an insight into how the world works or how he or she views
human life. Usually the theme of a work of literature can be stated in one word,
such as "love" or "solitude". There seem to be a number of common themes running
through all of Plath's poems, which encapsulate her personal attitudes and feelings
of life at the time she wrote them. Of these themes, the most prevalent are: death,
victimization, patriarchy, nature, the self, the body, motherhood, sexuality and
love.
1. Death
Death is an ever-present reality in Plath's poetry, and manifests in several ways.
One common theme is the void left by her father's death. In "Full Fathom Five", she
speaks of his death and burial, mourning that she is forever exiled. In "The
Colossus", she tries in vain to put him back together again and make him speak. In
"Daddy", she goes further in claiming that she wants to kill him herself, finally
exorcising his vicious hold over her mind and work. Death is also dealt with in terms
of suicide, which eerily corresponds to her own suicide attempts and eventual death
by suicide. In "Lady Lazarus", she claims that she has mastered the art of dying
after trying to kill herself multiple times. In short, Death is an immensely vivid
aspect of Plath's work, both in metaphorical and literal representations.
2. Victimization
Plath felt like a victim to the men in her life, including her father, her husband,
and the great male-dominated literary world. Her poetry can often be understood as
response to these feelings of victimization, and many of the poems with a male
figure can be interpreted as referring to any or all of these male forces in her life.In
regards to her father, she realized she could never escape his terrible hold over her;
she expressed her sense of victim-hood in "The Colossus" and "Daddy". Her
husband also victimized her through the power he exerted as a man, both by
assuming he should have the literary career and through his infidelity. However, in
her later poems, she seems finally able to transcend her status as victim by fully
embracing her creative gifts (Ariel), metaphorically killing her father (Daddy), and
committing suicide (Lady Lazarus, Edge).
3. Patriarchy
Plath lived and worked in 1950/1960s England and America, societies
characterized by very strict gender norms. Women were expected to remain safely
in the house, with motherhood as their ultimate joy and goal.Women who ventured
into the arts found it difficult to attain much attention for their work, and were often
subject to marginalization and disdain. Plath explored and challenged this
reductionist tendency through her work, ofering poems of intense vitality and
stunning language. She depicted the bleakness of the domestic scene, the
disappointment of pregnancy, the despair over her husband's infidelity, her tortured
relationship with her father, and her attempts to find her own creative voice amidst
the crushing weight of patriarchy.
4. Nature
Images and allusions to nature permeate Plath's poetry. She often evokes the sea
and the fields to great efect. The sea is usually associated with her father; it is
powerful, unpredictable, mesmerizing, and dangerous. In "Full Fathom Five", her
father is depicted as a sea god. She also pulled from her personal life, writing of
horse-riding on the English fields, in "Sheep in Fog" and "Ariel". Nature is also
manifested in the bright red tulips which jolt the listless Plath from her postoperation stupor, insisting that she return to the world of the living. Here, nature is a
provoker, an instigator - it does not want her to give up Nature is a ubiquitous
theme in Plath's work; it is a potent force that is sometimes unpredictable, but
usually works to encourage her creative output.
5. The Self
Plath has often been grouped into the confessional movement of poetry. One of
the reason for this classification is that she wrote extensively of her own life, her
own thoughts, her own worries. Any great artist both creates his or her art and is
created by it, and Plath was always endeavoring to know herself better through her
writing. She tried to come to terms with her personal demons, and tried to work
through her problematic relationships. For instance, she tried to understand her
ambivalence about motherhood, and tried to vent her rage at her failed marriage.
However, her exploration of herself can also be understood as an exploration of the
idea of the self, as it stands opposed to society as a whole and to other people,
whom she did not particularly like. This conflict - between the self and the world
outside - can be used to understand almost all of Plath's poems.
6. The Body
Many of Plath's poems deal with the body, in terms of motherhood, wounds,
operations, and death. In "Metaphors", she describes how her body does not feel
like it is her own; she is simply a "means" towards delivering a child. In "Tulips" and
"A Life", the body has undergone an operation. With the surgery comes an excising
of emotion, attachment, connection, and responsibility. "Cut" depicts the thrill Plath
feels on almost cutting her own thumb of. "Contusion" takes things further - she
has received a bruise for some reason, but unlike in "Cut", where she eventually
seems to grow uneasy with the wound, she seems to welcome the physical pain,
since the bruise suggests an imminent end of her sufering. Suicide, the most
profound and dramatic thing one can do to one's own body, is also central to many
of her poems.
7. Motherhood
Motherhood is a major theme in Plath's work. She was profoundly ambivalent
about this prescribed role of women, writing in "Metaphors" about how she felt
insignificant as a pregnant woman, a mere "means" to an end. She lamented how
grotesque she looked, and expressed her resignation over a perceived lack of
options. However, in "Child", she delights in her child's perception of and
engagement with the world. Of course, "Child" ends with the suggestions that she
knows her child will someday see the harsh reality of life. Plath did not want her
children to be contaminated by her own despair. This fear may also have
manifested itself in her last poem, "Edge". Overall, Plath loved her children, but was
not completely content in either pregnancy or motherhood.
8. Sexuality
The whole concept of sex to Plath appears to be very disturbed and resentful
one. This is conveyed strongly through the poem "Maudlin" in which Plath evokes
her bitterness towards masculinity with the aid of two characters, the Virgin and
Jack. Another poem which is strongly sexually oriented, but in a more mechanical
and lustful sense, is "Night Shift". The brute physicality conveyed through
onomatopoeia in the poem impregnated the feeling of primeval sexuality in which
violence is interlaced. In short, Plath's poetry depicts sexuality as a central tool in
the perpetuation of male dominance and female submission, a fact that makes the
relations between man and women even more difficult.
9. Love
Love has been a major theme in poetry for generation together and a woman
plays a major role in the game of love. All the poems written by Sylvia Plath,
including the posthumous collection, "Ariel" can be grouped under love poems. She
is in love with nature, in love with sea, in love with her dead-father or in love with
death itself. The normal erotic love, which she ought to have experienced as a
young girl does not make an impression on her as poetic themes. She was utterly
disillusioned with the concept and as a result love in the normal sense of the term is
conspicuously absent in her poetry.
Love is a shadow,
How you lie and cry after it
Listen: these are its hooves: it has gone off, like a horse.(Elm)

DRAMA (Ref To The Context)

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Your vanity is ridiculous, your conduct an

outrage, and your presence in my garden

Your vanity is .......... journey back

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR

I do not approve of anything that tampers

I do not approve .......... no effect

Posted by Prof. Shahbaz Asghar at 16:43 No comments:

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY OSCAR

Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury,

Nothing will induce ..........

Posted by Prof. Shahbaz Asghar at 22:51 No comments:

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY SHAKESPEARE

There's some ill planet reigns:

There's is some ill ......... more

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY SHAKESPEARE

Should a villain say so,

Should a villain .........do but

EXPLANATION WITH RTC: THE WINTER'S TALE BY SHAKESPEARE

No, in good earnest.

No, in good earnest ......... to

DOCTOR FAUSTUS BY CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE

Had I as many souls as there be stars,

Had I as many.......... all for

How am I glutted with conceit of this!

How am I glutted ..... desperate

PARADISE LOST BY JOHN MILTON

Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where

Regions of sorrow, ......... that

PARADISE LOST BY JOHN MILTON

A dungeon horrible, on all sided round,

A dungeon horrible, .......... sights

PARADISE LOST BY JOHN MILTON

Nine times the space that measures day and

Nine times the space ..........

(i) Occurrence: Book I (Lines 50-53/798)

PARADISE LOST BY JOHN MILTON

Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit

IS IT POSSIBLE BY SIR THOMAS WYATT

All is possible .........., and after

THEY FLEE FROM ME BY SIR THOMAS WYATT

It was no dream: I lay broad waking.

It was no dream: .......... fashion

"through my gentleness" means because of my gentleness. The poet's promiscuous

If it be yea, I shall be fain;

It it be yea, .......... and yours no

(ii) Poet: Sir Thomas Wyatt

THE LONG LOVE THAT IN MY THOUGHT DOTH HARBOUR BY SIR THOMAS

The long love that in my thought doth

The long love that .......... with

PAST PAPER AMERICAN LITERATURE (PU) - 2015

PAST PAPER PROSE (PU) - 2015

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

PAST PAPER NOVEL (PU) - 2015

PAST PAPER 2015 - DRAMA

not what I am.

PAST PAPER 2015 - CLASSICAL POETRY

Attempt any FOUR questions including question

1. Explain with reference to the context any THREE of the following.

4. Why is Pope considered a representative poet of the 18th century England?

OTHELLO BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

I had rather be a toad

I had rather be .......... for other'