English Cosmos by Dr Mukesh Pareek

H]orror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The hell within him; for within him hell He brings, and round about him, nor from hell One step, no more than from himself, can fly By change of place[.] (IV, 18–23) For never can true reconcilement grow, Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc’d so deep; Which would but lead me to a worse relapse And heavier fall: so should I purchase dear Short intermission with double smart. (IV, 98–102) Thus while he spake each passion dimm’d his face, Thrice chang’d with pale ire, envy, and despair; Which marr’d his borrow’d visage, and betray’d Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld: For heavenly minds from such distempers foul Are ever clear. (IV, 114–119)

Compulsory attendance seems to be the ‘must have’ for colleges. It seems that nowadays colleges are concentrating more on keeping the students inside the classroom rather than on imparting quality education. The reason given for this is that if the student is inside the classroom he/she will be forced to listen to the lecturer and hence will definitely learn something. Sounds great, doesn’t it?!   The attendance rules are very strictly implemented. Students are sometimes not allowed to give exams because of lack of attendance. If not that then internal marks are affected. Parents support this wholeheartedly because there is a preconceived notion that quality of a child’s education is directly proportional to the number of classes he/she attends. Also, they believe that once they’ve paid for the classes the students should attend as many as he can so as to get maximum benefit. The problem arises when you see the actual consequence of this rule. Students do attend more classes but only b

On Receipt Of My Mother's Picture BY  WILLIAM COWPER Oh that those lips had language! Life has pass'd With me but roughly since I heard thee last. Those lips are thine—thy own sweet smiles I see, The same that oft in childhood solaced me; Voice only fails, else, how distinct they say, "Grieve not, my child, chase all thy fears away!" The meek intelligence of those dear eyes (Blest be the art that can immortalize, The art that baffles time's tyrannic claim To quench it) here shines on me still the same. Faithful remembrancer of one so dear, Oh welcome guest, though unexpected, here! Who bidd'st me honour with an artless song, Affectionate, a mother lost so long, I will obey, not willingly alone, But gladly, as the precept were her own; And, while that face renews my filial grief, Fancy shall weave a charm for my relief— Shall steep me in Elysian reverie, A momentary dream, that thou art she. My mother! when I learn'd that thou wast dead, Say, wast thou cons

In Moulmein, in lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people – the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me. I was sub-divisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-European feeling was very bitter. No one had the guts to raise a riot, but if a European woman went through the bazaars alone somebody would probably spit betel juice over her dress. As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so. When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous laughter. This happened more than once. In the end the sneering yellow faces of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance, got badly on my nerves. The young Buddhist priests were the worst of all. There were several thousands of them in the town and none of them seemed to have anything

BOOK I A brief introduction mentions the fall of Adam and Eve caused by the serpent, which was Satan, who led the angels in revolt against God and was cast into hell. The scene then opens on Satan lying dazed in the burning lake, with Beelzebub, next in command, beside him. Satan assembles his fallen legions on the shore, where he revives their spirits by his speech. They set to building a palace, called Pandemonium. There the high ranking angels assemble in council. BOOK II A debate is held whether or not to attempt recovery of heaven. A third proposal is preferred, concerning an ancient prophecy of another world which was to be created, where the devils may seek to enact their revenge. Satan alone undertakes the voyage to find this world. He encounters Sin and Death, his offspring, guarding hell's gates. Sin unlocks the gate, and Satan embarks on his passage across the great gulf of chaos between heaven and hell, till he sights the new universe floating near the larger globe, whi

Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College BY  THOMAS GRAY Ye distant spires, ye antique tow'rs,          That crown the wat'ry glade, Where grateful Science still adores          Her Henry's holy Shade; And ye, that from the stately brow Of Windsor's heights th' expanse below          Of grove, of lawn, of mead survey, Whose turf, whose shade, whose flowr's among Wanders the hoary Thames along          His silver-winding way. Ah, happy hills, ah, pleasing shade,          Ah, fields belov'd in vain, Where once my careless childhood stray'd,          A stranger yet to pain! I feel the gales, that from ye blow, A momentary bliss bestow,          As waving fresh their gladsome wing, My weary soul they seem to soothe, And, redolent of joy and youth,          To breathe a second spring. Say, Father Thames, for thou hast seen          Full many a sprightly race Disporting on thy margent green          The paths of pleasure trace, Who foremost now delight to cle

Shakespearean Sonnets Quiz  Shakespeare's sonnets were first published in 1609. But there is an earlier reference to the sonnets in the book "Palladis Tamia, Wit's Treasury," by Francis Meres in 1598. What word does Meres use to describe the sonnets?  Powerful  Lyrical  Secret  Sugared 2. Although Shakespeare's sonnets were not published until 1609, two of them had previously appeared in which 1599 anthology?  The Model of Poesy  The Passionate Pilgrim  The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia  A Divine Century of Spiritual Sonnets 3. In 1609, Thomas Thorpe published "Shake-Speares Sonnets" and noted that they were "Never before Imprinted." How many sonnets appear in the book?  100  201  123  154 4. One thing that has puzzled scholars for centuries is Thomas Thorpe's dedication, which reads as follows: "To the only begetter of these insuing sonnets Mr. W.H. all happinesse and that eternitie promised by our ever-living poet wisheth the we

Does littering make one uncivilised? What is Litter? A piece of rubbish or waste disposed improperly at a wrong location is called  Litter . A small piece of litter leads to garbage that by covering the earth endangers the flora and fauna and slowly causes diseases if not recycled properly. This is because when littered, these chemicals can get into the soil and affect the overall quality of water and soil both. We must have recalled by now the Biodegradable and Non -Biodegradable wastes about which we have been studying in our junior classes. The latter category of wastes is more harmful. How Littering Is Related to Civilization? The etymological roots of " civilization " pertain to living in cities or living in an area with a concentrated population. Civilizations arise as a consequence of this concentrated population that develop to negotiate one's way through it. A true civilization would not do such litter. But watching the slums and streets of our country, it is obv

George Orwell Politics and the English Language Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent and our language — so the argument runs — must inevitably share in the general collapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes. Underneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes. Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink becaus

The Retreat BY  HENRY VAUGHAN Happy those early days! when I Shined in my angel infancy. Before I understood this place Appointed for my second race, Or taught my soul to fancy aught But a white, celestial thought; When yet I had not walked above A mile or two from my first love, And looking back, at that short space, Could see a glimpse of His bright face; When on some gilded cloud or flower My gazing soul would dwell an hour, And in those weaker glories spy Some shadows of eternity; Before I taught my tongue to wound My conscience with a sinful sound, Or had the black art to dispense A several sin to every sense, But felt through all this fleshly dress Bright shoots of everlastingness.        O, how I long to travel back, And tread again that ancient track! That I might once more reach that plain Where first I left my glorious train, From whence th’ enlightened spirit sees That shady city of palm trees. But, ah! my soul with too much stay Is drunk, and staggers in the way. Some men a

The Collar BY  GEORGE HERBERT I struck the board, and cried, "No more;                          I will abroad! What? shall I ever sigh and pine? My lines and life are free, free as the road, Loose as the wind, as large as store.           Shall I be still in suit? Have I no harvest but a thorn To let me blood, and not restore What I have lost with cordial fruit?           Sure there was wine Before my sighs did dry it; there was corn     Before my tears did drown it.       Is the year only lost to me?           Have I no bays to crown it, No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?                   All wasted? Not so, my heart; but there is fruit,             And thou hast hands. Recover all thy sigh-blown age On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute Of what is fit and not. Forsake thy cage,              Thy rope of sands, Which petty thoughts have made, and made to thee Good cable, to enforce and draw,           And be thy law, While thou didst wink and wouldst not see.