Lead, Kindly Light!

-Cardinal Newman

Introduction

In this hymn, ‘Lead, Kindly Light!' Cardinal Newman appeals to God to show him light, and guide him in the right direction.

Newman's appeal to God .

The poet pleads to God to reveal his kindly light so that he could come out of the present darkness, that is his despair in life. The poet discloses to God that he has left his home (a reference to Heaven or Roman Catholic Church). Only God could help him in finding his way back home. The poet now needs God's support and enlightenment. To step into the unknown future the divine light is essential.

The poet's past and the present :

The poet confesses his present crucial condition to God and seeks his help to come out from it. He has not prayed to Him and sought His help before. The poet lived the life of his own choice. But now he has understood that without God's grace he could not do anything. He lived a luxurious, showy life in the past. At times he had moral fears but his proud character overruled them. He requests God not to take into account his past wrong deeds when he was over confident.

The poet's optimism :

The poet is optimistic that God would bless him and lead him on to a right path. The difficulties and obstacles in life could be easily overcome, if only God showered His grace upon the poet. The unpleasant dark night would soon pass away. At the dawn of new life he is sure to meet the smiling faces of angels, says the poet. Hence he needs God's guidance till his death and also after death.

Conclusion :

Through this poem, Cardinal Newman reveals his heart and mind, his despair and hope and his religious thoughts in a very profound manner. The poet's trust in God is fully evident.

Symbols

In the poem 'Lead, Kindly Light' there are more symbols that evoke a range of additional meaning. Without having to resort to painstaking explanation, Cardinal Newman uses symbols. There are both abstract and concrete symbols used in the poem. The words 'gloom' and 'dark' refer to the sad plight of the poet in which he was placed during that time. The phrase 'far from home' refers to the Roman Catholic Church. Again the phrase 'garish days' refers to the poet's showy and gaudy days in the past. The words, 'moor', Yen', 'crag' and 'torrent' are the symbols of the difficulties and obstacles that Newman had to overcome before joining the Roman Catholic Chruch. 

Springtime

-O.Henry

Introduction :

O.Henry's short stories are known for their wit, word play, warm characterization and clever twist Viding. The present story 'Springtime' is a fine example of all these.

Sarah and her freelance typewriting work :

Sarah was a young woman residing in a separate room in New York city. She was a freelance typewriter doing some odd jobs. She could type any matter in a neat and perfect manner.

The agreement between Sarah and Schulenberg Restaurant :

One day Sarah was dining in Schulenberg's Home Restaurant. When she took her bill of fare, she found the script unreadable and the items listed in a jumbled manner. The next day Sarah showed Schulenberg a neat card on which the menu was beautifully typewritten. Immediately the job of typing the bills of fare for the 'twenty-one tables in the restaurant was given to her. Every day new bills for breakfast, lunch and dinner were to be typed. Sarah cleverly made an agreement with the restaurant. She told Schulenberg that they had to send three meals to her room for a certain amount, daily. The next day the patrons of the restaurant found the bills of fare typed in an attractive manner.

Sarah's Love Affair :

One day, the arrival of spring season reminded Sarah her love with Walter Franklin, a modern agriculturist in the country-side. Sarah and Walter Franklin had decided to marry in spring. But for about two weeks  she had not received any reply from Walter. This made her upset and she began to cry. She could not type the bills of fare as usual. She saw the next item on the bill of fare mentioned — dandelions ! It was with dandelion flowers she was crowned by Walter Franklin in the farm last summer. With her heart and mind in the farm, she fingered the typewriter keys absently for a little while. Soon the waiter came and carried away the typewritten bills of fare.

Walter search and finding of Sarah :

In the evening, surprisingly Walter Franklin entered into Sarah's room. Sarah jumped in joy and asked him why he had not replied her letters. Walter told her that he had never got them. Sarah wondered as to how he was able to locate her new address then. Walter told her that when he was dining in the Schulenberg he found in the bill of fare some peculiar remarks. He at once understood the person that would have typed the matter. When he asked the hotel manager, he guided him to Sarah's room. Now the youngman showed Sarah the bill Of fare in which was typed, "Dearest Walter, with HARD-BOILED EGG". Sarah recognised her mistake and laughed with Walter. 

Science and Culture

-Laurance McKinley

Introduction

Laurence M.Gould was an American geologist educator. He has written a number of scientific articles. In the essay 'Science And Culture' Laurence stresses the need for a unified humanist education.

Man's dependence upon Science and Technology

Modern life is completely dependent upon science and technology. Science and its products determine economy. It is science that dominates our industry, affects our health and welfare and changes our relations with other countries. The modern society is confident that science and technology can take care of all human needs.

The dispute between Science and Humanities.

During Greek civilization there was unity between art and science. Philosophy and science remained inseparable until the end of eighteenth century. But later, a dangerous gap developed It is time to be ended, says Lawrence Gould. We must have humanists who understand and include scientific knowledge in their imagination of the world . To-day 'humanities' is narrowly interpreted, regrets the author.

The misconception about Science :

Science is not a form of black magic says Laurence Could. Only after many experiments and research the scientific goal is achieved. There is no end for scientific research. Scientific truth is dynamic and self-correcting and never final.

Science is the art of understanding Nature :

Great scientist make bold guesses and look for order. They believe that science is a means of teaching the truths about the world. A scientist must invent concepts to make the world understand them. According to Laurence pure science along with religion and art is one of man's great avenues in his search for truth. Science is the record of someone's personal experience.

The relationship between scientists and poets :

Both the scientist and the poet seek to explore and to understand, but only the form of exploration differs. The romantic poet Shelley says that one of the tasks of the literary artist is to absorb the knowledge of the sciences and assimilate it to human needs. The past poets, Dante and Milton were inspired by astronomical science. In his epic poem ‘Paradise Lost' Milton wrote about Antartica. The great philosopher Aristotle considered the greatest naturalist a father of biology.

 Conclusion :

Lawrence Gould says that science when viewed historically, is the great untapped reservoir of humanism As science and technology have woven unity into society we cannot escape from them.

Three Days to See

-Helen Keller

Introduction :

Helen Keller who lost her eye-sight and became deaf at in her early childhood, did not lose heart. By her severe perseverance she achieved everything that even what a normal person could not. Her intellect and insight is fully evident in this article.

Keller's way of understanding life :

Helen Keller wishes all people to lose their eye sight and hearing ability atleast for a few days. Only then, darkness would make them appreciative of sight; silence would teach the joys of sound. She finds fault with normal people that refuse to notice hundreds of around them. As a blind person herself, she has learnt know more things by her sense of touch. Her heart often cries out with longing to see all things in the world.

Helen Keller's wish for Three days Eye-sight:

Helen Keller imagines what she should most like see if alone she is given eye sight for just three days. It is quite interesting to read her wishes. By dividing period into three parts, she plans to visit people, places and things.

Helen's wish on her first day of eye sight:

On the first day, Helen Keller wants to see the people who were kind to her and made her life worth living. Until now she understands them through her finger tips by touching the outline of their faces. She likes to look into the faces of all her dear friends and also the innocent beautiful face of a baby. Her next preference to see on that day would be the interesting books which have been read to her. She wants to have a glimpse of her loyal dogs too. Later in the afternoon she desires to go into woods to see the world of nature and later the beautiful sunset.

Helen's wish on her second day of eye sight:

Helen Keller wishes to see the dawn with its brilliant colours. She wants to devote most of her second day in the museums. She likes to go to a historical museum first, to see man's progress and also to see and learn about the past and present animals. Her next stop would be the museum of art where the ancient sculptures and magnificent paintings are kept. The evening of her second day would be spent at a theatre. She loves to see Shakespeare's plays.

Helen Keller's wish on her third day of eye sight:

Helen Keller on her third day of eye sight desires to witness the day-to-day affairs of modern people. The busy life of people would be of a great sight, says Helen. She also wants to make a tour of the city. She wants to keep her eyes open to see all the sights of both happiness and misery. Lastly, once again she likes to visit a theatre and relax herself enjoying a comedy.

Helen Keller's advice to normal people:

Helen Keller feels that three days are not sufficient to see what all she wanted to look at. There is plenty in the world to see and enjoy. She requests the normal people use their eyes to the most as if on the next day they would be stricken blind. In a similar way they should use the other senses also, appeals Helen. Make most use every sense is her maxim. She asserts that of all the senses sight is the most beautiful one.

Tight Corners

                                                                                                                                              - E.V. Lucas

Introduction

In the essay 'Tight Corners' E.V. Lucas points out that tight corners can be both mental as well as physical but the mental tight corner is too much to bear.

The Narrator's Tight Corner :

Once the narrator went with his friend to 'Christie's, an auction-sale hall, where Barbison pictures were put up. The narrator knew nothing about art pictures nor had enough money to participate in the bidding. He had only sixty-three pounds and that too in the bank. He had no securities either. The auction started and the narrator, not understanding the seriousness, started raising the bid amount marginally. By that time a Daubigny picture was put on sale. A rich man bade four thousand guineas for it. As usual, the narrator, just for fun, raised the bid by fifty guineas more.

The Difficult Situation for the Narrator :

Lucas thought that someone would raise the bid further. But to his amazement, nobody else bade after that. The narrator was panic-stricken. No doubt, he unwittingly got into a (mental) tight corner. He could not find ways as how to raise such a huge amount. Sensing the danger his friend had already left the place. Finally, the narrator decided to confess his foolishness to the auctioneer himself and get rid of the critical situation.

Turn of Events :

All on a sudden, the unexpected happened. At that time, the rich bidder's agent came and offered fifty guineas, provided he passed on the art picture to the first bidder. The narrator was immensely relieved. He was about to weep in joy. Yet, he had the presence of mind to demand a hundred guineas. When a cheque for that amount was given to him, his joy doubled.

The Spider and the Bee Episode

-Swift

Brilliantly conceived and skillfully presented, the episode of the spider and the Bee in "The Battle of the Books" is a glorious piece of literature with a perennial charm. Swift seems to have been inspired by Bacon's "Nonum Organum". This episode helps Swift to launch a stinging and scintillating satire on the moderns.

A Spider dwelt in the highest corner of a window in the Royal Library. Swift presents its hob webs as a mansion. One day the spider's mansion suddenly shook and the spider was shocked. A bee, by chance, had entered the window and sat on the outer walls of the mansion. The Citadel sank under its weight. The spider felt that the Doom's Day had come. Soon the bee freed itself from the web. Meanwhile the spider had removed from its shock. It saw the bee. Anger replaced fear. It began to hurl abusive words at the bee. With obdurate pride it claimed superiority over the bee.

The spider argued that the bee was a homeless wanderer and an indiscriminate plunderer of nature and that the bee's only possession was its wing and drone-pipe. The spider.boasted that it had the architectural skill to build its own house with its own hands from the material derived from the own body.

The bee said that its wings (flight) and voice (music) were God's gifts for noble ends. What is collected from flowers enriched it without harming them. The bee argues that though there were labour and method in the spider's work, the materials of the construction were flimsy. The spider had only filth and poison in its breast. But the bee ranged freely in gardens and after long search and wise discrimination brought home honey and wax. Thus the bee felt that it was superior to the spider. Then it flew away.

Hearing the words of the spider and the bee, Aesop sums up the arguments. The spider represents the moderns and the bee represents the ancients. Like the spider, the moderns have only mechanical skill. Their productions are flimsy and dirty. There is neither breadth of treatment nor durability in their works. But, like the bee, the ancients have no pretensions. Just as the bee has wings and sweet voice, the ancients have creative imagination and creative use of language. Wide range, infinite search and discrimination are the characteristics of the bee and the ancients. Just as the bee brings home honey and wax, he ancients provide mankind with delight and light. (enjoyment and enlightenment).

Aesop's interpretation can be regarded as Swift's stand. As Herbert David says, "This fable and the interpretation of it are Swift's real contribution to the debate between the Ancients and the Moderns". This episode is a smaller and subtler allegory with in a large allegory. The web stands for modern books. Honey and Wax stands for the productions of the ancients. While the larger allegory (the whole book) establishes the superiority of the bee (representing the ancients) will prove the path for progress and thus it enhances the larger allegory. So, this episode need not be regarded as a digression.

As in fables, in this episode the characters are from the animal word (the bee and the spider). Some message will be conveyed through fables. Through this episode the superiority of the ancients over the moderns is established and the pretensions of the moderns are exposed. 

Young Goodman Brown

-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Young Goodman Brown is a short story by the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story takes place in the seventeenth century, puritan New England. The story is set during the Salem witch trails.

The story is about the recognition of evil and depravity as the nature of humanity. Hawthorne attempts to explore the hypocrisy of the puritan culture. In this story Young Goodman Brown self examines himself and it results in his loss of faith.

Young Goodman Brown lives in Salem Massachusetts with his wife 'Faith'. He married three months before. One evening he plans for a journey at night into the forest. He leaves his wife giving excuses. At the entrance of the forest, he meets a fifty year old man under a tree. He waits for Brown and both walk into the forest to attend Satan's Sabbath. The man has a serpent shaped long staff in his hand. He says that he was a good friend of Brown's father and grandfather.

On the way, Brown sees his spiritual adviser Goddy Cloyse, a well know pious lady of the village. She is also going to attend Satan' Sabbath. As Brown cannot walk, the man makes a waking stick out of maple tree so that Brown can use it. Then the old man vanished. Later, Brown can see the Minister and the Deacon of his village in the forest. They also go to attend the ceremony other townsmen also go there in that night. Brown hears his wife's voice in that forest. He calls out his wife but it is not answered. So he flies to that place of worship using that maple staff made by  stranger.

Brown reaches an open space in the midst of the forest. It is lighted by four burning pines and fire-lit rock altar. The congregation consists of people of all ranks in the society. There are clergies, Governors, high dames, widows, beautiful young girls, criminals and prostitutes.

During the witches Sabbath, the new converts are brought forth to the altar. They are Goodman Brown and his wife Faith. Both are shocked and surprised to see each other. They are the only converts who have not attend the ceremony so for in their village. Now, they are compelled to accept Satan's faith. At that time, Brown calls to heaven to resist . At once the whole scene vanishes and he finds himself in the dark forest.

Next morning Brown returns to his village. He sees the Minister. Deacon and Goodly Cloyse doing their regular work. Brown is not sure whether the events of the previous night where real or dream. He is shocked to see the hypocrisy of others. He dislikes them for their evil nature. He questions his own religion and loses faith in that too. At the same time he is too proud to acknowledge faults. So he is completely isolated from his society and lives as a cynic till his death.

Arcturus is his Other Name

-Emily Dickinson

      Emily Dickinson is a famous American poet. She is the greatest of all women poets. She lived an isolated and obscure life. She wrote her poems at quite God in an American town. She wrote nearly seventeen hundred poems which had published posthumously.

           
     She wrote about death, immortality, time and love. Nature placed a vital role in her poems.

             
        In this poem ‘Arcturus is his other name’. Emily Dickinson reveals her love for nature. At the same time, she expresses her dissatisfaction with science and scientists who are interfering with nature.

         Dickinson talks about the particular star with the scientific name ‘Arcturus’. She wishes scientist should not interfere with nature. They should not refer to stars by scientific Name.

                     ‘Arcturus is his other name

                      I’d rather call him ‘star’

          Dickinson recounts the past experience in her life. She killed a warm. A wise man who passed by called the Dickinson ‘warm’ but its scientific name ‘centipede’.

       Dickinson recalls another past experience she pulled out a flower in the woods. The botanist with her magnifying glass examines and classifies it to give a botanical name. In the past Dickinson used to admire butterflies in their natural habitats. She used to catch and classify them insight without the help of the scientists now. She can no longer enjoy the beauty of the butterflies flying in their natural environments. Instead she can see them dead as specimens in the scientific laboratory.

         Emily Dickinson has a hope that after her death she will go to heaven, the mysteries and unknown place. But now heaven is no longer unknown. It is ‘Mapped and Charted’. Still she confirms her faith in God. Though the north and south poles overturned out of confusion, she will not be touch by such confusion. She is hopeful that she will remain unaffected by the changes happening around her.

                     I hope I’m ready for ‘the worst’-

                     Whatever prank bêtises!

            She hopes that God will help her to enter the pearly gates of heaven by lifting her up. Though she is old fashion and untouched by science.

       Thus Emily Dickinson enjoys and appreciates nature. She feels that everything is beautiful naturally without the intervention of science. She likes things that are simple and old fashioned. Her strong feelings for nature make this poem unique and meaningful.

Tom meets Becky

-Mark Twain

This is chapter two of Mark Twain’s novel Tom Sawyer. Several of the characters in this chapter reappear in ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. In this chapter he describes the meeting of Tom and Becky.

On a busy Monday morning, Tom felt lazy. He was not in a mood to go to school. He wanted to stay at home by giving a false excuse. He checked himself but he could not find any ailment. Later, he found that his upper tooth was loose. He hardly ground to disturb the sleep of Sid.

Sid went down-stairs to call Aunt Polly. Polly came and checked his tooth. She also understood his cunningness. So she decided to pluck his tooth by using a silk thread. She successfully did it and completed Tom went to school.

On the way, Tom met Huckleberry Finn, the hero of the village. He was the son of a drunkard. He was hated by all mothers of the town for he was idle and low class children liked him very much. He dressed carelessly and did everything at his free will. He carried ht it from Ben Rogers. He carried a dead cat to cure warts. He bought it from Ben Rogers. He also Tom that Boti Tanner dipped his hand in spunk water to cure his warts. Huck had also used bean to cure the warts. He came to know that technique from mother Hopkins, a witch. Once she witched pap, Huck’s father felt down and broke his arm. Then Tom exchanged his broken tooth into a tiny creature. Tom kept that little creature in a box and went to school.

When Tom entered the class, the teachers scolded him for his late arrival. When he is asked for the reason, Tom coldly replied that he had stopped to talk to Huckleberry Finn. This bold confession made the teacher angry. So, as a punishment he asked him to sit with the girls. Though everybody laughed at him, Tom calmly went and sat near a girl.

The girl turned her head away from him. Though she did not accept it first, later she looked it. When Tom drew something on the slate, She attempted to see it. She appreciated it and wanted to draw. She introduced herself as Becky Thatcher. Tom wrote something on the slate, and hid it. She pulled his hand to see it. It was written ‘I Love You’.

At that time, Tom felt a grope on his par. While the whole school was giggling at him, the teacher punished him. Yet Tom was happy because he had a chance to reveal his love. Afterwards, he could not concentrate on his studies. He had miserably failed in his spelling first and lost the medal he had got few months before.

  

   

Indian Thought in Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman

                                                                                                                     -V.K. Chari

Vedanta philosophy was one of the several thought currents from abroad. It reached American in the early decades of the 19^th century. It influenced the thinking of the American writers Emerson and Thoreau. In this essay V.K. Chari analysis how vadantic philosophy has influenced the writing of Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman.

Emerson was influenced by the Hindu’s scripture, when he was at Harvard University. He knew “Laws of Manu, Vishnupurana, the Bhagvad-Gita and Katha Upanishad” and refers to them in his Journals and Essays. Thoreau was also influenced by oriented writing. When he was at Havard University. He read an essay written by Sir William Jones. In 1843, he published selected passages from “Laws of Manu”. He translated a story “The Transmigration of Brahman’s from a French version of the Sanskrit “Harivansa”. In 1844, he published Excerpts from Buddhist Scripture under the title “The Preaching of Buddha” in the Dial.

Emerson, Thoreau and other Transcendentalists are interested in the concept of “Selfhood”, found in Hindu’s scripture. According to this the central core of one’s self (antarateman) is identifiable with the cosmic whole (Brahman). The Upanishads state that the self within as immortal, the internal of all beings and is also the universal Brahman. The Transcendentalists use these doctrines in their writing there by attempt to develop a spiritual kinship.

In the essay “The Plato” or “the philosopher” Emerson writes that “The Concept of fundamental Unity”. It means the ecstasy of losing all being in the being”. This Emerson quotes who says to the sage that “you are not distinct from me”. According to him, the soul in all bodies is one, uniform perfect .

While formulating his concept of over-soul Emerson quotes Krishna. Krishna says that within everyman there is the soul of the whole. Though he lives in parts each part is equally related to the eternal ONE. In the poem “Brahma” Emerson quotes this vedantic philosophy.

“I am the doubter and the doubt”

Henry David Thoreau was also attracted to oriented thought and philosophy. The simple life of us him a degree of freedom, refined, pleasure and repleteness. Thoreau lived a life of meaning by understanding the truth of his own nature, his relationship with his fellow man, Nature and the universe. He got interest in Yoga. In “Walden” he describes a state of mind that resemblance the experience effect of the mind, one can stand aloof from the actions and their consequences and what his life like Indra.

Walt Whitman published “Leaves of Grass” in 1855. In Song of Myself he introduced the concepts of selfhood which is found in the Upanishad and the ”Bhagvad Gita” he finds the world in the self and as the self.

“what is a man anyhow? What am I? and what are you?

At the same time, Whitman goes against Indian philosophy. He praises body like the soul and considers that material progress is important as spiritual progress.

Thus the American Transcendalists   Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman are influenced by their Indian Philosophy.