Critical appreciation of 'Ode to Autumn'

                                  Ode to Autumn

The poem 'Ode to Autumn' is not only considered as the masterpiece of the Romantic poet, John Keats but also the most perfect short poem in the English language. Keats has composed it in 1819 after walking through the water meadows of Winchester, England in an early Autumn evening. This work marks the end of his poetic career. The poetic qualities of Keats including his sensuousness, imagination, lyrical quality and objectivity are best exhibited in this poem.

                                   In this poem, the poet has paid homage to the beauty of autumn. Unlike Shelley, Keats doesn't consider autumn as a season of fall instead he takes it as a season of ripeness and maturity. The poem has three eleven-line stanzas each describing the three distinct stages of Autumn; growth, harvest and then last days of autumn leading to winter. The poem is rich with the description of the bounty of autumn, its sights and sounds.

                                 In the very first stanza of the poem, Keats portrays the flamboyant picture of Autumn. He considers it as a season of 'mellow fruitfulness' when all the fruits become mature and ripened. The co-operation of Autumn with the sun bestows earth with fruits of different kinds and fills all the fruit with 'ripeness to the core'.

                                 Close bossom friend of the maturing sun;

                                 Conspiring with him how to load and bless

                                 With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

The hazel-nuts are filled with a sweet kernel. There is abundance of flowers for the bees to suck their sweetness. To the bees, it seems an extension of the summer as their sticky cells are popping out with honey. The words like 'load', 'ripeness to the core' and 'swell' allude to the maturity of the season touching the cords of visual sensation as well as sensation of taste by describing the gifts of ripen fruits.

         In the second stanza, Keats has personified Autumn gloriously with a woman under four pictures. Firstly, as a harvester sitting carelessly on the granary floor during winnowing. Secondly, as a tired reaper fallen asleep in the very midst of his reaping. Then as a gleaner following his walk home across a book in the evening with a load of sheaves on his head. Lastly, as a cider-presser watching intently the flowing out of juice, drop by drop.

       The last stanza of the ode illustrates his contentment with life setting the tone of the whole poem. The poet addresses that here are the songs of spring that enchant all the creatures. Then suddenly says that don't think of them. Autumn has its own distinct music. This unique music can be identified when the sun is dying, sky becomes rosy and the clouds touch its rosy-surface. At that time, the melancholic songs created by the buzzing of gnats, bleating of full-grown lambs and chirping of grasshoppers produce the music of autumn. Finally, there is the twittering of the swallows which are gathering in large numbers ready for their winter migration.

                                              On the deeper context, the poet has actually described the stages of life by demonstrating the different phases of Autumn. The poet says that as Autumn i.e; ripeness and maturity leads to winter, in the same way Man after going through all the successes in his life has to die. But what makes 'Ode to Autumn' distinct and even unique than any other poetical creations of Keats is that instead of falling escaped, he is ready to confront all the bitterness of life. Death doesn't have negative connotation because Keats enjoys and accepts Autumn or maturity as a part of life.

                                             This poem reveals not Keats' pictorial quality only but a deep sense of purpose underneath. The imagery is richly achieved through the personification of Autumn. The images are concrete and vivid. The technique of transferred epithet and the rhyme scheme of ABABCDEDCCE add to the beauty of the poem.

Poem: The Silken Tent ( Line by line understanding)

LINE BY LINE  ANALYSIS :

Line 1:

     The poem commences with the pronoun 'She' that may be taken as the poet's beloved representing the whole woman folk. The poet basically draws an analogy between the woman and a silken tent. He says that she is as a silken tent. The word 'silken' shows the gentleness and softness of the woman and tent indicates that she is a protector in the field i.e the cruel world. The line actually conveys the message that 'a woman is a pleasant refuge in the coldness of the world like a silken tent'.

Line 2:

    In the second line, the setting of the 'midday' is revealed in the sunny summer. Moreover, there is breeze which creates a pleasant picture in the mind of the reader. It's a connotation of good time.

Line 3:

  The first three lines are written using the technique of enjambment i.e; a single thought is continued as a comma is placed after the third line. So the poet says that when the sunny summer breeze stirs the tent the dew drops are dried and the ropes of the tent surrender i.e; loosen.

Line 4:

 'So that' in the beginning of the line shows that due to the loosening of the ropes, it gently moves. This illustrates that in the pleasant times, a woman is free to move, free to fly.

Line 5:

 The 'central cedar pole' is the one which holds the tent and it gives support to the whole tent. This means that all the functions that the tent performs depends upon this pole that is 'central' in its position. 

Line 6:

 In the next line the poet describes the attributes of the pole that it is 'pinnacle to heavenward' i.e; it is as high as touching the heavens. This describes the strength of the central pole. 

Line 7: 

 In this line, the poet reveals that what the central pole actually is. He says that it is the 'sureness of the soul' i.e; the faith of the woman that is holding her or the silken tent. He is illustrating the importance of the soul. It can also be taken as a symbol of women's importance that she is the center of the world holding the silken tent in this cruel world.

Line 8:

 In this line, the word 'seems' is self-explanatory. It indicates that apparently the tent or the woman  seems to be free. It doesn't seem to be tied to any 'single cord'. But the word 'seems' shows that reality is vice versa.

Line 9:

  In the very next line, the poet elaborates the above said idea. He explains that although she is not strictly bound, she is loosely held. This notion paradoxically alludes to the woman's freedom within confinement.

Line 10:

These cords that are holding a woman are actually ''silken ties of love and thought'' i.e; the relationships around her are holding her. A woman apart from all her relations is a human, an independent human.But what always compel her to offer sacrifices is her ties of love for her relatives and the thought of their betterment. And these ties are 'countless' which indicate that every relation around her either as a daughter or a sister or a mother or a wife, demands certain duties from her. While the word 'silken' indicates that these ties are so soft that she is not aware of these ties.

Line 11:

 The poet is applauding the women folk in this beautiful line that she is held by the silken ties  to everything around her. All her duties all her relations bound her.

Line 12:

  She is unmindful to this confinement. This bondage will appear as soon as it is stretched even slightly. This explains that although these ties are silken in nature but when they are stretched or tighten, they are painful.

Line 13:

 The word ''capriciousness'' is the key word in this line as well as in this poem.  The  unpredictable nature of the summer air is the teacher informing her about the bondage. As in the summer air, the tent has to face harsh conditions, in the same way a woman becomes aware of her crippling freedom only in the bad times. Summer air is a connotation for hard times and capriciousness refers to its unreliability. In this line the poet is saying that when bad time will come, she would become aware of these silken ties.

Line 14:

 In the last line, the poet emphasizes that the slightest bondage would be revealed only when a tough situation will occur. As the poet is talking about her beloved, so according to one interpretation, he is praising her. He is may be trying to allude that she could not fulfill their love demands because she is bound but he doesn't seem to be angry instead he respects her and accolades her dignity.

                                            What makes this poem unique is that a woman is being praised not for her beauty but for her strength and devotion. It also highlights her importance that she gives a refuge by bearing all the troubles. And it's also a love poem describing the love that the poet feels for her and the pain that they have to bear in this love affair due to the countless silken ties to which she is bound.

How to make this Ramadan more productive

Life is not a bed of roses. It is full of thorns. Everyone of us is struggling with a number of difficulties in our lives. Either we are teachers or students or businessmen or any other professionals, we have to come across many financial, social, educational or psychological problems. All of us want to get rid of all these predicaments. But there is nobody to teach us how to get out of all this fuss. But wait..........

                      The month of 'Ramadan' has come. Don't be amazed. Yes it has come to hold your hand and take you out of  the can of worms.

                       We all consider Ramadan as a Holy month in which we all have to observe fast, give saddqa and zakat, offer taraweeh and that's all. But this is one of the greatest misconceptions we have about Ramadan. It is much more than what we think it is. It is actually a 'check-post' in the road of life that comes every year but we are unmindful to it.

Lets make this Ramadan more productive and life-changing in just 5 steps:

(But you have to promise that you will do all these things by the depth of your heart in the name of Allah Almighty and you will see all the troubles scurrying)

Step 1 ( Identification of Troubles ):

Before treating any of the diseases, it is necessary to diagnose it. So take a paper and a pen and write all your perplexities on it. Write all the reasons that why are you worried for it and what do you want.

Step 2 ( Changes during Ramadan )

We, like most of other Muslims, have confined a number of religious practices only to the month of Ramadan. Just make a list of all those practices that are done only during Ramadan. Now close your eyes and tell honestly don't you feel more peaceful in Ramadan? don't you feel yourself closer to Allah Almighty in Ramadan? don't you have a better purposeful organized routine in Ramadan? 

You can open your eyes now and your expressions are proclaiming that 'Yes' all this happens in the Month of Ramadan.

Step 3 ( Keep the spiritual changes ):

As you have agreed that Ramadan brings many good changes in yourself then why not maintain these changes for the rest of your life?

In the month of Ramadan, we all offer prayers 5 times a day regularly, offer Taraweeh and Tahajjud as well, we recite  Quran also, give alms, try to eradicate most of our bad habits. Actually, what we do is that we become more 'connected' with our Creator. We obey Him. We do all those things which He likes and try to abandon all the sins. When we move one step forward towards Him , He comes many steps towards us. He holds us and saves us from all the atrocities of life and it brings a 'Peace of Mind' to us which is the greatest gift from Allah Almighty. This is indeed a message to which we all are forgetful that:

         "Verily, in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest"

                                                                                                   ( Al- Quran)

Step 4 ( Keep the Social Changes ): 

During the observance of fast, we all become self-restraint. We try to become more polite with our relations. We don't speak harsh. We neglect the mistakes of others instead try to be more kind and generous. We distribute food or money among others. We sit together at a place with our family or friends and enjoy the meals of Saher and Iftaar. All these are indicators that have a look inside yourself. When you are polite to others and oversee their mistakes according to Sunnah you have a better relation to others. Is'nt it? It is lovely to sit at a place with your family and share food with them. I think it is crystal clear that we all are at better social relations in Ramadan. So why not keep it?

Step 5 ( Keep your Routine ):

In Ramadan, we all try to sleep early at night to wake up for Tahajjud and Saheri and then we offer Fajjar,recite Quran and then leave for work. In the afternoon, we offer Zuhr and have a nap between Zuhr and Asar. This is the ideal routine following Sunnah. Be honest, Don't you feel more fresh with this routine. Hence, it teaches us balance in life.

                                    Now, after all these 5 steps tell me don't you feel your life more productive? If yes then the target is achieved but the real benefit will occur only when you keep all these changes for the rest of your life. All you have to do is to make yourself "Ready and Determined" to bring productive change in your life. Ramadan is indeed a practical that: 

        "All the success lies in obeying Allah Almighty".

Theme of the play 'Sandbox'

              Theme of the play:

                                          "SANDBOX"

        "Sandbox" is a famous English play which the play writer, Edward Franklin Albee has written in the memoir of his maternal grandmother. Written in allegory, the play exhibits a piercing criticism on the modern American families and the modern American values. The main themes of the poem are described below:

Filial ingratitude:

    The main theme of the poem around which all the events revolve is filial ingratitude. In this play, the contemporary prevailing trend of disrespecting elders especially grandparents in the modern American families is discussed. Grandma, being the protagonist of the play, is the subject to impudence by her daughter representing all the elders of the American society. The characters of Mommy and Daddy are illustratives of all the negligent children. This play in fact holds a mirror to the attitude of the society. Mommy is treating her mother as if she were a child instead of a respectable elder. By taking Grandma out of her house, by not being concerned of her comfort, by not giving attention to Grandma when she throws sand on her rather shouting at her in an extremely disrespectful manner demonstrate the ill-mannered modern American values. This disregard is actually a stingy reward of those black hair that turned white during upbringing of the disrespectful children.

Hypocrisy:

  Another important theme which the play manifests is the hypocrisy of the society. Mommy shows rage, rancour and ignorance to her mother when she was alive. But after her death, she starts mourning at the same Grandma. This is truly a slap on hippocratic face of society. But the hypocrisy doesn't end at this. Grandma whom she had confined to a place under the stove in her life is going to have a well-done funeral. This allegorically represents the attitude of society towards the elders that in their lives they are no more important than useless things in their houses but on their departure, people start to mourn over them.

Materialistic Approach:

  At some point, the play also hints at the materialistic approach of society. As the characters are not sincere to Grandma but in order to pretend their loyalty for her, Mommy is worried about an ostentatious funeral. This implies their materialistic approach towards life. Moreover, even the characters of Mommy and Daddy, as indicated by their way of calling each other, have no affection for each other. Mommy had married him just because of his wealth.

Theatre of Absurd:

 In this play "Sandbox", another important theme that is exhibited is the "theatre of absurd", a term coined by Martin Esslin for the plays mostly written in the 1950's and 1960's. As in this play, there is no proper plot or actions, final situation is absurd, vacuity of characters is shown and most importantly, there is no logical connection of dialogues, all these allude to the "nothingness" in the play. Moreover, there is no dramatic conflict in the play which makes it exceptionally absurd.

                             Hence all these themes indicate the humiliation and disregard faced by the older people in the modern American society.

 

What's done cannot be undone

                       What's done cannot be undone

Have you ever seen a plucked flower blossoming again? have you ever seen popped out drops of sweat on the face of a laborer being poured again? can you mend the broken dreams of a small innocuous girl ?or can you return the innocence of a child which is caught by the cold hands of the world? The answer to all these questions is certainly "NO" because it is the law of Nature that "what is done cannot be undone".

          The phrase was not originally coined by Shakespeare. Actually, it is the English translation of a French proverb. It was first used in 'Mahabharata' when Dhiritashta realized the consequences of his actions.But now it is recognized as a phrase uttered by Lady Macbeth in the famous English play 'Macbeth' written by Shakespeare.

           This phrase is not just a dialogue, it is a sigh that any harm done cannot be undone.We can't reverse the wheel of life to lead it in the respective direction.Lady Macbeth first used these words as blandishments to console her husband. Later when the octopus of guilt clutched her, she used to stroll in the castle at the midnight to wash away the imaginary blood of the king from her hands. Her eerily echoes indicate that she was guilt-ridden. But all her lament and guilt were useless. She couldn't bring back the dead king. Nobody can return the past to rectify the mistakes. It is rightly said:

                             "It is useless to cry over spilled milk"

           The phrase : "What is done cannot be undone" is the essence of all the "Shakespearian Tragedies". Either it is Hamlet or Othello or King Lear or any other tragedy, the thirst for throne of either power or love, through fair or foul, led them towards catastrophe. As in Hamlet, Gertrude(Hamlet's mother) couldn't undo her sinful acts envoking in Hamlet an eternal question of existence.

                               "To be, or not to be, that is the question"

           The  immolation of the king by Claudis in Hamlet and murder of his wife by "Othelo", all these vicious acts are poisonous seeds which not only contaminated their lives but others too. All these actions are regrettable but not warrantable.

                 "Every Action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity"

            While turning the pages of man's history, we come across several examples when people wanted to undo their doings but couldn't. Adan and Eve, the father and mother of human race, disobeyed Allah Almighty. He expelled them from the Heaven and sent them to this world. Being noble souls, they sought absolution from Allah Almighty. He forgave them but yet they couldn't undo what had happened.

             The two disastrous World Wars also remorse that 'What is done cannot be undone'. After the explosion of bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the whole world has made many policies to prevent nuclear war but an unrecoverable loss has been made. Chief Joseph, in one of his interviews, has said:

     'I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of white men by my people'

             All these incidents illustrate that the stream of life does not change its path. But under the influence of our anger, passion or any other thought, we make the path more steep which increases the speed of flow of water and it can take many lives and as a result, we are left only with regret. According to Horace:

   "The one who cannot restrain their anger will wish undo that their temper and irritation prompted them to do".

  But all is not lost. WE can make the flow smooth by placing the stones of good deeds.

            On the deeper context, this phrase is also a punching line for the soul. It gives us hope and motivation, telling us that all the hardwork which is done cannot be undone. If the result is not shown immediately then do not give up. All the tears, sweat and blood that have been shed cannot be undone, it will bring your dream come true sooner or later.

            Apart from all other shades of this phrase, it makes us look into the mirror of reality. It reveals that you cannot change the things that had happened. Their is no "delete" button in the keyboard of life. But as far as you are breathing, you are alive. If there is no delete button then don't be disappointed, Allah Almighty has made a button to "add" good deeds. Someone has rightly said:

                            "What's done, is done; What's gone, is gone;

                            One of the life's lessons is always moving on"