Thinking Activity on Northrop Frye's Archetypal criticism

Herman Northrop Frye CC FRCS(July 14, 1912 – January 23, 1991) was a Canadian literary critic
 and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century.Frye gained international fame with his first book, Fearful symmetry(1947), which led to the reinterpretation of the poetry of William Blake. His lasting reputation rests principally on the theory of literary criticism that he developed in Anatomy of criticism (1957), one of the most important works of literary theory published in the twentieth century. The American critic Harold Bloom commented at the time of its publication that Anatomyestablished Frye as "the foremost living student of Western literature." Frye's contributions to cultural and social criticism spanned a long career during which he earned widespread recognition and received many honours.

(1) What is Archetypal criticism ? What does the Archetypal critic do? 

Ans : Archetypal criticism the term denotes recurrent designes, patterns of action, character types, themes and images which are identificable in a wide variety of works of literature,as well as in myths,dreams and even social rituals. 


(2) what is Frye trying prove by giving an analogy of " physics to Nature " and " criticism to literature " ?

Ans : The physics is basically study of Nature. But the students of physics never say that they study nature ,they all say that they physics.Anyone cannot able to teach or learn literature. But what we learn is criticism. But though we say that we learn literature. The way nature works for physics in the same manner criticism works for literature. 


(3) share your views of criticism as an organised body of knowledge. Mention relation of literature with history and philosophy. 

Ans : when we learn something we take an example of history and philosophy .History is the event of past and philosophy is the idea. So, history and philosophy helps us to connected present idea and history and philosophy always remain together with literature. "Literature is the central division of Humanities. "


(4) Briefly explain inductive method with illustration of Shakespeare's Hamlet's grave Digger's scene. 

Ans : inductive method is journey which leads from specific to general. As we read some specific literary work and comes to a general conclusion , in this way we extend from specific outcome to general outcome . The best example of this method is grave digging scene from Hamlet. It is a specific scene  and From that scene  we come to some general conclusion. In that scene there were two grave diggers and they seemed in  quite in harmony with their work. They were talking with one another and singing a song during the grave digging time. They were also mocking on dead Ophelia and commented that whether she allowed to buried  or not .it became their general work so they  have no emotion for dead one. 


(5) Briefly explain deductive method with reference to an analogy to music, painting, rhythm and pattern - Give example of the outcome of deductive method. 

Ans : Deductive method, it is form general to particular also. Some arts move like music and painting. In both cases the organizing principle is  recurrence ,which is called rhythm,when it is temporal and then it is spatial. We speak of rhythm of music and the pattern of painting .
Music - Inductive method 
Rhythm - Deductive method 

(6) Refer to the India seasonal grid (below)  If you can, please read small Gujarati or Hindi poem from the archetypal approach and apply Indian seasonal grid in the interpretations. 

Ans : 

  Aaya basant hansata gaata,
 rang-birangi phool khilaata. 
 jhoom rahi hai har daali daali,
 kook rahi koyal matwaali. 
 Gun gun gun gun bhanwara gaata,
 titali raani se batiyaata.
 Khush ho bachche patang udaate,
 wo-kaata ka shor machaate.
 sardi kehati ab hai 

This poem is about spring season. Here we  see when spring season comes flower becomes full of life and people enjoys this season and sing a song. With this moment branches of trees also dance. Small children also enjoy flying kites.

• Sunday Reading:- 

Here , I am going to more talk about Northrop Frye's talk on Religion and rituals. It is a part of thinking activity of Sunday reading.


• Dharma ; Religion:- 

• As it is already mentioned in article that in India there isn't any kind of term named Dharma and Dharma is not religion. We are much familiar with our country India and it's religion. Most of the citizens are much connected with religion.

India was a land of dharma but Europeans reduced it to Hinduism, Islam. And we accepted it.

• We have inherited the term religion from the Judeo-Christian tradition and applied it indiscriminately to different Indian philosophies, myths, rituals, and practices. But there is really no one term for religion in India. There never has been. The term dharma does not mean religion. It simply means duty.so,it means duty then it should every kind of duty like social, economic, individual, Everyone should have obey their duty but,it doesn't mean they are going to blindly follow the religion. Infact, in current time its happening,that all are blindly follow the rules and rituals of religion. On the name of religion they are misrepresenting the Dharma. As it is mentioned that in triangle that Religion , literature and science had triangle,they don't have good relations. After learning literature I am able to understand what is religion and how to deal with it . I want to give one example that with misunderstanding of bill on CAA the people are doing strike and what not . On the name of religion many are going against this CAA . 

Here my opinion is that first we have to understand the particular matter,we have to search for it, we should know the real truth and then we should decide. This current time is not for you trust on anybody and take decision. Here you have to fight for your right.with the help of criticism we are learning literature very well. It gives us many vision or perspective on particular thing and we have space to think and put our ideas. Northrop Frye also talking about Archetypal Criticism, history and philosophy which gives very deep understanding on religion and literature. I think only literature gives us space to study the religion and science widely.The religion which binds our horizon and force us to follow without questioning, if we have questions and we want to ask ,yet we can't ask. So, religion was kind of cage or prison that we have our independence still we don't have right to question on Guru . What is the most important is Narration and process. In the past  from all story we find many such myth. But all Narration are not real they have many perspective to look. There are many stories which deal with philosophical and real ideas. Moroever,the science which broke many myth, theory and discover new theory hence it is differ from religion. As Northrop Frye said that " Poetry is the criticism of life "and every creative writer has first critical. So , in a way without criticism , literature has emptyness itself. Literature teach us lesson which had been useful for our lifetime.

References:- 

https://theprint.in/opinion/india-was-a-land-of-dharma-but-europeans-reduced-it-to-hinduism-islam-and-we-accepted-it/341923/

Thank you........ 

Thinking Activity on I.A.Richard's figurative language

I.A.Richard's Figurative language.                         

Ivor Armstrong Richards (26 February 1893 – 7 September 1979), known as I. A. Richards, was an English educator,  and rhetorician whose work contributed to the foundations of the New Criticism, a formalistmovement in literary theory,  which emphasized the close reading of a literary text, especially poetry, in an effort to discover how a work of literature functions as a self-contained, self-referential aesthetic object. 


I have made an effort to analyse a lyric song.

         Song : Gulabi Aankhen lyrics. 

           Gulaabi aankhen jo teri dekhi

Sharaabi yeh dil ho gayaa

Sambhaalo mujhko o mere yaaron

Sambhalna mushkil ho gayaa

Dil mein mere khwaab tere

Tasveeren jaise hon deewaar pe

Tujhpe fida main kyoon hua

Aata hai gussa mujhe pyaar pe

Main lut gaya maan k dil ka kaha

Main kahin ka na raha

Kya kahoon main dilruba

Bura yeh jaadu teri aankhon ka

Yeh mera kaatil ho gaya

Gulaabi aankhen jo teri dekhi

Sharaabi yeh dil ho gaya

sambhalo mujhko o mere yaaron

sambhalna mushkil ho gaya

Maine sada chaaha yehi

Daaman bacha loon haseenon se main

Teri kasam khwaabon mein bhi

Bachta phira naazneenon se main

Tauba magar mil gayi tujhse nazar

mil gaya dard e jigar

Sun zara o bekhabar

Zara sa haske jo dekha tune

Main tera bismal ho gaya

Gulaabi aankhen jo teri dekhi

Sharaabi yeh dil ho gaya

Sambhaalo mujhko o mere yaaron

Sambhalna mushkil ho gaya

        Analysis  : 

      Gulaabi aankhen jo teri dekhi

Sharaabi yeh dil ho gayaa
Sambhaalo mujhko o mere yaaron
Sambhalna mushkil ho gayaa

In the first stanza adjective GULABI is used for the eyes and for heart sharaabi 

adjective is used. For the poet this imagery is so strong that he cannot remain balanced.This is an example of metapher which compares poets poetic imagination with the present situation.Our eye are no pink coloured.And heart is not sharaabi.

It is impossible that the image of someone lies in our hearts it is just like the image which is lies on the wall.

As per I.A.RICHARDS figurative language , the song is analyssed "GULABI AKHE" are used as metaphrers.

Thank you..........                                                          

  

Thinking activity on T. S. Eliot

 

      Thomas Stearns Eliot, was one of the twentieth century's major poets was also an essayist, publisher ,playwright and literary and social critic. Born on St. Louis, Missouri ,in the United States, to a prominent Boston Brahmin family, he moved to England in 1914 at the age of 25, setting, working and marrying there. He became a British subject in 1927 at the age of 39, renouncing his American passport.


(1) How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of Tradition?  Do you agree with it? 

Ans : yes,  I  agree with Eliot's concept of tradition. Eliot takes the tradition in a positive way as well as in a larger sense.  Tradition is not inherited but it must be acquired with great labor.  So we can say that he put emphasizes on mingling the past and present with historical sense. The tradition means the work of writer and their writing style. Every writer contributes his talent in his tradition. It is the tradition with which we compare our present writer and find newness in present work.it is simple that we come to know about the new because there is something that we call past.


(2) what do you understand by Historical sense ? 

Ans : The historical sense means as Eliot presented in his essay.

" The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence ".
       
         The writer should be aware of the past and how the mistakes of the past should not repeat be in the contemporary time. Which means that it involves perception of the presence of the past not only it's pastness. It it is not only to know about historical fact but mainly it's about that in which way people were living in the past and how that past is presented in the contemporary time.


" The historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal and of the timeless and of the temporal together. Is what makes a writer traditional. 

    Which means that with the help of historical sense a writer can create the work which has timeless and temporal both together.


(3)  what is the relationship between " Tradition " and " The individual Talent " , According to the poet T. S. Eliot? 

Ans : According to T.S.Eliot ,individual Talent is a part of tradition. They are inseparable. A creative artist while creating his work not only considers literature of his own time but also the classical.

(4) Explain : " some can absorb knowledge , the more tardy must sweat for it.  Shakespeare acquired more essential history from Plutarch than most men could from the whole British Museum. "

Ans :In this quote Eliot explain that to be a good poet one must have the common sense.  It is not necessary for a poet to read all the literary history of the past but one has to have Shakespeare who is not a university student or very educated fellow ,but he easily understood everything which the university wits and his contemporary could not.

(5) Explain : " Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry. "

Ans : This quote means we should disconnect a poet from poetry to pass a fair judgement. A poem should be judge by its words not by the history of the poet.

(6) How would you like to Explain Eliot's theory of depersonalization ? You can explain with the help of chemical reaction in presence of catalyst agent, platinum. 

Ans : Eliot explains the theory of depersonalization with the help of science which makes it quite interesting as well as easy to understand.  He describes the process of making sulfuric acid.  This sulfuric acid is made from sulfur dioxide and water but entire process can't take place in the absence of platinum. In this process platinum is essential element.

(7) Explain :" poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotions it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. "

Ans : According to T. S.Eliot, a poet writes poetry not to release his emotions , but he wants to escape from his emotion. He doesn't want to face it. He wants to escape from his personality from its real self rather than expressing his personality.

(8) write two points on which one can write critique on T.S.Eliot as a critic. 

Ans : As per my understanding one can write critique on following two points.....
 
    1. Eliot's concept of Tradition
    2. " poetry is not a turning loose of emotion. But as escape from emotions ,it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality.


Thank you ...........

Thinking Activity on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (pretask)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Here I am giving the answer of following Questions :


Que - 1) When did you have a dream?

Ans : I have a dream in  my Teenage.

Que -2) what did you see in your dream ?

Ans : I have seen in my dream many horrorible ,strange faces , I have seen only faces not full body of them. After seeing that kind of weird faces I feel so scared and suddenly I awake at night .and one more horror dream I saw that I feel insecure with water. I saw that I was surrounded by water and drowning in that. I can't come out from that .

Que - 3) Based on your dream if you are asked to create something, what type of creation would be there ?

Ans : If I asked to create based on my dream I will create strange, horrible faces.

Que -4 ) The creation will be ugly or beautiful?

Ans - My creation will be no ugly nor beautiful, it is horrible.

Que - 5) If ugly, why?  If beautiful, why?

Ans - I have no ugly nor beautiful creation, I created horrible because I like horror .

Que - 6) what are your interpretation for the word ' Monster '?

Ans - As my view,  for me " Monster " was like his facial appearance was not good, he was huge and terrible voice.

Que - 7) Have you ever visited such kind of places which has some connections with horror and terror?

Ans - yes,  l have visited  one horror place at " HATHAB "  there was a home known as " BHUTBANGLOW".


Thank you.............

Thinking Activity on Robert Southey

About Robert Southey 


Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the lake poets along with William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and England's poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 untill his death in 1843. Although his fame has been eclipsed by that of Wordsworth and Coleridge, his verse still enjoys some popularity. He was born on 12 August 1774,Bristol, England. He studied at Westminster school, and at Oxford, where he found himself in perpetual conflict with the authorities on account of his independent views.

About his life : 

Closely associated with Wordsworth and Coleridge is Robert Southey;  and the three, on account of their residence in the Northern lake district, were referred to contemptuously as the " Lakers" by the Scottish Magazine reviewers. Southey holds his place in this group. More by personal association than by his literary gifts.For more than fifty years he labored steadily at literature, refusing to consider any other occupation. He considered himself seriously as one of the greatest writers of the day, and a reading of his ballads which connected him at once with the romantic school - leads us to think that had he written less, he might possibly have justified his own opinion of himself. 
Experimenting with a writing partnership with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, most notably in their joint composition of the Fall of Robespierre, Southey published his first collection of poems in 1794. The same year Southey, Coleridge, Robert Lovell and Several others discussed creating an idealistic community on the banks of the Susquehanna River in America. Southey was the first to reject the idea as unworkable, suggesting that they move the intended location to Wales, but when they failed to agree the plan was a banded.
Southey Married Edith Flicker at St. Mary Radcliffe, Bristol, on 14Nov, 1795. She was a sister of Sara Fricker, Coleridge's wife. In 1799 Southey and Coleridge were involved with early experiments with nitrous oxide, conducted by the Cornish Scientist Humphrey Davy. From 1809 Southey contributed to the Quarterly Review. He had become so well known by 1813 that he was appointed poet Laureate after Walter Scott refused the post. 

Southey was made poet Laureate in 1813, and was the first to raise that office from the low estate into which it had fallen since the death of Dryden. The opening lines if Thalaba, beginning, 
                "  How beautiful is night !
                 A dewy freshness fills the silent air, "
Are still sometimes quoted, and a few of his best known short poems like, " The Scholar" , " Auld Cloots" ," The Well of St. Keyne", " The Inchacape Rock " , and " Lodore " will repay the curious reader. The beauty of Southey's character, his patience and helpfulness, make him a worthy associate of the two greater poets with whom he is generally named. 

His Works :

1. Thalaba The destroyer 
2. Goldilocks and The Three Bears
3. Southey on Nelson
4. Madoe 
5 . Curse of kehama 
6. Chronicle of the cid
7. Roberick, the lost of the goths
8. The Minor poems of Robert Southey 
9. The Inchacape Rock
10. The cataract ladore
11. Poetical works 
12. Joan of Arc. 
13. History of Brazil
14. The poetical works of Robert Southey
15. History of the peninsular war. 

His poems.   
                            1. The lnchacape Rock
                            2. After Blenheim 
                            3. Curse of kehama
                           4. Thalaba the destroyer 
                           5. Madoe 
                           6. Joan of Arc. 

His Achievements : 

      He was also a renewed scholar of Portuguese and Spanish literature and history, translating a number of works from those two languages into English and writing a History of Brazil and a  History of the peninsular war. 
      Perhaps his most enduring contribution to literary history is the children's classic. The story of the  Three Bears, the original Goldilocks story, first published in Southey's prose collection, The doctor. He also wrote on hospital issues, which led to a brief non sitting, spell as a Tory Member of parliament. 

Some important Quotes ; 

         " No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded on each other's worth. "

 "If you would be pungent, be brief, for it is with wordy as with sunbeams - the more they are candersed,  the deeper they burn. "

" A kitten is in the animal world a rosebud is in the Garden. "

Now,  let's talk about his some work, 

1. The Fall of Robespierre ;

          The Fall of Robespierre is a three act play written by Robert Southey and Samuel Coleridge In 1794. It follows the events in France after the downfall of Maximilien Robespierre. He is portrayed as a Tyrant, but Southey's contributions praise him as a destroyer of despotism . The play does not operate as an effetive drama for the stage, but rather as a sort of dramatic poem with each act being a different scene. According to Coleridge," My sole aim to imitate the impassioned and highly figurative develop the character of the chief actors on a vast stage of horrors. 

2. Thalaba the destroyer; 

Thalaba the Destroyer is an 1801 epic poem composed by Robert Southey. The origins of the poem can be traced to Southey's school boy days, but he did not begin to write the poem until he finished composing Madoc at the age of 25. Thalaba the Destroyer was completed while Southey travelled in Portugal. When the poem was finally published by the publisher Longman, it suffered from poor sales and only half of the copies were sold by 1804.
Southey uses the poem to describe various superstitions and myths, with a heavy reliance on repetition of various themes that link the myths together. Although based in Islamic theology, most of the action is mechanical instead of emphasising possible moral truths that can be drawn from the plot. Though the main character is purported to be a Muslim, the story actually takes place thousands of years before Islam, in ancient Babylon. Critics gave the work mixed reviews, with some emphasising the strong morality within the work or the quality of the poetry. However, other critics felt that the lack of a strong lyrical structure and the use of Middle Eastern myths detracted from the poem.


Now, let's talk about his criticizing work, there are some critic who give critical comments on his work; 

Critical Comments; 

1.The Fall of Robespierre 

An anonymous review in the November 1794 Critical Review argued that the subject matter would have been appropriate for a tragedy but the events happened too soon to allow for it to be dealt with in an appropriate manner. The reviewer also commented on the haste of the work and that it "must, therefore, not be supposed to smell very strongly of the lamp.However, the review does praise aspects of the poem, as the author writes, "By these free remarks, we mean not to under-rate Mr. Coleridge's historical drama. It affords ample testimony, that the writer is a genuine votary of the Muse, and several parts of it will afford much pleasure to those who can relish the beauties of poetry. Indeed a writer who could produce so much beauty in so little time, must possess powers that are capable of raising him to a distinguished place among the English poets.In the British Critic, an anonymous reviewer argued in 1795 that "The sentiments ... in many instances are naturally, though boldly conceived, and expressed in language, which gives us reason to think the Author might, after some probation, become no unsuccessful wooer of the tragic muse.

2. Joan of Arc. 

Regarding Joan of Arc, William Wordsworth wrote to William Matthews, 21 March 1796, claiming: "You were right about Southey, he is certainly a coxcomb, and has proved it completely by the preface to his Joan of Arc, an epic poem which he has just published. This preface is indeed a very conceited performance and the poem though in some passages of first-rate excellence is on the whole of very inferior execution."[13] Charles Lamb, in a 10 June 1796 letter to Coleridge, stated, "With Joan of Arc I have been delighted, amazed. I had not presumed to expect of any thing of such excellence from Southey. Why the poem is alone sufficient to redeem the character of the age we live in from the imputation of degenerating in Poetry The subject is well chosen. It opens well On the whole, I expect Southey one day to rival Milton." Coleridge, in a 31 December 1796 letter to John Thelwall, admitted, "I entirely accord with your opinion of Southey's Joan the poem tho' it frequently reach the sentimental, does not display, the poetical, Sublime. In language at once natural, perspicuous, & dignified, in manly pathos, in soothing & sonnet-like description, and above all, in character, & dramatic dialogue, Southey is unrivalled; but as certainly he does not possess opulence of Imagination, lofty-paced Harmony, or that toil of thinking, which is necessary in order to plan a Whole.
Following this was an anonymous review for the 1796 Analytical Review that stated, "we learn with astonishment, that Joan of Arc, in its first form, in twelve books, was finished in six weeks  We thought it right to mention a fact on which the author, by detailing it in the beginning of his preface, appears to lay some stress; but we wish entirely to forget it in our examination of the poem, and request our readers to do the same.


So,  after his journey he died on 21March 1843 (age of 68) London, England. 



Thank you.......

Thinking Activity on Mathew Arnold

                     
           Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet
and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. 
Matthew Arnold has been characterised as a sage writer, a type of writer who chastises and instructs the reader on contemporary social issues.

Que - 1 write about  one idea of Mathew Arnold which you find interesting and relevant in your times? 

Ans : Mathew Arnold discuss about good poetry in his essay. He says that " poetry is the criticism of life " . I like this idea which with he deal. It is also interesting. Usually poets are write about their experiences or there current situation in poetry. " criticism of life" means that profound application of ideas to life and poetry represented social, political and religion life. At present we find that generally poets are write about nature And also they connected with the truthfullness of poetry or beauty. 

       In other words we can say that philosophy and science are always presented truth with logic and proof. But poetry presentes reality of human being . Whenever poet feel some emotion he can write in a better way with good creative way. 

Que - 2 write about one idea of Mathew Arnold which you find out of date  and irrelevant in your time?

Ans : I am not agree with the idea of " Touch stone Mathod " which he discuss in his essay. Comparing the lines of the great poets with other poetry it is difficult. In this method talent of individual is not fairly judged and it also seems to neglect the beauty and uniqueness of an individual. It is not necessary to compare the work of an ancient writers with any other writers for passing judgement on their work.Because everyone has his/her own beauty, talent and uniqueness. Arnold's ideal poets are Homer and Sophocles in the ancient world but Chaucer, Dryden,Shelly and Pope fall short of the best because they lack high seriousness.It is not a fairway to judge the work of an art.What Homer and Sophocles wrote it might also be not relevant in today's time.By comparing the work of one with another it is not fairway to judge any writer's work.

Thank you....... 

Thinking activity on Aristotle

 

1. First of all creative writing means when you see something like flowers and you create your imagination about that flowers at that time we can say that this is creative writing. One of the most popular type of creative writing is storytelling and as we know that there are many elements of creative writing like characters development , plot development, dialogue etc. The best creative writers are William Shakespeare, leo Tolstoy, Edgar Allen poe etc. Plato is also known as creative writer. Plato believed that " truth of philosophy was more important than the pleasure of poetry". And yes i am agree with Plato’s Objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by crietive writers. As we know that according to him all art are imitative. So i have one novel in TY BA, "hairy ape" by eugene o'neill. In the novel, o 'neill represents the reality of society and this novel is about the negative effects of industrialisation. So that we can say that o' neill is great creative writer.
2. As we know that aristotalian thought holds that poetry is an imitation of what is possible in real life and that tragedy, by imitation of a serious action cast in dramatic form. I have one play which is based on aristotalian literary tradition that is " All my sons". In the play journeys the key contact of Catharsis through the intricate character of joe keller. Our tragic hero and his hubris flaw. And also the concept of hamartia At the end of the act one becomes pivotal in the role of experiencing catharsis . In the last there is a phone call from George, anne's brother. Chris tell joe the news of his engagement to anne. But joe is preoccupied with the phone call. He is afraid , George will want to open up his father's case again.
3. In my BA program i have studied novel "kim" by Rudyard kipling. It is followe the aristotalian rules of tragedy in few thimgs like, according to Aristotle the hero of the tragedy have belong to the upper class, and good looking,but in "kim" the hero or protagonist kim belongs to lawer class. He is the orphaned son of an irish soldier
4. In my BA program i have studied "ghashiram kotwal" by vijay Tendulkar. It is indeed a great tragedy. Protagonist or the central character is ghashiram a poor brahmin from kanuaj who had come to pune for better life. But here he faces humiliations and the city was ruled by nana who was full of lust. In the play ghashiram uses his own daughter lalita gauri as a bait. From here he started his journey as a kotwal. He has hamartia like ambition of power, revenge It follows the rules of aristotalian tragedy and in this play we have tragic hero who is not thoroughly bad or fully good.
5. Yes.... The plot of those tragedies followe necessary rules and regulations proposed by Aristotle.