A Thing of Beauty by John Keats

About the poet:

John keats is the Second Generation British Romantic Poet of the English Literature.With him the other Romantic poets are Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelly. 

He was Born on 31st  October, 1796 in London, United Kingdom. He died in 23rd february, 1821 in Rome, Italy. 

 

His famous poems are:

1. Ode To A Nightingale
2. To Autumn
3. Ode On A Grecian Urn
4. Bright Star
5. La Belle Dame Sans Marci
6. Endymion:A Poetic Romance

 About the poem:

The poem is an excerpt  is  from his epic poem 'Endymion:A Poetic Romance'.The poem is based on a Greek legend. Endymion is a beautiful young shepherd and poet who lived on Mount Latmos. He was in eternal sleep and he had a vision of Cynthia, the Moon godess. In his vision he was enchanted by her immortal beauty and resolved to seek her and posses her. He started his journey through the forest and down under the sea. His journey is suggestive of his quest for discovering the ultimate truth that is the truth is beauty and the beauty is truth.

 

keats is a romantic lyric poet. Though in profession keats was a surgeon he devoted his whole life in writing poetry. His poetry has the characteristics of vivid Imageries and Sensuousness in appeal.

 

Summary of the poem:

'A thing of beauty is a joy forever'

Beautiful things can gives us a never ending joy or pleasure. Time has no power to fade it's beauty. It has never gone into nothingness.The value of true beauty will ever be increasing. 

A bower quiet for us'

A beautiful thing is like a soothing 'bower'. The shelter provides by a shady tree is always quiet and peaceful. Like a shady tree, beautiful things can give us a peaceful sleep and a sweet dream. Under the influence of a beautiful thing we can enjoy good health and a peaceful life. 

'A flowery band to bind us to the earth, '

It is because of that sense of true beauty in us we adore all beautiful objects in nature. On every morning we appreciate the beauties of nature we've seen around us and it is like a flowery band,a strong and sweet relationship with nature which makes us to attach ourselves with nature.Man's relationship with nature is defined as flowery band by which we are attached to nature for ages. So the poet says man and nature are interdependent.

 Human being suffer because of the darkness or ignorance in spirits:

'Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth/ Of noble nature's, of gloomy days, of all gloomy days, /Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways/Made for our searching:'

Our earthly life is full of depression because of our ignorance about our life we are living and often fail to perceive the true beauty in our life. In our life we are always distracted by immoral ways for which we've to discard our noble values and suffer from so much gloom and despondence. But inspite of all we are always in search of the true beauty which is nothing but our sense of  perception of  true beauty which is always soothing and pleasing like the cooling  shade of a bower. 

'Some shape of beauty':

Some shape of beauty, which are the beautiful objects of nature such as the sun, the moon, green young trees and shady bowers,have the wonderful effects to recover us from the pain of not understanding the real happiness which lies in the true perception of beautiful things.

Quest for the search of true beauty:

Though this phrase'Made for our searching' the poet says that some beauties are enchanting and allures us to possess.That journey lead us to discover the true beauty.We suffer because we failed to see the true beauty and walked in the path of darkness and looses our noble values.

But ultimately we find consolation in the lap of nature  which has the magical power of healing our depressed soul and guide us to see the true beauty. 

 Nature's beauty can heal our depressed soul:

'Some shape of beauty moves away the pall/From our dark spirits. Explanation:

True beauty can remove all kinds of the sufferring  from our depressed soul. True beauty can remove the pall of ignorance from our dark spirits. We feel depressed as we failed to perceive the the true beauty. We are ever charmed by the beauties of nature.The beauties in nature are  always guiding and inspiring. In the nature 'some shape of beauty', such as the sun, the moon and the trees young and old are like blessings to the simple shepherds who are constantly depended on nature. The term 'simple sheep' means the simple shepherds or innocent mankind. 

Belief in Christianity:

In christianity Jesus  Christ is regarded as simple shepherd because he sacrificed his life for a noble cause to guide the mankind. 

Nature's beauty is supreme to all:

Nature has the bounty of beautiful  things. Simple folks are always enchanted by the blooming daffodil flowers in the green world, the clear small streams in hot summer exerted a cooling environment in the midst of the forest and the blooming of wild musk Rose's sparkling beauty. Therefore they are always attached to the nature. The poet says Nature's beauty is the best of all. 

'Mighty dead' are the things of beauty:

'And such too is the grandeur of the dooms/We have imagined for the mighty dead;'Exp.

The poet considers that our old brave ancestors who were great heros of the past are also the things of beauty. Because they've achieved an immortal status by their good deeds and valour in their life. Their lives are an inspiration and guide to human being for all ages. 

Belief in christianity:

In Christian religion it is believed that those who sacrificed their life for the noble causes are believed to be rewarded in the doomsday. So our great ancestors of the past who died for the noble causes achieves an immortal status and they become the object of inspiration for human being. In that sense they are the objects of beauty. 

Old tales are the things of beauty:

The poet says the old tales which we may have read or listened  are also the things of beauty as they could guide us always. 

Eternal blessings of God:the cauldron image:

'An endless fountain of immortal drink, Pouring into us from the heaven's brink. 'Exp. 

Beautiful things are like ever flowing fountain of immortal drink. Like immortal drink the joys that gives us by the beautiful things have never been an end. It is like God's blessings pouring unto us from the edges of heaven in an endless way. The poet employs an image of pouring. 

Poetic devices used in poem:

John keats uses some poetic devices such as:alliteration, metaphor and imagery in his poem'A Thing Of Beauty'.

The use of alliteration:

The repetitive consonant sounds in the initial words are effectively used, which is called consonance.such as:

• sleep-sweet
• never-nothingness
• cooling covert
• brake-blooms

Metaphor:

The poet uses some figure of speech in metaphorical sense. 

• A bower quiet for us
• wreathing A flowery band
• moves away the pall 
• endless fountain of immortal drink

Imagery:

The poet uses imageries which has the vividness of expression. 

A bower quiet for us

moves away the pall

a shady boon

Simple sheep

Cooling covert 

grandeur of dooms

endless fountain

immortal drink

Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

Central idea of the poem:

Beautiful things gives us an unending pleasure. It's gives us happiness  which is ever increasing.  Therefore it's beauty or it's value is ever increasing. Beautiful things always inspires us with good thoughts and gives us a peaceful life and sweet dreams. 

Beauty is truth in it's essence. It is permanent in nature. Beautiful objects are like blessings from God. It recovers us from ignorance and guide us in all ages to lead a peaceful and quiet life. 

Questions and answers:

1.list the things of beauty mentioned in the poem. 

Ans:-The things of beauty mentioned in the poem are -a bower, the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodils in the green world, the clear rills, fair sparkling musk-rose, mighty ancestors and the old tales .

 

2.list the things that cause suffering snd pain. 

Ans:-The things that cause

 suffering and pain in human life the lake of noble nature for which they often choose immoral ways to  possess beautiful things. The darkness or ignorance in our spirits for which human being fails to understand the true beauty in life. 

3.what does the line, 'Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth. 'Suggest to you? 

Ans. -Human being and nature are interdependent. Man can't survive without nature. We are strengthening our relationship with nature by appreciating the beauties of nature. Flowery band is suggestive of a band made of flowers as our attachment with nature is unique and always renewable. Nature always guides us and inspires us to live a simple life but high in ideal. 

4.what makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings? 

Ans. - Nature always guides and inspires us to lead a good life. We suffer so much from depression and gloom because we lake noble natures in our character and true perceptions of beauty in our mind.In that case  nature alone can heal and soothe us. Therefore we always appreciate the beauties abundant in nature. 

5.why is 'grandeur'associated with the 'mighty dead'? 

Ans-The poet considers the mighty dead who are noble heroes of the past are the things of beauty. They are believed to be rewarded in the doomsday for their noble deeds. Their life is an  inspiration and courage for the human being in all ages. In that sense  the mighty heroes of the past, who sacrificed their life for the noble cause are the objects of beauty. 

6.Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us? 

Ans:- The things of beauty  gives an infinite joy and happiness in our life. We experience an ever lasting joy in our life when we could appreciate the true beauties in our life. The beautiful objects, such as the sun, the moon, the green trees, the blooming daffodils and musk roses in the dense forest, , the clear streams in hot summer, and also the life of mighty heroes of the past and the old tales which are always guiding human being to follow the right path are the things of true beauty. 

7.what image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth? 

Ans:-The poet uses the image of an "endlessly flowing fountain of immortal drink" from heaven, by which the poet compares the joy and happiness that gives us by the beautiful things are like never ending blessings of God form heaven to mankind. 

The poet says the nature's beauty is the supreme beauty on earth. He also says in his poem 'A Thing Of Beauty', we are surrounded by the abounding beauties  of nature  . They always inspire us and encourage us to lead a good moral life. 

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The Daffodils- Poem by William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth: The Daffodils                  

 

About the poet : William Wordsworth was born on 7 April, 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, located in the lake District of England. He died on 23 April, 1850 in Royal Mount, Westmoreland. 

William Wordsworth is the founder of English Romanticism. "The Lyrical Ballads" a joint publication with Samual Taylor Coleridge in the year 1780,initiated the age of Romanticism.

In  the "preface" to the "Lyrical Ballads" Wordsworth describes poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings", which is the characteristics of Romanticism in literature. 

In the poems of Wordsworth the subject matter is always on nature and the theme is always on the relationship of human being with nature. 

 He establishes nature as a spiritual guide in the growth and development of human mind. His poem "The Prelude" is the example of such a poem. The poem is about the growth of the onepoet's mind. 

Wordsworth was the poet of nature.In his poem "Tintern Abbey" he writes, "Nature never did betray the heart that loved her".Wordsworth was the keen lover of nature. 

Wordsworth became a Poet Laureate in 1843,untill the year of his death 1850.He died in 23 April, 1850 Royal Mount, Westmoreland, England. 

About the poem:

The poem is a memory of an experience, which he recalled later on in a solitary state of mind. Wordsworth, in writing this poem,was influenced by his sister Dorothy's "Grasmere  Journal",unpublished,where she wrote about her experiences of walking  with her brother William Wordsworth around Glencoyne Bay, Ullswater, in the Lake District of England about the description of daffodils. On 15th April,1802.wordsworth walked with his sister Dorothy and came across a "long belt" Of daffodils while wandering in the Glencoyne Bay,in the Lake District of England. The poem was written some time between 1804 and 1807(wordsworth own account, 1804).It was first published in 1807 in "Poems, in  Two Volumes", and a revised version was published in 1815.A hand written manuscript of the poem (1802) is preserved in the British Library. 

At the time he wrote the poem, William Wordsworth was living with his wife Mary Hutchinson and with sister Dorothy in Dove Cottage, England. 

                

Mary herself added two famous lines in the poem:

"They flash upon that inward eye/Which is the bliss of solitude;"

Summary of the poem:  

Stanza 1                                         

The poet was wandering lonely in a vacant mood in the vally of daffodils . The poet felt lonely and sad because the poet had lost his creative mind for a while. . He was struggling to recover himself from depression and unproductivity. He himself states about his mental state as"alone" and aimless. He compared his mind with a 'cloud' as it floated over hills and vails forced by the wind. The poet's mind and the cloud were in the same state, couldn't go in definite direction. 

The poet saw suddenly a huge number of golden daffodils under the bright sun in an open vally, cheerfully fluttering and dancing in the breeze.They  welcomed  the poet like a benevolent host.The poet's heart and mind was filled with joy at experiencing the amazing beauty of golden daffodils. 

Stanza 2

The daffodils are like stars, continuously shining and twinkling, as the stars on the milky Way. The poet saw, the daffodils are more beautiful than the sparkling waves of the lake.The daffodils were stretching in miles by the side of the Lake in a never-ending row. The poet became cheerful in seeing thousands of daffodils tossing their heads to and fro by the wind and looked at them constantly. The poet says,he became happy at that moment but no serious thought came  his mind. But later on he realised the significance of that amazing experience.The poet says, whenever was in low spirit and whenever he suffers from  the  vacant and the pensive mood or the lake of creativity in mind, the remembrance of that experience enliven his dark soul and his creative spirit revives. The memory of that experience could transform his dull, unproductive mind to a highly creative one. The poet, ever remembered  that experience and found himself high in creative spirit. So, the poet says, the experience of daffodils had brought to him a great wealth, which is for his mind and spirit.  

Stanza 3

The waves in the lake water is sparkling under the yellow sun as if they are also dancing with joy but the sparkling beauty of the golden daffodils surpasses the beauty of all. 

A poet like Wordsworth couldn't resist himself not to be glad in such a 'jocund" Company". 

The whole sight was so appealing that he couldn't resist his mind and looked at the daffodils constantly. The poet was amazed by the beauty of the golden daffodils.The poet's heart was then filled with happiness. 

Stanza 4

That experiences of walking in the valley of golden daffodils  spreading over miles, dancing with the breezes, remained  evergreen in his mind. Whenever the poet was in dull mood or whenever he felt spiritually weak, the remembrance of that vision  

recovered him quickly from that dark depression. 

The poet says that the memory of the thousands of blooming daffodils could transform his dark, gloomy soul into a happy soul.It can open up his mind's eye and could revive him spiritually.Which the poet calls a blessing from nature to a dark and sad soul like him. Every time he recalls that scene in a quiet,solitary moment he found his heart filled with joy and his mind starts dancing with the pleasure of cheerful daffodils. That means the poet could be able to revive his poetic spirit through the remembrance of that experience and become spiritually alive to create anything  as a poet. 

Theme of the poem:

The theme of the poem is, the experience and memory,  the inseparable relationship of human being with nature. According to Wordsworth, nature may be a great guide to human being in the growth and development of human mind. 

In the poem "The Daffodils" The poet recollect the experience of walking in the valley,an open vast field, where thousands of golden daffodils were blooming and dancing under the bright sun-shine,continuously twinkling and blazing like the stars in the milky way. The poet realised how he was impressed by the cheerful company of golden daffodils which welcomed him like a 'host'. The 'show' or the vision enters into his mind and took out all his painful thought from his sad soul at once. The poet was 'lonely' and unproductive before he had seen the golden daffodils. But the poet couldn't resist himself not to became cheerful and bright after seeing the daffodils. The daffodils were the representative of nature. So nature can be a great healer and a great guide to the human being. 

The poet confesses, whenever he suffers from a painful and thoughtlessness of mind, the recollection of that vision of daffodils filled his mind with joy and he becomes spiritually alive.It has opened up his inward eye,rejuvenate his painful self with a new hope.The poet says it is a kind of bliss from nature. The poet considers it as a great wealth which could make him rich spiritually. 

The poetic devices used in the poem:

Figure of speech:The poet uses the 'figure of speeches' to enhance the rhetoric effect of the poem.Figure of speech in creative writing means the meaningful language, which can imply various level of interpretations. There are various types of figure of speeches. They are simile, alliteration, personification, hyperbole and metaphor. 

Simile:Simile is a comparison between two object bearing  similar qualities. In the first stanza:"lonely as a crowd", the poet compares his lonely and unstable mind with the floating cloud which sails to any direction by the wind.

In the second stanza the poet compares the daffodils with the 'twinkling' and 'continuously shining' stars in the milky Way. 

Secondly, the poet uses Alliteration as a poetic technique to enhance the language of the poem. In the    stanza the repetition of the word 'gazed' is an alliteration. It suggests the constant look of the poet, which means the poet was amazed by the beauty of the golden daffodils. 

Thirdly, the poet uses hyperbole as a poetic device to input the depth of meaning in the poem. Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement. In the poem the exaggerated statements are:

"When all at once I saw a crowd," 

"Ten thousand saw I at a glance"

"They stretched in never-ending line"

Fourthly, the poet uses personification as a poetic technique to creat a magnitude of meaning. In personification the non-living things are described as human beings. For example :

"Fluttering and dancing the breeze. "

"Tossing their heads in sprightly dance."

"Outside the sparkling waves in glee:"

Here in  these statements the daffodils and the waves are considered as human beings. 

In the fifth, the poet uses the poetical device of 'metaphor'. Metaphor is a comparison with dissimilar objects. For example:

"They flash upon that inward eye"

Here inward eye refers to the poets mind's eye which reflects his spiritual self. 

Lastly, the poet uses  the figure of speech to creat an imagery. For example:

"lonely as a cloud" -refers to the poet's state of mind. 

"never-ending line"-refers to the countless number of daffodils. 

"Jocund company"-refers to the cheerful company of the happy daffodils. 

These are the poetic devices the poet uses in his poem  "The daffodils".

Question and answers:

1.what do you understand when says daffodils? 

Ans:Daffodils are scientifically named as Narcissus, spring flowering perennial plants, commonly  known as narcissus, daffodils and Jonquil.In most cultures Narcissus are celebrated as a symbol of hope and joy.

 In mediaeval times Europeans believed that if a Narcissus flower dropped as you looked at it was an omen of death.

In China daffodils are used as the official symbol for the beginning of the new year. 

2.when the poet says 'ten thousand daffodils saw I at a glance', what do you understand by it? 

Ans:The poet says about a huge number of daffodils he saw in one vision. 

3.The poet says that a 'poet could not be but gay/In such a jocund company!'.Is he happy or unhappy in such a company? 

Ans: The poet says that he could not resist not to be happy but to be gay. The poet became happy as he was welcomed by the thousands of golden daffodils dancing in quite cheerfulness with the blowing winds. 

4.The poet says'I wandered lonely as a cloud'. What was the condition of the poet's  mind? 

Ans:The poet's mind  was quite shrink and dark by some painful thought from some of his personal life issues. He was walking aimlessly in that vally, comparing himself as a cloud which was also floating without a definite direction. The poet's mind was also not completely the mind of him. 

5.What does the poet mean when he says that he gazed-and gazed-but little thought/What wealth the show to me had brought!'? How does the scene benefit him either materially or emotionally? Give reasons. 

Ans: The poet looked at the daffodils constantly enchanted by the beauty of the daffodils. But at that moment no thought came to his mind.The poet later on realised what a wealth that sight of daffodils had brought to him. Whenever the poet felt lonely, sad, and unproductive, the remembrance of that visual recovered him quickly from his "vacant and pensive" mood.The poet was spiritually awakened.That liveliness of his mind and spirit is like a great wealth for him. poet says whenever he often remembers the daffodils when he was in a solitary state and he became spiritually alive and which supported him to be more productive. 

6.What does "vacant and pensive Mood" mean? 

Ans:The vacant and pensive mood means the thoughtlessness state of mind which makes the poet suffer because he had lost his creative spirit. But the remembrance of the cheerful golden daffodils recover him quickly from that dark suffering and 

7.What does the 'inward eye' mean? What is it that flashes upon this eye? Do you think the poet is affected by it in anyway? Give reasons for your answer. 

Ans:The 'inward eye' metaphorically suggests the mind's eye of the poet. 

 Whenever the poet feels lonely and weak in spirit ,he recalls the 'show' or the memory of golden daffodils creats a quick flash which opens up his mind's eye and the poet becomes spiritually active. 

The  poet becomes very happy and hopeful which is perfectly expressed by the last two lines of the poet, 'And then my heart with pleasure fills, /And dances with the daffodils.'

8.Why has the poet described solitude as being blissful? 

Ans:The poet described solitude as being blissful, as the poet could discover the significance the experience in the later period of his life.The simple experience of walking  besides the golden daffodils creats a deep impression in his mind. Not a single thought had come to his mind at that moment when he was walking by enjoying the daffodils. 

But later on whenever he recalls them in his lonely and painful moment that cheerful vision of golden daffodils turns to be a bliss to him as it could transform his dark, painful spirit into an active spirit.

poetic Technique:

1.What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? 

Ans:The poem contains four stanzas of six lines. The rhyme scheme of the poem is- a, b, a, b, c, c. The ending two lines is in rhyming couplet, expresses an independent meaning in itself. Example from the first stanza:

I wandered lonely as a cloud  a

   That floats on high o'er vales and hills, b

When all at once I saw a crowd, a

A host, of golden daffodils, b

Beside the lake, beneath the trees, c

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. C

All the four stanzas repeating the same rhyme scheme of a b a b c c. 

The  last two lines are called the rhyming couplet. They expresses individual meaning. 

Structure of the poem daffodils:

Each line of the poem is structured in iambic tetrameter. The iambic tetrameter is a meter in poetry which refers to the four "iambs" or feet in each sentence of a poem. .In each "iambs" or feet means there is one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. In each line in poetry there is four(tetra) "iambs", so it is called iambic tetrameter. 

Wordsworth wrote his poems and sonnets in iambic tetrameter.

 Example of iambic tetrameter from the 1st stanza of the poem:

"I/ wan/ derd/ lone/ ly/ as/ a/cloud

That/floats/on/high/o'er/vales/and/ hills,"

The first three stanza describes the experiences of Wordsworth enjoying the beauty of golden daffodils. And the last stanza is the memory of that experience. 

The main theme of the poem is the role of nature in human life. According to wordsworth nature's beauty can be a great spiritual guide to human being.

 

Questions on reference to the context. 

1."Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky Way, 

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance." 

a.What does "they"refer to? 

b. Why have they been compared to the Milky Way? 

c. Pick out an example of personification from these lines. What is the picture created by this description? 

d. Find an example of a rhyming couplet from these lines. 

Answers:

a. The term "They" refer to the daffodils. 

b. The poet saw daffodils were blooming in countless numbers, appeared sparkling golden in hue, under the bright sunshine. So the poet compares the daffodils with the continuously twinkling stars in countless numbers in the milky Way. 

c. The poet describes the daffodils as "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance". Here the poet uses the poetic device of 'personification' by giving human qualities to the daffodil flowers as they are dancing in happiness. 

d. In this stanza the last two lines are rhyming couplet. The ending word 'glance' is rhymed with 'dance'. The two lines have an individual meaning in itself. 

 

 

'The Landscape of the Soul' by Nathalie Trouveroy

The landscape of The Soul

Nathalie Trouveroy was born on 2nd February, 1975 in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

She was the wife of a Belgium ambassador, Guy Trouveroy, who was appointed to India,Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives during the year 1999 to 20003.She travelled  many countries along with her husband. 

Nathalie Trouveroy had her Masters in the history of art and archeology, with a specialization in Japanese Art, form Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. 

Nathalie Trouveroy had learnt calligraphy from Yu Quilling, direct descendent of a seventh century royal calligrapher of China, when she was with her husband in China. 

Nathalie Trouveroy was an accomplished translator. She had translated many catalogues and art work from Dutch into different European languages, as she had worked as a translator in major museums in Belgium.Natalie had a special interest in Asian Art. She was inspired by Indian artists from North to South and she worked to combine her talent as an art historian and archeologist. She had been interested by the artwork of M. F. Hussain, a natural artist in India.

 

Guy Trouveroy was the husband of Natalie Trouveroy who was the ambassador to India during the year 1999 to 2003.

In India Nathalie Trouveroy and Agnes Montanari, a trained lawer and a photographer met in a Delhi based French School where their daughters studied. Their growing friendship became a great event for the Indians. Both of them read the book "City of Djinns"a book on a travell account of India by the author William Dalrymple, a gifted writer who came to India as a correspondent of a London based newspaper " The Spectator".The travel based book "City of Djinns"was a must read book by all foreigners who visited India and it is the best contemporary work on Modern India. 

Both Nathalie and Agnes developed a zeal to transform the William Dalrymple's book " City of Djinns"into a photo album. Agnes had the preference for balack and white photograph as she says"Colours can distract the eyes from the essence of the subject especially in an country like India".

The two ladies worked jointly and completed with 49 photograph based on William Dalrymple's book "City of Djinns", translated and published as a book "City of Djinns:A Year in Delhi" (la Cite' des Djinns) . 

Both the ladies after completion of their work affected by a sense of despair, "The people of Delhi don't have a sense of belonging, they don't appreciate their rich heritage, a number of forts and havelis are lying in ruins", says Agnes. 

About the Essay - The Landscape of the Soul

   Chinese landscape painting

Nathalie worte this essay to present it in India's International  center for Art. 

The essay presents the two contrasting form of Art, which are Chinese Art and European Art.

Nathalie Trouveroy describes the two contrasting forms of Art with the help of two stories which  were very popular in teaching the classical Art form. 

The Chinese painter Wu Daozi :

A story about him was very popular in Chinese classical education because it helps the student to learn about the basic characteristics of the Chinese painting.

The story of Wu Dauozi

Wo Dauozi was a Chinese painter of the eight century. He was commissioned by the Chinese emperor Xuangzong to draw a landscape painting to decorate the palace wall. 

When Daozi completed his painting he had hidden his work behind a screen so that the emperor would be the first visitor to see it. The emperor saw the painting and appreciated the forests, high mountains,clouds floating in an immense sky, men on hilly path and birds in flight. But at this point, the artist interrupted him and said, "look Sire, in this cave, at the foot of the mountain, dwells a spirit. " The painter then clapped his hand, and the door of the cave opened. The painter entered the cave and the entrance closed behind him.. The emperor was astonished  but before the emperor could move or utter a word the painting and the painter had gone vanished from the wall without leaving a single trace of Wo Daozi's brush. The painter was never seen again in this visible world. This story has played an important part in China's classical education.

The books of Confucius and Zhuanzi are full of such anecdotes.Such stories reveals the deeper meaning of Chinese painting and helps the student to understand the Chinese art form perfectly.

The Chinese view of art:

1.he Chinese landscape is not a real landscape, it is a conceptual space and an inner spiritual one. 

The emperor appreciated the outer beauties of the landscape painting but the painter interrupted him and directed him to look into his painting by entering into it spiritually as the painter entered into his painting through a cave. 

2.The Chinese landscape is not a real landscape. The Chinese painter doesn't want to reproduce an actual view of a landscape. 

3.To understand a Chinese painting a viewer has to enter into the landscape both physically and mentally at any point with as much as dimension of time it needed to discover it's meaning. 

4.The Chinese painter doesn't want to produce a single viewpoint. One can give various dimension of meaning of a Chinese landscape. 

5.The Chinese landscape is a spiritual landscape. It has the inner meaning in it. 

6.The Chinese landscape is shanshui landscape. The word shanshui literally means mountain water.It is Daozi's view of the universe.

 According to Daozi there are two universal aspects of energy which interacts with each other in the Middle Void. The Middle Void is considered as the third element. "Yang", which is the mountain, represents the masculine aspects of universal energy, is vertical,active, warm and stable. "Yin", which is water,represents the feminin aspects of universal energy,is horizontal, moist, fluid and cool is the receptor. The mountain and water together represents the Chinese landscape. 

Yang and Yin are not the contradictory elements, but are the two complementary poles. Their interactions takes place in the Middle Void, which is the white, unpainted space in the Chinese landscape. 

The third element, which is the Middle Void, cannot be ignored because interactions between the two elements - Yang and Yin occurred in the Middle Void.Where man's role is fundamental in that space between Heaven and Earth. Man becomes the conduit of communication between the both poles  of the universe. 

Man's role in the Chinese landscape is also important.His presence is essential.Without man the landscape painting becomes meaningless. He is in Francois Cheng's wonderful expression "the eye of the landscape".

In the Chinese landscape painting the artist creates a path or a method to enter into his landscape. A viewer may enter at any point both physically and mentally into a Chinese landscape.To understand a Chinese painting one has to enter into the mind of the artist but not to borrow the eyes of the artist. 

Quinten Metsys story vs Wu Daozi's story:

The story represents a contrast to the Chinese view of art. The painter didn't draw the eye of the dragon, for fear that it would fly out of the painting if the eye was drawn. Western painting is figurative , reproduces the actual view in art. 

The story of Quinten Metsys of Antwarp:

In the fifteenth century in Antwarp, there was a master blacksmith , Quinten Metsys, who fell in love with a daughter of a famous painter of that time. But the painter didn't want his daughter to marry with a blacksmith. Then oneday Quinten Secretly entered in the painter's chamber and draw a fly in his latest panel. When the painter entered in his chamber and saw the fly in his panel he tried to swat it away. But he realised that it was a painted fly. Then he immediately appointed that Quinten as his apprentice and allow his daughter to marry him. 

Both the story actually represents the true essence of the European painting. 

The features of the European painting:

1.The European artists tries to reproduces the actual view of the painting. The fly of Quinten Metsys created a kind of illusionistic likeness that it looked so life like and real that the famous artists tried it to drive away. 

2. European artists creates an illusionistic likeness to  reproduces an actual view of the painting. So the European painting is based on delicate realism. Metsys's fly looked so lifelike and real that the famous painter tried to swat it away. But he realised his mistake and immediately appointed Quinten Metsys as his apprentice painter. 

3.The European artists chooses to show a single viewpoint from a specific angle.To understand a European painting one has to borrow the painter's eye and need to learn what the painter actually wants his viewer to see  through his painting. 

4.western painting is figurative painting and the artist tries to reproduce  the actual view in art. 

5.European painter wants his viewer to borrow his eyes and look at a particular landscape exactly as he saw it, from a specific angle. 

2nd part of the "Landscape of the soul" is "Getting Inside the Outsider Art".

It is an another gner of art, which was recognised as the Outsider Art Or the Art Brute. 

Nathalie Trouveroy mentions this excerpt  from an article written by Brinda Suri, published in Hindustan Times, 28 August 2005.

The concept of the Outsider Art was first popularised by a French painter Jean Dabuffet in the year 1940 as "art brut".The " art brut" means  the art work of some artists who have "no right" to be artists as they have received formal training, yet show talent and artistic insight. They are untrained visionaries and have minorities of interest. 

The notion of the Art Brut or the Outsider Art:

The notion of 'art brut' or 'raw art' is the works of art in raw state as regards cultural and artistic influences. The outsider artists have no academic training so their art is not considered equal to the contemporary fine arts. 

Nek Chand is the biggest contributor of outsider artist of India. 

Nek Chand's Rock Garden at Chandigarh

In India such an untutored genius who created, by clearing a little patch of jungle, a garden, with sculpted stone and recycled materials some human figures which is known to the world as the Rock Garden at Chandigarh. His name is Nek Chand, an 80 years old creator and director who is now considered as the greatest contributor of the outside art. 

The Raw Vision, a Uk based magazine, pioneer in outsider art, in it's fiftieth issue(Spring 2005,anniversary issue's cover) highlights Nek Chand's Rock Garden sculptures as "women by waterfall".

Nek Chand considered, to him,is the greatest reward when one will walk through his garden.

 

Questions and answers:

1.Contrasting features of Chinese view of art with the European view with examples.

Answer:Chinese view of art is quite different from the European view of art.

 A classical Chinese artist doesn't want to reproduce an actual view of the landscape. Whereas the European artist creates an illusionistic likeness and it is based on delicate realism. 

The Chinese emperor could appreciated the physical appearance of the landscape only, the artists showed him the way to look within. 

The painter entered into the drawn cave and door closed behind him. The painting was vanished with the painter. 

The emperor could understand the inner meaning of the painting after that. The physical landscape was gone vanished and the spiritual landscape was unfolded to the emperor. 

The painted 'fly' of Quinten

 Metsys was creating an illusion that the painter thought it was a real fly and tried to drive it away. The European artists tries to reproduce the actual view of the painting. A viewer has to borrow the artist's eyes to understand his painting from a specific angle. But the Chinese artist only shows the path to go inside the landscape to understand the inner meaning of the landscape. Chinese artist doesn't choose a single  viewpoint. 

Asian Art tries to capture the essence of inner life and spirit. Contrast to this, the European art tries to achieve a perfect, illusionistic likeness.

 

2.Explain the concept of 'shanshui'. 

Ans:The Chinese landscape is 'shanshui' landscape. According to Wo Daozi there are two universal element, Yang and Yin. That is the Daoist philosophy of universe. Yang is mountain and represents the masculin aspects of energy which is stable, warm and vertical. Yin is the water and represents the feminine aspects of energy which is moist, fluide and cool, horizontally rests on earth. 

The interaction of Yin, the receptive and feminine with the counterpart of Yang, active and masculine is the fundamental notion of Daoism. 

The interaction of Yang and Yin takes place in the Middle Void which is considered as the third element. The white unpainted space of the Chinese landscape represents the Middle Void.

The man plays a fundamental role in the Chinese landscape.The man is in Francoise Cheng's Words 'the eye of the landscape'. Man becomes the connector between the two spaces- the Heaven and Earth. 

 

Father to son by Elizabeth Jennings

"Father and son, we both must live /On the same globe and the same land,"

A line from the poem :

Father to Son -by Elizabeth Jennings

A glorious future,  the time would bring to mankind, when the parents and child would go hand in hand and live in the same globe and  the same land. 

About the poet

Elizabeth Jennings was an English poet. She was born on 18 July, 1926,Boston, United

Kingdom.

 She died on 26 October,2001,Bampton, United Kingdom. 

Elizabeth Jennings was the only woman in a group of poets dedicated in a trend of anti-romantic aesthetic in poetry which was  known as The Movement. The other poets were with her, Philip Larkin, Kingsley, Amis and Jhon Gunn. Jennings was a lyric poet and excelled in simplicity in metre and rhyme  in her traditional,objective  and plainspoken  style of poems. 

Elizabeth Jennings had her education at Oxford High School and St. Anne's College, Oxford. 

She had published 26 books on poetry in her life-time. Jennings was not secured with financial position and suffered from severe psychological problems from her very childhood.In her literary work there is an intense shadow of her personal suffering though not explicitly of autobiographical.

Jennings had to undergo severe difficulties in keeping balance between her practical career of life and her well being of health and mind. In 1992 when she was invited to accept the honour from the Queen, she wore a knitted hat, duffle Coat and canvass shoes, and she was named as bag- lady of the sonnets. 

Elizabeth Jennings was the prominent poet of the second half of the twentieth century of England. 

 Due to her immense poverty she had suffered a lot, for which she was nick-named as bag-lady, colloquially. 

Her poems were published in various journals such as in Oxford Poetry, New English Weekly, The Spectator, Outposts and Poetry Review. 

She was influenced by the poets like, Hopkins, Auden, Graves and Muir. 

Jennings second book was published in 1992 "A Way of Looking", won Somerset Maugham award, which was a turning point in her life. The prize-money enabled her to live in Rome for three months. 

Jennings was a devout Roman Catholic.Jennings was awarded an Honorary  Doctorate of Divinity from Darham University shortly before her death. she died in October of 2001.

 

Summary of the poem"Father to Son"

Stanza 1

"I do not understand this child".

The child is like a stranger for the father:

The poem is written in a subjective mood, explaining by a father, his deep love and anguish for his son whose world, now is different from him.Though the father and son are living in the same house under the same roof for years both they are unable to converse and understand each other. So the father says that he speaks with his son like a stranger. 

Father is expressing his helplessness. 

The  father is expressing his extreme helplessness because in their relationship something is lacking that they can't communicate with each other normally and so there exists minimal interactions between them. He lives mentally in a different world with his own interests and ideologies which the father couldn't accept or compromise with. The son doesn't want to walk along with father because he has no understanding with his father.Therefore a is gap occurs in their relationships. Both the father and son suffers for that. 

"I know nothing of him, "

Both the father and son lives in two different world with their own whims and interests. Father don't want to compromise with his son  ways of living which is influenced by modern age.  The son is influenced by thoughts and cultures of the modern times. The son develops a different attitude towards his life rather than developing a resemblance with his father. 

The father is confessing:

"Yet have I killed"

The father is constantly trying to build up a relationship with his son like the relationship which they both enjoyed in the past when his son was a small kid. But the father is failed because he can't accept his son's likes and dislikes. Therefore a gap Or vaccum is created in their relationship because both they are unable to understand each other's world. 

The son, after becoming an adult developed to be a seperate individual with individual interest and thoughts. He is unable to go hand in hand with his father in some matters, as the time has brought changes to various things. 

Stanza 2

"The seed I spent or sown it where

The land is his and none of mine? "

The poet here inputs the image of a gardener as an effective poetic device to bring out the father's helplessness in more clear way. 

The father had invested all his love and support in upbringing his child as a individual like him. The 'seed' here implies the father's sacrifices, love and support in upbringing hs child to a man like him. 

"The land is his and none of mine? "

The son doesn't resemble to his father by character. He develops to be a different  individual.Because his thoughts and ideals doesn't align to his father. His son has created a seperate land by his own individualistic character. He can't compromise his own ideals with his father.

 So the father confesses that both of them speaks like a stranger because in their relationship. There  is no mutual understanding and mutual respect for each other's opinions and views. 

"there is no sign of understanding in the air."

There is no environment of mutual understanding and mutual respect for each other in that home. 

"This child is built to my design

Yet what he loves I cannot share." 

The father says he has brought up his child with his own culture. Like an architect designes a house or a plant the father has brought up his son according to his own desire to see him grow like him. But after becoming an adult the son developed different cultures from his father. The father neither loves nor shares anything with his son's cultures. The father is unable to acknowledge his son's thoughts and his ways of living. And the son has no respect for his father's thoughts and ideals. It is, because of the lack of understanding between the two , there arises a huge vaccum in their relationship. 

Stanza 3

"Silence surrounds us."

The father and the son, both are unable to talk and share any emotion with each other. Both they are living in the two seperate world with their own egos, respectively. 

"I would have Him prodigal, "

The father here considers his son as the Prodigal  Son, which is one of the parables (Luke :15-11-32) from Bible, is important for Jesus's teaching to his disciples. 

Meaning :Prodigal

A person who spends money recklessly, 

spending money in a wasteful way, Spendthrift, 

spending money extravagantly. 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son:

According to the Bible (Luke 15:11-32) a man has two sons.The younger son asks his father for his inheritance. Father agreed to share him his part, as an heir. The son moved out from his father and spend all the money extravagantly, and became penniless at last. At last he realised his fault and returned to his father and asked him to forgive his sin. The father welcomed him by forgiving him and accepted him to live with him as before. 

     

Significance of the Biblical reference of the prodigal son:

It is an important parable in the Gospel of Luke(15:11-32) for Jesus's teaching of His mercy, grace and His desire for relationship. 

The father in the poem wants to forgive his son like the prodigal son. 

The father doesn't want his son to move and make his different world. 

Like Jesus the Father, the father in this poem loves his son unconditionally. Like Jesus's mercy and grace the father in the poem would forgive his son when he would come to him with repentance. 

"Shaping from sorrow a new love"

The father is eagerly waiting to renew his relationship with his son and wishes his son would come to him with repentance.

Shaping -to rebuild or reunion

Sorrow-repentance, confession

new love-new relationship. 

Stanza 4

In this stanza, the father is very assertive that with his son they must live in the same world by following the same ideology. The father is insisting "On the same globe" and "the same land", which is a positive faith of the father regarding his ability to renew his relationship with his son as well as his eagerness in forgiving his son and in accepting his son as he is now. 

But, the father expresses his utmost grief that he is unable to understand what his son speaks to him. The poet is expressing the father's helplessness in a vivid way that the father's shortcomings in character which prevents him to understand and accept his son in his own ways. 

Father's impracticability to compromise with son makes him sad. On the other hand his son also speaks turns to be impractical. Because in both of their approach something is lacking that is their mutual understanding and mutual respect. 

"We each put out an empty hand, 

Longing for something to forgive. "

Both the father and son are eager to come into close to compromise, but both they are stretching an empty hand, for which they fails. 

"Longing for something"

Both the father and son are searching for some excuse to forgive each other. 

But the scene continues. The poet ends her poem in a sense of open ending. 

Theme of the poem:

The poet deals with the theme of a general one, which is universal also,is the theme of generation gap between two generations and it's reasons and the ways to eliminate it .

The poet presents us a father who is in deep anguish, because he has no communication with his son in that sense that he can't understand his son's ways of thinking and his ways of living his life. 

The father is in deep agony that he had brought up his son with all his love and values but his son develops to be a different one from him in thoughts and values.

 

The father is unable to accept his son naturally , who develops his character influenced by the values of modern times. The father is also confessing his fault in character. 

The father and son both are realising their drawbacks in their character that they have no mutual respect and understanding for each other. They are approaching with their empty hands and they fails to  come closer and the gap continues to last. 

The poetic devices used in the poem:

The poet uses certain poetic devices to create a deeper sense of meaning.

 

Metaphor:

In this poem certain comparisons are made on the basis of the sense or quality. 

In the first stanza the word "killed" Is used to mean the destruction of a relationship which is alike the killing a life. 

In the stanza 2 the application of certain words in lines:seed, spent, sown are used as metaphor. "Seed" here compares with the values and ideals. The word "spent"is compared with the sacrifices a father does in upbringing a child. The word "swon" Is metaphorically means giving value learning in upbringing his child. 

Alliteration:

In the second stanza the repetition of consonant in these words-"seed that I spent or swon. "

Speak like strangers

Silence Surrounds us

Simile:

"We speak like strangers"

The conversations of father and son is like the conversations like strangers. 

The rhyme scheme of the poem:

The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme. In each six line stanzas a particular rhyme- scheme is followed in four stanzas. The rhyme -scheme of the poem is abba, ba is followed in four stanzas. 

The rhyme-scheme in stanza 1-(the rhyming words of the each line) 

                child-a

                 now-b

                 Know-b

                 build-a

                 how-b

                 killed-a

The same rhyme scheme is continuing in the last three stanzas. 

Major questions:

1.Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal? 

Answer:The poet talks of an exclusively personal experience though it has an universal appeal. The father's deep anguish and mental seperation with his prodigal son, his willing to forgive his fault and his desire to build a strong relationship with his son are common in all parents of the world and will occur in every coming generation. 

The problem of generation gap occurs commonly in all the parents due to their inability to accept the changes brought by modern times naturally to their son's character though, quite against their cultures and ideologies

Elizabeth's poem relates about a father who is stoic in nature and remains static in a particular point. The father is indulgent, though forgiving and merciful, his stoicism doesn't help him to recover his pungent relationship with his son. 

The son is the product of the modern times though he is not developing a character of accepting his father, who is representing the elder generation, as naturally as what he is. 

Both the father and son lacks something for which both of them are stretching their empty hand in vain and the problem of the generation gap continues to exist.

 

2.Identify the phrases and lines that indicate the distance between father and son. 

Answer:The father's helplessness are brought out in many phrases throughout the poem.

 In the stanza 1

"I do not understand this child"

"Yet have I killed"

In the stanza 2

"The land is his.... none of mine? "

"We speak like strangers, "

"This child is built to my design

Yet what he loves I cannot share. "

In the stanza 3

"Silence surrounds us"

"I would have Him prodigal"

"I would forgive him too, "

In the stanza 4

"He speaks:I cannot understand

Myself, why grows from grief." 

"Longing for something to forgive. "

3.How is the father's helplessness brought out in the poem? 

Answer:In the poem "Father to Son" the father's helplessness are brought out in a very vivid way. 

In the stanza 1 the father mentions his son as "this child" Which is extremely pathetic. Thought he father and son lives together in the same house for many years the father "knows nothing of him".The father is pathetically expresses his wish to renew his relationship with his son as it was in his childhood days. 

In the stanza 2 the father says that they are now speaking like strangers. The father expresses his deep anguish that his son whom he had brought up by investing his love and cultures, now becomes a individual different in views and ideologies from him. There is a generation gap occues in between them. They are unable to understand each other. The father had brought up his child according to his desire but his desires is being discarded by his son and he develops a new land for him. 

In thestanza 3 the silence gripped in their environment as the father and son is unable to talk and share any emotion. The father feels helpless and wants his prodigal son to return to  his home which he knows well and he is ready to forgive him . The father desires to rebuild a relationship with his son,by turning his repentance to a confession. 

In the stanza 4 the father cries out helplessly for his own inability to understand his son and to extend his hand to build up a new relation with his son. The father is helpless as he says, "Father and son, we both must live On the same globe and the same land. " Both the father and son are wishing each other to forgive but they are looking for an excuse to go ahead. 

4.Does the poem have a consistent rhyme scheme? 

Answer:The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is abba, ba, which is followed in four stanzas of the poem.