Subodh Bhattarai (English & Communication Notes - BBA/BBS/BBBS/BHM/BIM/BMS/MBA/MBS & +2)

Summary: The story  The Looking Glass  by  Anton Chekhov  is about a young woman who dreams day and night about getting married and settling down happily with the perfect man. One night, while sitting in front of her looking glass, she has a vision of what her future might be like. She sees the reality of living and raising a family in rural Russia in the late 1800s. The couple battle disease, financial difficulties and the challenges of raising errant (uncontrolled) children. She then sees her husband’s death and asks herself:  Why is it, what is it for?  Her dreams have turned into a nightmare. In this story, Anton Chekhov explores the theme of love through the essence of a dream. Through an omniscient (all-knowing) perspective, the reader is able to grasp the importance of the dream through the mind of the main character,  Nellie , who has always fantasised about marriage ever since she was a little girl and believes that only by depending on a man will she find true happiness and s

  The Gift in Wartime            Tran Mong Tu (Translated by Vann Phan) Tran Mong Tu  was born and grown up in Hai Dong, North Vietnam in 1943. She frequently contributes poems and short stories to Vietnamese literary publications in the US and other countries.  “War is a terrible thing,”  says Tran, who has first-hand experience of the Vietnam War (1954-1975). According to Tran, “The Vietnam War is a shameful experience, for both Vietnamese and Americans.” Many people in both countries felt the terrible tragedy of the war. Losses in the war were heavy; more than two million Vietnamese and 57,000 Americans died. In the poem  'The Gift in Wartime' , Tran addresses an absent person (a loveable person). For example, as she says, “I offer you roses,” the person to whom she is speaking is not present and can neither hear nor understand what she is saying (because he is no more). The theme of the poem is the consequences of the war amongst the humans. War never brings peace, happines

  WHO ARE YOU, LITTLE i? E E Cummings  Background : The poem " who are you, little i " by E.E. Cummings is a short yet profound reflection on memory, childhood, and the beauty of nature. Through the perspective of a child, the poem explores the fleeting moments of life and the innocence with which they are experienced. Structure and Style: E.E. Cummings is known for his unconventional use of language, punctuation, and capitalization, and this poem is no exception. The title, "who are you, little i," uses lowercase letters, which is characteristic of Cummings' style. This choice may symbolize humility, innocence, or a sense of smallness in the vast world. The poem is brief, only eight lines long, and this conciseness mirrors the simplicity and purity of a child's perspective. Line-by-Line Interpretation Lines 1-2: " who are you, little i / (five or six years old) " These lines introduce the speaker as "little i," referring to a young chi

 

 

  All the World's a Stage William Shakespeare  Glossary   Infant: child during the first few years of life William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Mewing: a week crying sound Puking: vomiting Whining: an unpleasant sound Satchel: school bag Creeping: to move slowly Unwillingly: not wanting to so something Sighing: to take and then let out a long deep breath Woeful: very bad or serious/sorrowful Mistress: a woman Pard: a leopard   Cannon: artillery/gun Capon: a male chicken that has been castrated (neutered) Severe (su’veer): serious/intense Slippered: shod with slippers Pantaloon: trousers worn in former times Hose: tights, thin trousers that men word in Shakespeare’s time Shank: the part of the human leg Treble: child’s high voice/high-pitched Oblivion: forgetfulness/a state of nothingness Sans: without/lacking There are two major literary devices used in this poem namely,  metaphor  and  simile . Simile examples: “creeping like a snail”, “soldier … bearded like the pard”, etc. Metaphor e