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

Lekhnath Paudyal, (1885-1996) (Translated By: Laxmi Prasad Devkota) Kavi Siromani Lekhanath Poudyal ( कवी शिरोमणी लेखनाथ पौड्याल) was born in 1941 B. S. at Kaski, Nepal. His father's name was Pandit Durgadutta and Vasundhara Devi was his mother. He started learning at the early age of 5. Lekhnath Paudyal got married at the age of 14, but unfortunately lost his wife at the age of 20. He was inspired by the writings of Motiram Bhatta and Balmiki . Lekhnath Poudyal contributed immensely towards Nepali Language and Literature. His poems describe the touch of Nepal and its nature with simplicity. "Pinjra Ko Suga"( पिंजडाको सुगा) is his unforgettable poem which expressed the cruelness of Rana rulers against the Nepali people. The poem symbolizes that the Nepali peoples are like a parrot inside a cage and Rana as the jailer. He was jailed for the poem and the poem was used as a song by political heroes in jail. Lekhnath Poudyal was honoured with title "Siro Mani...

Bhupi Sherchan (1936-1989) Translated by Padma Devkota Bhupi Sherchan was the first free style poet in Nepali literature. He has analysed humans and human life in different ways but his biggest contribution to Nepalese society is that he has tried to show the way to the new generation through his numerous poems. He was a fierce nationalist and loved his country and countrymen above all else. His down to earth rationalism can be seen in his classic poem " Hami " where he claimed that we Nepalese are brave but foolish and because we are brave we are foolish. His intense love for the nation and the goodwill of the nation can be seen in his odes to the martyrs of Nepal. Bhupi Sherchan was awarded the Sajha Puraskar in 2026 B.S. Famous works: Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche (A blind man on the revolving chair), Sahid Ko Samjhana (In the memory of martyr), Main Batti Ko Sikha (Flame of a candle), Ghantaghar (Clock-tower), Hami (Us),  etc. The Clock Tower captures the image of ...

E.V. Lucas, England (1868-1938) The story ‘ Third Thoughts ’ by E.V. Lucas (1868-1938) is a great satire of the common human mentality. This story was told to Lucas by his friend who had a business especially buying at dearer (higher) prices and selling at cheap. However, he always used to bear the loss. He used to think that one day luck would favour him. As he thought, once he earned abnormal profit by selling Turner’s panting at 50 pounds which he had bought at only 10 shillings from a curio (Something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting) shop at Cathedral city . He was really happy and excited for the first time in his business so he wanted to share half of his profit with the dealer. But since he had no stamps to send the parcel, he went to the bed.   When he woke up at 3.30 am, again he began to think that sharing half of the profit is not a good idea because no one had done this to him yet. Then he thought of giving ten pounds. Due to unexpectedly earning an abnormal ...

Shel Silverstein, USA (1930-1999) Literal Comprehension : This poem "Invitation" has been composed by 20th century American poet Shel Silverstein. The speaker in the poem invites different persons with different natures with them to accompany with her. He invites the readers who are imaginative as dreamers or even liars who always tell lie. Hopers who for something are prayers of religious deities or persons with magical power are invited to her. He even invites to the pretenders who pretend to be superior or greater to others. So, whoever the readers are, they all are invited by the speaker to sit by him to spin the Flex Golden Tales. The tales are more colorful and very much imaginative, adventurous and with many more outstanding qualities. He invites the readers for four times to accompany him unfolding Flex Golden Tales. Interpretation : The poem "Invitation" might be trying to create a good readership especially in young generation. Modern young ...

Isaac Asimov, USA (1920-1992) In this argumentative essay the writer makes an argument that intelligence is not absolute but is a function of the society. Often we define intelligence with respect to human qualities. Thus, as we tend to consider ourselves as the most intelligent species, we compare other species to ourselves. Yet, is this really possible?  "We willingly accept the idea of intelligence in a life form only if the intelligence displayed is on the same evolutionary wavelength as our own. Technology automatically indicates intelligence. An absence of technology translates into an absence of intelligence." Truly, intelligence seems to be relative, in that it evolves to fulfill the needs of the particular species. How, then, can we truly compare the intelligence of a crocodile with that of a whale or that of a human? Evolutionary speaking, scientists agree that organisms seem to have become more complex behaviorally. Some argue that this is correlated with i...

Anton Chekhov, Russia (1860-1904) In this story, Alyohin, a narrator is the main character. He is a graduated person but he chose to work in his own field with his servants because his land was heavily mortgaged by his acparents for his study. One morning  Alyohin  was having breakfast with his friends (Burkin and Ivan). Alyohin told them about the different love affairs: first about his servants and then about his own.  In the story, the writer talks about expressed love of Nikanor and Palegeya and unexpressed love of Alyohin and Anna. Three friends Alyohin, Burkin and Ivan are having breakfast in Alyohin’s house. In the meantime, Nikanor, his servant came to ask what the guests would like to have for dinner in the evening. When Alyohin looked at Nikanor , he reminded of his love affair with Pelageya and started to tell the story. After his story over, Alyohin told about his own experience. Then t...

Ray Young Bear (1950- ) if i were to see  her shape from a mile away i 'd know so quickly  that it would be her. the purple scarf and the plastic shopping bag. हजुरआमा  if  i   felt hands on my head i 'd know that those were her hands  warm and damp with the smell of roots. if i heard a voice coming from  a rock i ' d know  and her words would flow inside me  like the light of someone stirring ashes from a sleeping fire at night. Notes and References: stirring (v): moving slightly   Grandmother, written by American- Indian poet Ray Young Bear, is a recollection of poet's profound love for his grandmother. The poet draws the unique picture of his grandmother - all loving and all inspiring- through the use of images. The poet figure out cultural identity of American Indian or Mesquaki people. Metaphorically, the poem ‘Grandmother’ has connection with Mesquaki tribe and the ident...

Andrew Marvell , England (1621-1678) Marvell didn't become very popular until T. S. Eliot wrote an essay praising him for his ability to shift between high seriousness and humour. This poem was first published after Marvell's death, by his housekeeper. To His Coy Mistress  is divided into three stanzas. A narrator is an anonymous man speaking to an anonymous woman.   In the first stanza, the narrator tells the mistress—not a woman on the side but simply a lady—that if they had had more time and space, her " coyness " or teasing/shyness wouldn't be an issue. He goes on to describe how much he would compliment and admire her if time permitted. He would focus on every inch of her body until he got to the heart—(a metaphor for her sex organ and love.) In the second stanza, the narrator basically tells her, “ But we don't have time and we're about to get old and die .” He says that life is short but death is eternal and time is running out. In addition, the s...

David Herbert Lawrence, England (1885-1930) Background : D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) was born on 11 September 1885 in Eastwood, a coal-mining village in  Nottingham-shire  England. He was the fourth child of a struggling coal miner who was a heavy drinker. His mother was a former schoolteacher, greatly superior in education to her husband. Lawrence's childhood was dominated by poverty and friction between his parents. He was educated at Nottingham High School, to which he had won a scholarship. He briefly became a teacher. Despite his hard background he grew up to become a writer that wrote about the relationships between men and women and between human beings and the natural world. He became one of the greatest figures in 20th-century English literature. In 1912 he met Frieda von Richthofen, a professor’s wife and fell in love and eloped [ran away] with her. As a result, he led a nomadic (mobile) or wandering existence. D. H Lawrence became a novelist,  story-writer , cr...