INTERNATIONAL POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE (IPRC) - 2024
29th November,
2024, Sri Lanka
INTERNATIONAL POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE (IPRC) - 2024
29th November,
2024, Sri Lanka
INTERNATIONAL POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE (IPRC) - 2024
29th November,
2024, Sri Lanka
Introduction
At present,
there are about 18,800 pre-schools in Sri Lanka and it is a serious matter that
most of the pre-school teachers are not diploma holders. According to the Minister
of Education, only 6,000 out of 34,000 pre-school teachers in Sri Lanka are
diploma holders. First of all, these
teachers should have academic and professional qualifications for the
employment opportunities in overseas countries. In addition to that, they must
also have a sound English knowledge to teach in English medium. It is now
apparent that these pre-school teachers are required to meet three main
requirements; namely, academic and professional qualifications and competence
in the English language. Those who are incompetent in English can be employed
in Sri Lanka as preschool teachers whereas those who are competent in English
can get job opportunities in overseas countries. Both sources directly or
indirectly contribute to the national economy of the country. The objective of
the present study is to ascertain whether these teachers are academically and
professionally qualified with a sound English knowledge to be employed as
pre-school teachers in foreign countries, which brings foreign exchange to Sri
Lanka. The sample for the research was taken from the North Central Province
(NCP). Both primary and secondary data were used for the research. Qualitative
method was also applied to collect information. Results and findings of the
study imply that pre-school teachers of the NCP are much weaker in English
whereas to some extent, they are academically and professionally qualified
respectively it is ……. % and ……%, which is also below the required international
standard. It was also found that only ……% of the pre-school teachers are
competent in English. Hence, it is suggested that while they should be
academically and professionally promoted as pre-school teachers for the
national and international job market, they should also follow an instant and
effective English course for improving their English knowledge for teaching in
English medium in the overseas countries.
Keywords:
Pre-school Teachers, Overseas Job Market, Academic and Professional, English
Big Match-1983
The
poem is an objective perception of the ethnic conflict that erupted in Sri
Lanka in 1983. The poem opens with how media report about the outbreak of
ethnic violence in the country. The general civilian life gets disturbed and
the tourist arrivals to the country get cancelled. The ordinary public life
turns topsy-turvy. “Flash point in paradise” and “racial pot boils over” are
the headlines which the newspapers carry around the world. It seems that poet
is subtly sarcastic over the sensational wording of the situation reported by
the media. The way the poet relates the incident seems to have a touch of irony
and pun. An arrival of an expatriate boy in search of his lost roots, lost
lovers, lost talents as poet says is timely. Yet he seems to be gripped by
unexpected circumstances of violence and bloodshed. The title itself seems to
be a nuance that seemingly carries an idea of a popular event in Sri Lanka.
Probably the poet uses this in order to highlight the common mentality of the
people in Sri Lanka and how they treat the incident. The poet reminiscences
over how the ethnic violence first sparks off in the Isle. She traces it back
to “forty-eight and fifty-six”. But it seems her focal point is treacherous
politics played in nineteen fifty-eight by making Sinhala the state language.
The politicians riding on popular waves of electoral promises as depicted by
the poet have contributed in fuelling the ethnic sentiments of the masses. It
seems that they have comfortably ignored the opinions of the academia in the
country. Big match-1983 English Literature Grade 10 & 11 The poet makes
very dexterous maneuvering of words in coloring it with popular big match
cricket. This may be to heighten the fact that people enjoy sadism in hurting
others in the same spirit as they welcome big match cricket in Sri Lanka. As
the high spirited young boys take to streets with great enthusiasm which
sometimes even the adults overlook during the big match season, the ethnic
violence seems to be on rampage while the authorities pay a blind eye over what
is happening under their nose. She goes on to say that the violence has reached
the unprecedented proportions than the highest runs scored in a game of cricket
at the oval grounds. The fourth stanza spotlights one isolated incident where
an old man living “in a tall house with old books and pictures” is answering
the phone. The words of the old man are packed with razor sharp sarcasm and
insult over what is happening at the time. The caller seems to be someone who
domiciles away from the country. The old man seems to be gripped by the
eventful days filled with fear and trepidation. Though the days are filled with
horror and suspense the old man doesn’t seem to lose his sense of humor. He
says life is full of unexpected twists and turns which drive away the boredom
and monotony. He calls the mobs the “brave lads”. No sooner the curfew is
lifted they are back on the street as if they enjoy every bit of what they are
doing. This seems to be the order of the day and the old man says that he sends
away his loved ones to a neighbor’s home for safe. Big match-1983 English
Literature Grade 10 & 11 But he seems to be ready to fight back and protect
his valuable books which he thinks are more important than his own life. He
washes away his nervousness and anxiety in liquor which he says is more
excessively consumed than usual. He humbly thanks the caller in an unruffled
voice for his concern over the wellbeing of him and his family. The sixth
stanza starkly illustrates some inhuman and callous circumstances which had
become the commonplace during the period of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka. The
brutal killings of unarmed innocent civilians and the destruction of valuable
property seem to be the order of the day. The telephone conversation concluded
with heart pouring gratitude and he was surprised over the communication
network which was still uninterrupted. Because when the violence broke out most
of the telecommunication lines were damaged and the civil life literally came
to a standstill. Dead bodies lying on the road and the indifferent attitude of
law enforcing authorities culminated the shameful bloodbath in Sri Lanka. Big
match-1983 English Literature Grade 10 & 11 The last two lines of the
seventh stanza bring out the most horrendous and gruesome nature of the killing
spree which was unleashed on the ethnic minority in the country. It was
brazenly ironic to see a man being beaten to death under a Bo-tree while
pleading for his life. This leaves lot of questions than answers to the already
wounded Sri Lankan public psyche. The last stanza sums up the whole scenario
with a cutting reference to the pieties and politics which seem to have ravaged
the once calm and serene life style of Sri Lanka.
Source:
https://www.e-thaksalawa.moe.gov.lk/moodle/pluginfile.php/23109/mod_resource/content/2/sg10_elit_big_match_1983.pdf
පාසල් ප්රථම වාර පරීක්ෂණයෙන් (2024) ලකුණු 90ට වැඩියෙන් ලබා ගත් සිසුන් තම ලකුණු මෙහි සඳහන් කරන්න. දැනට ලැබී ඇති ලකුණු මෙසේය.පාසලේ නම, සිසුවාගේ නම සහ විෂය සඳහන් කරන්න.
1. අනුරාධපුර මධ්ය විද්යාලය 9 වසර නිසිනි ස්නේහා ඉංග්රීසි 96 (මාසික පරීක්ෂණය)
2. අනුරාධපුර මධ්ය විද්යාලය 9 වසර විහස් ඉංග්රීසි 97 (මාසික පරීක්ෂණය)
3. නිවත්තක චේතිය මහා විද්යාලය 6 වසර තෙනුජ ඉංගිසි 99
4 නිවත්තක චේතිය මහා විද්යාලය 6 වසර විසුල ඉංගිසි 99
5.නිවත්තක චේතිය මහා විද්යාලය 6 වසර යෙනුල් ඉංගිසි 93.
6. නිවත්තක චේතිය මහා විද්යාලය 8 වසර සෙනිත ඉංගිසි 91
7. වලිසිංහ හරිස්චන්ද්ර මහා විද්යාලය 9 වසර තිසුම් ඉංග්රීසි 91
The Nightingale and the Rose
‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ is a
fairy tale by Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). It is about a student who is in love
with a girl, a Professor’s daughter. She has told him she will dance with him
if he brings her a red rose, but the student’s garden does not contain any
roses. The Nightingale listens to the lovelorn student lamenting his hopeless
love, and feels sorry for him. She knows how rare true love is, and she knows
it when she sees it. The prince is giving a ball the following night, but
although the student and the girl he loves will both be there, she will not
dance with him without a red rose.
A Lizard, a Butterfly, and a Daisy
all tell the Nightingale that it’s ridiculous that the young student is weeping
over a red rose, but the Nightingale sympathises with him. She flies to a
nearby grass-plot and asks the Rose-tree to give her a red rose, and in
exchange she will sing for it. But, the Rose-tree says it produces only white
roses, so cannot give her what she wants. It suggests going to the Rose-tree by
the sun-dial. The Nightingale proposes the same deal with this tree, but it
replies that it only produces yellow roses, so cannot help. However, it directs
her to the Rose-tree right under the student’s window. However, although this
Rose-tree does produce red roses, the winter has frozen its branches and it
cannot produce any.
The Nightingale asks if there is any
way she can get one red rose for the student. The tree replies that the only
way of producing a red rose is for the Nightingale to sing by moonlight while
allowing a thorn to pierce her heart, so her blood seeps through to the tree
and produces a red rose. The Nightingale agrees to this, because she believes
Love to be more valuable than Life, and a human heart more precious than hers. She
goes and tells the forlorn student what she is going to do, but he doesn’t
understand her, because he only understands things written down in books. The
Oak-tree, in which the Nightingale has built her nest, does understand her
words, however, and requests one last song from the Nightingale. She sings, but
the Student, taking out his notebook, is rather unimpressed, because the bird’s
song has no practical use.
That night, the Nightingale sings
with her heart against the thorn, until it eventually pierces her heart while
she sings of love. Her heart’s blood seeps into the tree and produces a red
rose, but by the time the flower is formed the Nightingale has died. The next
morning, the Student opens his window and sees the red rose on the tree, and
believes that it is there thanks to mere good luck. Plucking the rose, he goes
to the house where his sweetheart lives, and presents her with the red rose.
But, another suitor, the Chamberlain’s nephew, has sent her jewels, which are
more valuable than flowers, so she says she will dance with him instead at the
ball that night.
The Student denounces the girl for
her fickleness, and she calls him rude. He throws the red rose into the gutter,
where a cart rolls over it. As he walks home, he decides to reject Love in
favour of Logic and Philosophy, which have a more practical use.
Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-nightingale-the-rose-summary.html
The Vendor of Sweets by R.K. Narayan
The novel
begins with Jagan talking
to his “cousin,” a man who claims kinship with Jagan despite a lack of true
clarity surrounding the matter. They live in the small Indian town of Malgudi.
The two discuss various philosophical and everyday matters as Jagan gets ready
to go home. They continue talking and part ways and Jagan eventually arrives
home. The chapter concludes with Jagan looking at a box of cash that he has
saved in a drawer as he feels content about his life and prospects.
After some
reflection, Jagan returns home and talks with his son Mali. Mali appears disturbed and Jagan cannot figure
out why. He talks to his cousin about the frustration and disillusionment that
Mali has been displaying. They talk about his father’s job and Mali appears
reviled by the notion of monotonous daily work. Mali tells him he has grown
tired of his schoolwork and wants to become a writer. He describes his plan to
enter a local novel-writing contest. His father agrees to support him in this
goal. It is revealed that Jagan's wife, Mali's mother, died from a brain tumor
and Jagan has done his best to care for Mali as much as possible.
Mali becomes
very distant from Jagan in this period and Jagan is too nervous about upsetting
him to request any updates about the progress of his work. Jagan talks to his
cousin, seeking information about Mali's writing and learns that Mali has said
that he must go to America in order to truly become a real writer. He also
learns that Mali has been taking money from him, as he knows where he keeps his
savings stashed. He is not upset by this information and agrees to support him
financially in his journey. Mali departs for America.
Mali writes
to Jagan frequently with updates about his time in America. Jagan gets excited
every time a letter comes in the mail, reading and rereading them more
frequently than he reads the Bhagavad Gita. Eventually, Mali returns to India.
He is constantly critical of the country, saying he believes it is backwards
and slow, hurting Jagan a great deal. He also brings Grace, a half-American/half-Korean woman whom he claims
is wife. He also says that he now eats beef, which goes directly against one of
the most important tenets of the Hindu faith. Jagan is shocked by all of this
change and struggles with this new information.
Mali tells
his father he has something of great urgency to discuss with him. Jagan agrees
to talk with him, but is so excited that he is home that he does not listen
closely. Later, after clarifying with his cousin, Jagan learns that Mali
intends to open a factory that manufactures story-writing machines. His son
says that he needs a loan from Jagan in order to get the business off the
ground. Jagan hedges his answers as Mali and Grace both pursue him relentlessly
about the matter. Eventually Jagan makes it apparent that he will not give Mali
the loan, but offers him his sweetmeat business, an offer that Mali harshly
rejects.
Later Jagan
meets a bearded man, who asks for his assistance making a sculpture of the
goddess Gayatri. Jagan travels to the quiet spot where he works. Jagan admires
the serenity of the artist's solitary life and makes him reconsider his life
and goals. He decides to become the artist patron and renounce most of his work
and material wealth. This decision shocks many of the people in the town, but
he remains steadfast in his decision, finding peace in this rejection of money
and worldly possessions.
Later, Jagan
learns that his son has separated from Grace and that he was never married to
her in the first place. This fact fills him with shame, as it means they have
been living together out of wedlock. He then reflects on his marriage for a
lengthy period of time, recalling his happy courtship of his wife and the
joyous day of Mali's birth.
The novel
ends with Jagan learning that his son has been arrested for public drunkenness.
Jagan talks to his cousin about this matter and shocks him with his response.
He tells him to take over his sweetmeat business and that Mali would do well to
spend some time in jail, as it might teach him some discipline. He also says,
out of affection for her, that should Grace ever want to return home to her
family, he will happily pay for it.
Source:
https://www.gradesaver.com/the-vendor-of-sweets/study-guide/summary
The poem criticizes Western influence and dependency on other nations under colonial rule. This poem describes a terrorist watching a bar where he has planted a bomb set to explode at 1:20 pm. Over the course of the minutes leading up to the explosion, the terrorist observes various people entering and leaving the bar.Well-known in her native Poland, Wisława Szymborska received international recognition when she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996.
She studied Polish literature and
society at university and worked as an editor and columnist. “The Terrorist,
He’s Watching” by Wislawa Szymborska is a poem that tells about the narrator
waiting anxiously for a planted bomb to explode in a bar, watching and
describing people as they enter and leave the bar. When a person leaves, the
narrator acts as though that person is going to miss a real treat; when a person
enters the bar, the tone of the narrator seems to increase, as though all of
those to experience the bomb are quite lucky indeed.
The speaker of the poem, at
first, seems to be that of an accomplice to the terrorist or someone who just
happens to be watching and understanding what is going on – perhaps the person
that has ordered the terrorist to leave the bomb. This can be seen in lines
1-7, when the narrator is describing the movements and actions of the
terrorist, noting how he is now safe from the blast of the bomb. It is more
likely that this first narrator is an accomplice, or someone on the inside of
the job, as, in the first line, they state the time that the bomb is supposed
to go off in the bar.
After the second stanza of the
poem, the narrator seems to be the terrorist himself, watching eagerly as
people go in and out of the bar, counting down the minutes until his bomb is
supposed to go off. This can be seen from the second stanza and until the end
of the poem, as the narrator now seems a little more aware of what is going on,
keeping the countdown by every minute and every second. The feelings of the
narrator are more pronounced – he becomes disappointed as people go on – “Was
she that dumb did she go in, or not?
And more pleased when they leave –
“The short one, he’s lucky, he’s getting on a scooter”. The role of narrator
seems to change as each person is able to get a better view of what is going on
inside of the bar. The accomplice took over first, as the terrorist was busy
setting the bomb, then, once the narrator was outside of the bar, he was able
to take over and see what was happening.
As
readers, we are able to know what he was thinking, what he was planning, and
the numerous things he was feeling as a set to put his plan in motion to kill.
Due to the use of the first person narrative, we were able to experience his
emotions almost first hand; it was though the narrator was telling us,
face-to-face, the ordeal he went through to assure the old man’s death. The use
of first person allows us to become closer to the narrator, close enough to
understand what he is doing. That is the
magic of the first person narrative – we are able to experience everything first-hand,
as though we were accompanying the protagonist.
Source: https://literaryglobe.poetry.blog/poems-2/conflict/the-terrorist-hes-watching/
The poem “Upside-Down” is a humorous poem by Alexander Kushner who has published 15 collections of poetry as well as two prose works. The central character of the poem is an eccentric person called “Upside-Down”. As the name suggests, he acts in a very absurd manner, making everything upside down.
The character Upside-Down is introduced as a jester or a
laughingstock in the town who does the exact opposite to what he is told. Why
would one do the exact opposite of what they are expected to do? All the people
talk about him, that means he is the center of attraction in the society. Can’t
this be the reason for his behavior or is he a rebellious
character?
He is
introduced as a person who cannot understand simple logics like how a boat
floating on water. Does this create humor? or should we
feel sympathy about this character? The jumbled rhyming pattern may question
this mind set of the people in the society.
The poet
introduces Upside-Down as the ‘dunder-head’ means the foolish person. He does
this because of the disorderly manner he writes and read. Can’t this be a
reason of a mental disorder? There are people who read in reverse order and
there are some people who write backward; that is because of a mental disorder
which has to be tackled carefully and cure it. By introducing this kind of
character, the poet may be trying to give the message to the reader to
understand the people around us not to laugh at their weaknesses.
Here, the
character is introduced as a funny person who wades across rivers or canals
when there is a bridge to cross. What would you do when you see someone doing
this? (You exactly know that this person is such a character) The incident, of
course creates humor, you should laugh! However, if we sit back and think about
phobias the people have in the world, you will sympathize this poor fellow. The
poet sounds ironically humorous, but he seems to be doing the same thing. The
poem may have the upside down meaning!
Upside
Down enters a restaurant and requests the opposite things which are not
available in a restaurant! (that is too wrapped in a box; humorous it is!) Why
someone do something like that? He may be actually absurd in behavior or he is
propagating new news about him to earn the attraction. Or else, he likes people
getting angry!
According
to the stanza, it is obvious that this person attracts to audience like a nail
to the magnet and he succeeds, because all the people who came to the circus
talk about him.
Upside-Down is introduced as a person who is uncertain about
himself. He is not sure the letter to be read or not, or he can or cannot.
After reading the poem up to now, the reader should start sympathizing about
this character who is over brimmed with social and mental disorders. The
disorderly rhyming pattern may suggest that fact.
Final two stanzas summarize the poem about the boy and social
expectations. People expect others to behave according to social norms. If not,
they are annoyed about the behaviors which are against the social order. If
someone constantly violates them, people laugh at them calling them lunatics.
Therefore, the poet may urge to impart the message of sympathizing about the
people who behave differently against social norms.
Source: https://www.litspring.com/2020/04/analysis-of-upside-down-by-alexander.html
Spoken English for kids
1.Where is the book?
2.It is on the table.
3.Where is the whiteboard?
4.It is on the wall.
5.Where is the teacher?
6.She is in the classroom.
7.Where is the bag?
8.It is on the desk.
9.Where is the principal?
10.
He is in the office.
‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ is a
fairy tale by Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). It is about romantic love. It is about a
student who is in love with a girl, a Professor’s daughter. She has told him
she will dance with him if he brings her a red rose, but the student’s garden
does not contain any roses. The Nightingale listens to the lovelorn student
lamenting his hopeless love, and feels sorry for him. She knows how rare true
love is, and she knows it when she sees it. The prince is giving a ball the following
night, but although the student and the girl he loves will both be there, she
will not dance with him without a red rose.
A Lizard, a Butterfly, and a Daisy
all tell the Nightingale that it’s ridiculous that the young student is weeping
over a red rose, but the Nightingale sympathises with him. She flies to a
nearby grass-plot and asks the Rose-tree to give her a red rose, and in
exchange she will sing for it. But, the Rose-tree says it produces only white
roses, so cannot give her what she wants. It suggests going to the Rose-tree by
the sun-dial. The Nightingale proposes the same deal with this tree, but it
replies that it only produces yellow roses, so cannot help. However, it directs
her to the Rose-tree right under the student’s window. However, although this
Rose-tree does produce red roses, the winter has frozen its branches and it
cannot produce any.
The Nightingale asks if there is any
way she can get one red rose for the student. The tree replies that the only
way of producing a red rose is for the Nightingale to sing by moonlight while
allowing a thorn to pierce her heart, so her blood seeps through to the tree
and produces a red rose. The Nightingale agrees to this, because she believes
Love to be more valuable than Life, and a human heart more precious than hers. She
goes and tells the forlorn student what she is going to do, but he doesn’t
understand her, because he only understands things written down in books. The
Oak-tree, in which the Nightingale has built her nest, does understand her
words, however, and requests one last song from the Nightingale. She sings, but
the Student, taking out his notebook, is rather unimpressed, because the bird’s
song has no practical use.
That night, the Nightingale sings
with her heart against the thorn, until it eventually pierces her heart while
she sings of love. Her heart’s blood seeps into the tree and produces a red
rose, but by the time the flower is formed the Nightingale has died. The next
morning, the Student opens his window and sees the red rose on the tree, and
believes that it is there thanks to mere good luck. Plucking the rose, he goes
to the house where his sweetheart lives, and presents her with the red rose.
But, another suitor, the Chamberlain’s nephew, has sent her jewels, which are
more valuable than flowers, so she says she will dance with him instead at the
ball that night.
The Student denounces the girl for
her fickleness, and she calls him rude. He throws the red rose into the gutter,
where a cart rolls over it. As he walks home, he decides to reject Love in
favour of Logic and Philosophy, which have a more practical use.
Source: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-nightingale-and-the-rose/summary
The Vendor of Sweets by R.K. Narayan
The novel
begins with Jagan talking
to his “cousin,” a man who claims kinship with Jagan despite a lack of true
clarity surrounding the matter. They live in the small Indian town of Malgudi.
The two discuss various philosophical and everyday matters as Jagan gets ready
to go home. They continue talking and part ways and Jagan eventually arrives
home. The chapter concludes with Jagan looking at a box of cash that he has
saved in a drawer as he feels content about his life and prospects.
After some
reflection, Jagan returns home and talks with his son Mali. Mali
appears disturbed and Jagan cannot figure out why. He talks to his cousin about
the frustration and disillusionment that Mali has been displaying. They talk
about his father’s job and Mali appears reviled by the notion of monotonous
daily work. Mali tells him he has grown tired of his schoolwork and wants to
become a writer. He describes his plan to enter a local novel-writing contest.
His father agrees to support him in this goal. It is revealed that Jagan's
wife, Mali's mother, died from a brain tumor and Jagan has done his best to
care for Mali as much as possible.
Mali becomes
very distant from Jagan in this period and Jagan is too nervous about upsetting
him to request any updates about the progress of his work. Jagan talks to his
cousin, seeking information about Mali's writing and learns that Mali has said
that he must go to America in order to truly become a real writer. He also
learns that Mali has been taking money from him, as he knows where he keeps his
savings stashed. He is not upset by this information and agrees to support him
financially in his journey. Mali departs for America.
Mali writes
to Jagan frequently with updates about his time in America. Jagan gets excited
every time a letter comes in the mail, reading and rereading them more
frequently than he reads the Bhagavad Gita. Eventually, Mali returns to India.
He is constantly critical of the country, saying he believes it is backwards
and slow, hurting Jagan a great deal. He also brings Grace, a
half-American/half-Korean woman whom he claims is wife. He also says that he
now eats beef, which goes directly against one of the most important tenets of
the Hindu faith. Jagan is shocked by all of this change and struggles with this
new information.
Mali tells
his father he has something of great urgency to discuss with him. Jagan agrees
to talk with him, but is so excited that he is home that he does not listen
closely. Later, after clarifying with his cousin, Jagan learns that Mali
intends to open a factory that manufactures story-writing machines. His son
says that he needs a loan from Jagan in order to get the business off the
ground. Jagan hedges his answers as Mali and Grace both pursue him relentlessly
about the matter. Eventually Jagan makes it apparent that he will not give Mali
the loan, but offers him his sweetmeat business, an offer that Mali harshly
rejects.
Later Jagan
meets a bearded man, who asks for his assistance making a sculpture of the
goddess Gayatri. Jagan travels to the quiet spot where he works. Jagan admires
the serenity of the artist's solitary life and makes him reconsider his life
and goals. He decides to become the artist patron and renounce most of his work
and material wealth. This decision shocks many of the people in the town, but
he remains steadfast in his decision, finding peace in this rejection of money
and worldly possessions.
Later, Jagan
learns that his son has separated from Grace and that he was never married to
her in the first place. This fact fills him with shame, as it means they have
been living together out of wedlock. He then reflects on his marriage for a
lengthy period of time, recalling his happy courtship of his wife and the
joyous day of Mali's birth.
The novel
ends with Jagan learning that his son has been arrested for public drunkenness.
Jagan talks to his cousin about this matter and shocks him with his response.
He tells him to take over his sweetmeat business and that Mali would do well to
spend some time in jail, as it might teach him some discipline. He also says,
out of affection for her, that should Grace ever want to return home to her
family, he will happily pay for it.
https://www.gradesaver.com/the-vendor-of-sweets/study-guide/summary
The Huntsman by Edward Lowbury
The poem, “The Huntsman” is about two
different approaches of Kagwa and that of the king. Kagwa, the brave hunter of
lions is credulous whereas the king is scrupulous. Kagwa lacks to know the art
of talking and understanding the hidden meaning of words. His approach is
superficial and is hunted by his own fate, as fate does not give a
justification for someone’s death. Here, Kagwa’s fate provides him a skull.
Kagwa is killed as he hunted animals
without reason. Kagwa is given an unexpected reward in terms of his own death.
The poem gives the moral lesson to us, first speak less, second, we should
think before we speak, third, we should not be hasty in matters. Kagwa learns a
lesson at the cost of his own life while we should learn the lesson without
loss, the folly of one person may be the wisdom of another person.
Kagwa was a very tactful hunter. He
successfully killed the lions with the help of his sword and spear, while
hiding himself behind thick bushes and trees. One day, while on a hunting trip,
he found a talking skull. When he asked the skull, how she came there. She
replied talking brought her there.
This was a miraculous discovery for
the hunter. So, he hurried to the king’s court and told him about the talking
skull, expecting to win his favour and prize. But, instead, the king expressed
strong doubts about the truth of the tale. He ordered two of his guards to
accompany the hunter and confirm the truth of his discovery. The king also
instructed them to kill him if he failed to prove it.
The guards went to the forest
accompanied by Kagwa. They found the skull after the search of many days, but
the skull did not answer any of Kagwa’s questions. He entreated the skull
earnestly to speak and save him. However, the skull remained silent. The guards
immediately acted upon the instructions of the king and cut off Kagwa’s head by
their sword.
After his death, the skull opened its
mouth and asked the hunter, how did he come there? The hunter replied, ‘Talking
brought me here’. Thus the truth of wisdom proved at the cost of hunter’s life.
“The Huntsman” sets a
fine example for the people who are engaged in unworthy and unnecessary speech.
Comment.
"The Huntsman"
has been composed by the modern English poet, Edward Lowbury. It is based on an
African folklore which explains the uncertainty of human life. The poem is an
evidence of imaginative richness and psychological insight of the poet. In this
poem, Kagwa lost his life due to talking needlessly, thus it shows that one
should be cautious when talking.
Kagwa used to hunt lions
in the forest. One day, when he was wandering in the forest, he came across the
skull of a dead man. Kagwa was surprised to see that skull and asked what had
brought it there. The skull opened its mouth and told that talking had brought it
there. But, he failed to understand the meaning of these words.
Kagwa was a simple fellow
and could not conceal this unusual discovery. Immediately, he went to the king
and told him this unbelievable incident. The king suspected the truth of his
story, but sent two guards with him. He instructed them if his story proved
false, the hunter must be put to death. They explored the forest for many days
and nights. At last, they found the skull. The hunter asked it the same
question again, but the skull remained silent. Kagwa requested the skull again
and again to speak and save his life, yet the skull did not answer. The king's
men promptly killed the hunter there and punished him for his talkative tongue.
At that moment, the skull opened its mouth and asked Kagwa how he had come
there. The dead man answered "Talking brought me here'.
The general atmosphere of
the poem is gloomy and fearful. The presence of a talking skull and the killing
of the hunter terrify us. The poem thus shows that one should be very careful
when talking to others and especially to men of authority.
Source: https://www.litspring.com/2020/09/analysis-of-huntsman-by-edward-lowbury.html
GCE OL English Language Paper Discussion and Grammar based on Reported Speech
The Earthen Goblet by Harindranath Chattopadyaya
The poem, "The Earthen Goblet" is a dialogue between a poet
and an earthen goblet where the goblet expresses regret for losing its natural
qualities. It explores themes of tradition vs modernity, the importance of
a humble lifestyle close to nature, and the impacts of losing naturalism and
freedom. This poem is written to highlight the value of living a natural and
unsophisticated life while enjoying the simplicity of life. The poem is written
in conversational form, the poet asks a question from the goblet and the goblet
answers him.
Chattopadhyay’s poetry usually deals with nature and natural
way of life. The poem is written as a dialogue between the poet and the goblet.
He wants to know how the goblet felt when it was taken from the earth and
shaped into a goblet. The answer of the goblet which forms the next three
stanzas of the poem is tinged with a sense of sadness and helplessness.
The poet questions the goblet about the feelings it
had when it was being shaped into the present form on the potter’s wheel. The
imperfect rhyming scheme may suggest that poet knows that he is asking an
absurd question. Whether the feeling is happy or sad, it does not matter; the
goblet cannot change its shape ever!
Goblet’s answer clearly states that it came to the
present form without its consent. Although it got the alert, it could not
resist as the force was so powerful. The words: ‘great’, ‘burned so warm’
suggest that. When it was being changed, it felt ‘a vast feeling of sorrow’.
That may be the understanding about its passiveness about the inevitable change
of its form. The disturbed rhyming scheme suggests its mental status about its
predicament.
The goblet recalls the hour that it was captivated
and slaughtered as well as the nostalgic feeling of its lost friendship which
was so close to its heart. The words: ‘fatal hour’, ‘captive’, ‘cast into …
sleep’ illustrate a picture of a hunter getting ready to kill an animal
captivated by him. The phrases: ‘the fragrant friendship’, ‘root was in my
bosom buried deep’ show the affectionate attachment it had with its previous
life and its surroundings. The rhyme scheme suggests its disturbed emotions
about its lost relationships.
The rhyming couplet gives the answer of the goblet
to the poet’s question about its feelings. Although it had been given a form,
it prefers the unshapely form it had in the previous life. It further complains
that the potter had killed it to get the present form so it has no life in it
now. It repents of its past, though it did not have much and craves for that
simple natural life.
This poem also gives the implication as to how a
person from a rural area, much attached to rural life is made to undergo change
in modern society, with no choice. This person was brought to the city and was
made to adapt to modern life, despite his disinterest. At the end, he turned
out be a gentleman in the city, but his attachment was for the humble,
down-to-earth life style close to nature, with his girl in the village.
This poem draws parallels to the most people in the
city who transferred from villages looking for a better life. They repent over
their past, but they cannot go back to their previous life as they are
helplessly bound to their city life.
Source: https://www.litspring.com/2020/03/analysis-of-earthen-goblet-by.html
Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, born on April 2, 1898, in Hyderabad, India, was an Indian poet, musician, actor, and politician. The author of many collections, including Ancient Wings (Theosophical Publishing House, 1923), Blood of Stones (Padma Publications, 1944), and Virgins and Vineyards (Pearl Publications, 1967), he was the younger brother of poet Sarojini Naidu. In 1973, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government. He died on June 23, 1990.
Source: https://poets.org/poet/harindranath-chattopadhyaya
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
English Literature and Japanese for GCE Adv. L classes (2026) have already commenced at Aloysius College Anuradhapura.
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Mali is insignificant when compared to his father, Jagan. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
R. K. Narayan’s The Vendor of Sweets was first
published in London in 1967. East-West conflict is the major theme of the
novel. It is the conflict between a genuine Indian or Eastern father and his
Western-bred son.
Jagan, a college-educated
man in the late fifties has made a success of his sweet shop. Though he grew
quite rich as a sweet-vendor, his main interest and concern was his only son,
Mali. Mali’s mother died of brain tumor several years back. The barrier between
the father and the son came into being the day the mother died. It might be
that Mali, a little bewildered and dismayed, felt obscurely that in some way
his father was responsible for his mother’s death. Jagan was an advocate of
nature cure. Jagan’s love both for his wife and his son was deep and
unwavering. The tragedy is that when he lost his wife, he lost also any
affection that his son might have had for him. Jagan’s love for the son was so
much that he hastened home from his shop in the evenings thinking that the boy
would be lonely. But, Mali did not rise to his expectations and he preferred to
be alone and detached. It led to a total estrangement between the two. Even
after having lived twenty years with his son Jagan knew very little about him.
Jagan was very proud of his son, but he had no control over him. Mali gave up
his studies and went to America. Mali’s letters from America only added Jagan’s
worries. Jagan could not think of his son eating beef. He was a true Gandhian
and a vegetarian. During India’s freedom struggle he had been arrested for
hoisting Indian flag. He lived a very simple life. He ate food cooked by his
own hands. He never used sugar or salt since he believed that they were
detrimental to health. As recommended by Gandhi he spun on his charka and used
clothes made of khaddar. Jagan could not use tooth brush as he feared that its
bristles were made of pig’s tails. The
Bhagawad Gita was always in his hand and he read it whenever he was
free. Thus Jagan was a model of traditional Indian values whereas his son was
the other extreme, a spokesman of modern Western values. Spirituality in him
gave way to materialism. After three years of education in America, Mali
returned home accompanied by a Korean-American girl name Grace. When Mali
announced to Jagan that the girl was his wife, Jagan was shocked. Still he
loved them, gave due respect and allowed them to stay in his house. He accepted
Grace as his daughter-in-law. She also behaved admirable towards him. But, soon
cracks developed not only between Jagan and Mali, but also between Mali and
Grace. Jagan was unwilling to finance a huge amount of money for Mali’s
establishment of story-writing machine. It was too much for Jagan when Grace
announced to him that Mali and Grace had been living together without being
married; nor was Mali willing to marry her. The ever-growing tension in
father-son relationship reached its climax when Mali was caught red-handed for
breaking the prohibition laws. Then there came in Jagan’s life the moment of
self-realisation and also of decision. He managed to break away from Mali and
his scheming and vicious world which he could not approve. He escaped from the
chains of paternal love. Jagan abandoned the world and retired into a life of
spiritual devotion. He was altogether unaffected to hear that Mali was in jail
as the police had caught him with liquor in his car. He thought that a period
of jail might be good for the young man.
Jagan is the most vibrant
character of the novel from the first
page to the last. Mali, his son who returned from America with a half-American
half-Korean girl whom he reported as his wife and later said he never married,
had been something of a sensation disturbing the placid waters of Malgudi. But,
Mali is insignificant when compared to his father.
Summary
In “To the
Evening Star”, Blake maintains his Sketches theme of the daily cycle as
metaphor to innocence and experience. Specifically, here, the speaker calls
upon the “fair-hair’d angel of the evening” to protect him (all of us) against
the evils of the night, and more importantly, inspire “whilst the sun rests”
all that is oppressed during daytime.
The star
represents the transcendent moments of struggle between oppositions. It is a
“bright torch” while all else is dark, presenting a juxtaposition thus transcendent
symbol. In reality, the star is most likely the planet Venus, the Goddess of
love and beauty, and helps build Blake’s motif of eroticism and desires that
must remain hidden under the light of the omniscient day (notice the bed is
“our” and not “mine” indicating it is a shared domain). The speaker is
beckoning Venus to bless the bed (some argue a bridal bed, although there is
very little evidence elsewhere to support such notion) and to “smile on [their]
love.”
But Venus
cries “tears of dew” as she herself is aware of humankind’s fallen state on
earth where sexual creativeness operates in a real of dangerous passions
symbolized by savage beasts (the wolf and the lion). Again we have a struggle
of opposites here, this time symbolized through predator and prey that further
builds up Blake’s theme of the cyclic and dialectic nature of the universe in
which we live. The speaker is young (as Blake himself was at the time) and his
frustration between these opposing forces is placed on the table to deal with:
youth and age, tyrant and slave, day and night, male and female, predatory and
prey.
Analysis
There are
three major considerations to be taken from “The Evening Star.” One is the
theme of pastoral simplicity. It is in the last two lines that the speaker
appeals to God for the first time, recognizing his inferiority and potential
impotence when it comes to protecting his flock from the fall of grace. The
second is political entrapment. Again, the speaker knows that it is during
night, when Venus’s “radiant crown” holds the power to put an end to all of
daytime’s rules (change the color of the sky, put the flowers to sleep, calm
the wind). Alas, the excitement and bliss of the unencumbered will “soon
withdraw,” and just as in man’s law-abiding society, the force of opposition
governs all of Blake’s inhibitions. Lastly is sexual desire. The speaker here
is simply looking for any excuse, any blessing, to act upon his primitive
desire to mate with the opposite sex. Knowing an appeal to reason, religion,
and God is out of the question; he turns to nighttime’s nature queen in hopes
for approval.
Source: https://www.gradesaver.com/the-complete-poems-of-william-blake/study-guide/summary-to-the-evening-star
Investigate the behavior and different situations of Othello's life to prove that he is weak in human judgement.
Othello’s weakness in human judgement
Shakespeare’s play Othello
demonstrates the weakness of human judgement. The demise of both Othello and
Iago is due to each one’s weak judgement of situations. Othello falls from a
position of power and nobility to a debased shadow of his former self, as a
result of Iago’s
cunning plans. Yet, if Othello
had a better sense of judgement, Iago’s schemes would not work.
One of Othello’s biggest flaws is his poor judgement about other characters. He
is convinced of Iago’s honesty right up to Iago’s final moments of freedom. He
is a complete dupe to Iago’s plans. He immediately turns to Iago for answers
when he is confronted with problems regarding his wife, Desdemona.
Source: https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Othello-shows-weak-human-judgement-FKWJR5SDC38W
You should spend about 40 minutes
on this task.
Write about the following topic:
University education should be
free to everyone, regardless of income.
To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and
include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.
Write at least 250 words.
Over recent years, more and more people have been attending
university and arguments have persisted as to whether students should pay for
this privilege not. Although there are convincing arguments on both sides, I
strongly believe that it should be free.
One argument put forward in favour of charging students is that
education is becoming more expensive to fund as universities grow in size.
Consequently, making students pay may maintain standards and ensure the quality
of the teaching. In addition, it is argued that most students benefit from
university in terms of higher paid jobs, so it is fair that they pay for at
least some of the cost, especially given that the majority of students
attending university are from the middle classes. Last but not least, in many
countries, there is a shortage of people to do manual jobs such as plumbing and
carpentry, so making university more expensive may encourage people to take up
these jobs.
However, there are a number of arguments in favour of making
university education free for all. Firstly, it will encourage more people to
attend and this will benefit society. This is because it will lead to a more
productive and educated workforce. Research has generally shown that those
countries that have a better educated population via university have higher
levels of innovation and productivity. In addition, there is the issue of equality
of opportunity. If all students are required to pay, those on a low income may
be dissuaded from attending, thus making it unfair. The reason for this is that
they will likely not be able to secure financial support from their family so
they will be concerned about the debts they will incur in the future.
In conclusion, I am of opinion that all education should remain
equally available to all regardless of income. This is not only fair, but will
also ensure that countries can prosper and develop into the future with a
well-educated workforce.
Source: https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/free-university-education.html
