Smruti's Blog

Dramatic Poesy By John Dryden This blog is response to Bridge Course: Dryden's Essay on Dramatic Poesy Assigned by Dilip Barad Sir    INTRODUCTION: Let's elaborate how John Dryden, in his essay 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy' delves into the ongoing debate between the Ancients(Greek and Romans) and the Moderns(contemporary playwrights of the Restoration period) concerning the principles of drama. Dryden's work is structured as a dialogue among four characters- Crites, Eugenius, Lisideius and Neander- each representing different perspectives on drama. Through this dialogues, how Dryden explores critical issues such as the definition of tragedy, the nature of dramatic unity, the merits of French versus English plays and the stylistic preferences between poetic and prosaic dialogues. We'll observe that Dryden's essay also contrasts Aristotelian rules with modern interpretations and questions whether strict adherence to classical principles is always necessary. Dis...

Screening & Reading of Shakespeare's Macbeth Thinking Activity assigned by Dilip Barad Sir as a part of paper no.101 Exploring Macbeth text and screening... Post-Viewing Tasks: Q. How faithful is the play performance to the original play? The Macbeth screening I attended was remarkably faithful to Shakespeare's original work, particularly in its use of Elizabethan language. The entire cast delivered strong performances, with Joseph Milson's portrayal of Macbeth standing out for its dedication and depth. Despite some minor scene cuts to maintain pacing, the core narrative and characters remained compelling. The production effectively conveyed key themes such as the perils of unchecked ambition and the tension between fate and free will, resulting in a powerful adaptation of the classic play. Q. How has watching the play influenced your perception of the characters, situations or themes? Viewing the play on screen brought new dimensions to my understanding of the characte...

THE POET'S INSIGHT: ANALYZING WORDSWORTH'S POETIC PHILOSOPHY, FUNCTIONS AND LANGUAGE (Considering him as a critic.) 'Bridge Course: Wordsworth's Preface' assigned by Dilip Barad Sir. The Art in William Wordsworth's Preface to the Lyrical Ballads . INTRODUCTION: Wordsworth's ideas in his Preface to Lyrical Ballads marked a significant shift from the prevailing neoclassical poetry of  the 18th century. He aimed to remove what he viewed as artificial limitations and bring poetry back to a more genuine, emotionally powerful form. Wordsworth emphasized natural expression of strong feelings and the use of everyday language. This approach contrasted sharply with the formal, structured style of neoclassical poets.  "Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher." As we examine Wordsworth's views through the questions provided, we'll see how his ideas challenged neoclassical norms and helped shape Romantic poetry.   Q.1 Why does Wi...

Comparative Analysis of 3 well-known Poets Thinking Activity assigned by Dilip Barad Sir  Comparative analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare as poets. Focus on their poetic styles, themes, contributions to English literature and their influences on subsequent literary traditions. Introduction: The age of Chaucer is one of the most important era of the history of English literature as it gives the new ideas and themes to English literature. The central figure of this era Geoffrey Chaucer is widely regarded as the Father of the English literature. From this age new ideas and features are widely spread in English literature. After this age Spenser became a central figure after a long time during 16th century. The time period of 14th century to early 17th century is known as Chaucer to Shakespeare the main figures of the ages in English literature.    A brief introductions of the poets:     Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer was a 14th-...

Socrates the Philosopher: Life, Ideas and Legacy      Sunday Reading: Socrates assigned by Dilip Barad Sir  Discovering Socrates' Life, Philosophy, Insights and Trial. Introduction: Socrates -a greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of western philosophy. Is known for his dialectical method that is known as Socratic method. He had never written any work that describes his method or style of philosophy but is widely followed and written by his disciple Plato. Life of Socrates:  The informations about life of Socrates is found in the writings of his disciples. According to mentions of plato Socrates was born around 470 BCE in Athens, Ancient Greece. Socrates was not much good looking and unimpressive. He did not possess the higher level of education or manners but became noticeable due to his acute questioning and wisdom. His early education is not much known, his living standards were also not conventional. Socrates contributed in many wars as in his t...

Tragedy I have studied during B.A. program and The tragic protagonist in that tragedy and it's hamartia.. -Bridge Course: Aristotle's Poetics assigned by Dilip Barad Sir ~'DEATH OF SALESMAN' as tragedy and the character of Willy Loman and the concept of hamartia. Introduction: 'Death of a Salesman' is written by an American playwright Arthur Miller. This play is often considered as a modern tragedy in the Aristotelian tradition. It primarily is a portrayal of Willy Loman's downfall. The concept of hamartia is a centre to Death of a Salesman and is a key element of Aristotelian tragedy too.  Death of a   salesman: A tragic exploration of the American Dream:-                                                          A Pulitzer Prize winning work that the author describes as "the tragedy of a man who gave his life, or sold it."   Fir...