English Club Inauguration 2021

 

Encyclopedia – try to form smaller words.

Only letters as in the word can be used. There are two ‘e’s, and two ‘c’s – so your word may contain that.

The order of letters in the words needn’t be the same as in the big word.

The Nightingale and the Rose

The Nightingale and The Rose

For a lecture on the story in the CMS College YouTube channel, click here.

The Author

Oscar Wilde is a poet, playwright, and novelist, who lived more than a  hundred years back: He was born in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland.

His best known works include Lady Windermere’s Fan  (play), The Importance of Being Earnest (play), The Ballad of Reading Gaol (poem), De Profundis (letter), The Picture of Dorian Gray (novel); and a number of short stories, many of which appear in the collection “The Happy Prince and Other Tales”. The Nightingale and the Rose is a story from this collection. 

Characters in the Story

The Student, the Nightingale, The Professor’s daughter, a few animals, three rose trees, and an oak tree.

The Story in Brief

When the story opens we see a young man – introduced to us as “The Student”. He has read many books by wise men, and he knows the secrets of philosophy. But today, he is sad. He is in love with a girl. They were supposed to be together the next day, for a ball – a dance party given by the Prince. But, she had asked him to bring her some red roses. At that time of the year, the student is unable to bring in any rose flower. He imagines the music and dance they all will have the next day. But his lady love will not dance with him. For, he has no red rose to give her!

Living nearby, with its nest in the holm-oak tree, was a Nightingale – a bird who could sing melodiously, especially at night. She was listening to this sad story of the Student. She used to sing of true love, but now, she has found someone who is a true lover. He looks charming, but his face is pale, and sorrow has set her seal on his brow.

Those around, such as a green lizard, a butterfly and a daisy, wonder why the student is weeping. They are surprised when the nightingale tells them that it is for a red rose. The nightingale alone realizes the pain. As Oscar Wilde tells us: “But the Nightingale understood the secret of the Student’s sorrow, and she sat silent in the oak-tree, and thought of the mystery of Love.”

The bird takes a decision: to help the Student in any way possible. She thinks of getting a rose flower, in return of her sweetest song. She flew to a Rose-tree in the centre of a grass plot, and asked for a red rose. But the rose tree was not able to help her, as it has only white roses. The tree asked the Nightingale to go to another rose tree, near the old sun-dial.

The Nightingale approached this Rose-tree. But, this tree also was not able to help, as its roses were yellow. The tree told the Nightingale to go to the tree that grows beneath the Student’s window.

The Nightingale now approached the third rose tree. Its roses are red. But since it was winter, it didn’t have any roses. Listen to the words of this tree: “But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year.”

“One red rose is all I want,” cried the Nightingale. Realising that the bird’s desire is very deep, the tree tells her that there is a solution. The nightingale must sing to it a song all night, with her breast against a thorn. The thorn must pierce her heart, and her life-blood must flow into the tree’s veins. This will bring out a red rose.

The Nightingale says: “Death is a great price to pay for a red rose …. Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?”

Happy that she will be able to help, the Nightingale flew to the Student, and told him that he would have his red rose. All she wants in return is that the Student should be a true lover.
The Student listened to the bird, but was not able to understand what the Nightingale was saying to him. He only knew the things that are written down in books.

The Oak-tree where the bird lived understood what was going to happen, and felt sad. It asked the bird to sing one last song, for it will be lonely when the bird is gone.

The Student too heard this song, but was not able to appreciate it.

Oscar Wilde cleverly shows us the failure of the Student to understand real love and sacrifice, through the comments the student make about the bird and her song.

When the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang.

Her first song was about the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. This brought out a rose flower on the top of the tree. But it was pale in colour. Secondly she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid. This brought a pink shade to the rose. The third song was of Love perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb. With this, the rose became crimson. At the last burst of music, the red rose opened its petals.

'Look, look!' cried the Tree, 'the rose is finished now;' but the Nightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.

At noon, the Student opened his window. He saw the red rose, and felt lucky. Being a person who studies a lot, he thinks of the scientific name of the flower, before plucking it out.

With the rose in his hand, he goes out to the Professor’s house; for, his lady love was the Professor’s daughter. He saw her sitting in the doorway, and offered the flower, reminding her of the promise to dance with him if he brought her a red rose.

But the girl frowned. She tells the Student that she is interested in the Chamberlain’s nephew, who has sent her real jewels, which cost far more than flowers.

Hearing this, the Student calls her ungrateful. He threw the flower into the street, and it fell into a gutter; a cart ran over it.

The student walks away. He feels that Love is a silly thing. It is unpractical. So, he decides to go back to his studies.

Some Points to be Noted

The Rose-trees:

The Nightingale is in need of one red rose. She approaches the rose trees for this. To every tree, it makes a request, and offers to sing her ‘sweetest song’ in return. First, she goes to the tree in the centre of the grass-plot. But, this tree has only white roses. Next, she asks the tree that grows near the sun dial. But this tree has only yellow roses. The third tree is beneath the window of the Student. It is one with red roses, but now there are no flowers as it is winter. Feeling sympathy for the bird, the third tree brings out a plan, which it says, is terrible. If the bird can sing a song all night long, with its breast against a thorn, it can have a red rose. But the bird’s life will be lost in this act.

Character of the student:

The Student is full of bookish learning, and fails to see real love around him. He doesn’t realize the nightingale’s sacrifice. He says that the bird’s song has form, but no feeling. When he gets the rose, he thinks of its Latin name. With the rose he goes to the Professor’s daughter, but she rejects him and the rose. He calls her ungrateful, and throws off the rose flower into the gutter and says that love is a silly thing, and gets back to his studies.

Character of the Nightingale:

The Nightingale believes that love is better than life. True love was always the theme of its song, and so it is happy to see a true lover. Like the Student, the bird also has its philosophy. But, it practices its philosophy by sacrificing its life to fulfil the desire of the lover. It doesn’t realise that the Student fails to understand this sacrifice.

The Songs of the Nightingale:

The Nightingale’s precious gift for all is her songs. She offers to sing her sweetest song to the Rose-trees, in return of a red rose. She sings a parting song for the oak tree. And, to bring out a red-rose, she sings songs throughout the night, with her breast pressed against a thorn. These songs are of three levels:

First, she sang of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. This brought out a rose flower on the top of the tree. But it was pale in colour. The second song was of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid. This gave a pink colour to the rose. The third and last song was of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb. With this, the rose became crimson. At the last burst of music, the red rose opened its petals.

Some Features of the Story:

Oscar Wilde uses capitals for the first letters of names: Student, Nightingale, Love, Life, Philosophy, Oak-tree, Rose-tree

Irony: The student’s comment on the bird’s song. What happens to the rose flower in the end. The student’s changing opinions on love.

Lessons from the story:

True love – can be understood better without philosophy: the bird, the oak tree.

Love demands sacrifice.

Human beings often give more importance to what is written in books, or costly gifts. The value of true love often goes unseen.

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I

Gloriana, The Virgin Queen, Good Queen Bess

The dangers faced by Elizabeth before she came to power.

The dangers before her right from childhood. Her father: hot tempered, irascible; beheaded  her mother. As a Protestant, she was viewed as a threat by her half-sister Queen Mary.

The political tact of Elizabeth, for which she used her personal life as well.

Inherited traits from her family:

her grandfather’s nature: cautious, prudent, thrifty.

Her father’s flamboyance, daring, strong will

Mother’s love of life, instinct for survival, talent of playing off one against the other to her advantage.

During her reign, England becomes the greatest power in Europe.

Pride that she is “all English”

Remained unmarried: used the courtship of her by the different princes as a method to prevent them from unifying against England.

Gloriana, Virgin Queen, Good Queen Bess

The situation of religion when Elizabeth assumed power.

The previous three rulers: the church had lost its moorings. But was freed from corruption and moral decay. Positive influences: widespread of the use of the English Bible, grand tones of the Book of Common Prayer, admiration to Protestant martyrs

Situation of Counter Reformation

Elizabeth’s nature of religious tolerance.

A person of moderation. Established the Anglican Church: a compromise between Catholic and Protestant faiths; freedom from any foreign power spiritual or temporal.

Cranmer’s “Book of Common Worship” a golden mean between the two extremes: acceptable to the Catholics who found their prayers in it, in English. To the Protestants, the prayers in English were suitable for their reformed beliefs. No burning at stake on account of religion.

The two “alert lieutenants of Elizabeth” (Refer also the note on Counter Reformation: p 154).

William Cecil, Earl of Burleigh: advisor on state affairs; policy of moderation

Sir Francis Walsingham: in charge of the Queen’s safety. Guarded the Queen from papist  plots. Network of spies.

Problems caused by Spain and Scotland

Spain: Catholic, rich. Philip II of Spain believed that England should be ruled by him, as it belonged to his departed wife Queen Mary.

The Catholic Europe believed that England should go to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, the great grand daughter of Henry VII.

 

 

King Henry VIII - Pioneering English Reformation, His Priests, His Paramours

 

Reformation in England

In England, right from the 12^th c, there was a strife between the state and the church.

Europe was divided on the issue of Papacy and Reformation. Reformation was established in England at the time of Henry VIII. England was ripe for Reformation, through the works of people like the Oxford and Cambridge scholars.

But, the immediate situations for English reformation was far from religious.

HENRY VIII (1509 – 1547)

 Henry VIII: The Person: succeeded his father Henry VII to the throne of England in 1509 at the age of 18, and ruled till 1547.

(Comment: H 8 as a young and charming gentleman: p 154)

Favoured learning and scholars.

Dislike for monks, image and relic worship

Encouraged study of the Bible

Not frugal like his father

Diplomat and despot (these skills helped to build up the treasury)

 

HENRY VIII & the Reformation:

Henry’s reign can be considered as two periods: the time he was a devout Catholic, and the anti-papal period.

Refuting the doctrinal claims of Martin Luther, Henry VIII wrote a treatise defending the Pope and the Catholic faith. Pleased with this, the Pope Leo X bestowed upon him the title of “Defender of the Faith”.

Immediate Cause for Reformation in England: not religious or political, but the King’s personal matrimonial problems. Henry VIII was married to Catherine of Arragon (Spain), who was the widow of his brother, Prince Arthur. (Refer p. 138 of the text.) All their children except Mary did not survive infancy. The King was infatuated with Anne Boleyn, the maid of honour to Catherine. Pope Clement VII did not allow divorce, as it was against the rule of the church, and also because he was afraid of the displeasure of Charles V of Spain, the nephew of Catherine. With the sanction of the Parliament and church heads appointed by him, the King divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn.

The parliament summoned by the king, known as the Reformation Parliament, sat between 1529 and 1536. It took several measures to control the church and remove it from the clutches of the Pope. (P 152)

Acts of the Parliament:

Act of Succession: Kingdom to pass to the heirs of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

Act of Supremacy: King to be the supreme head of the church, which is to be known as the Church of England

Act of Treason: Anyone who dared to criticize the king would be tried for treason and executed

Act of Six Articles: (proving that Henry VIII was not against any doctrine of the church): to deny any of the six articles of the Catholic Church was a crime

Henry VIII’s Approach to Religion: A faithful Catholic, Henry VIII opposed the waves of Reformation. Later, he turned against the Church as it didn’t sanction his desire to divorce Catherine. 

          Reformation Parliament

          Prosecution of clergymen who were against his wishes / who supported Wolsey

          Attack on monasteries (support of Thomas Cromwell)

Henry VIII’s Relation with Other Lands: Henry’s Welsh blood gave him the loyalty of Wales. The Council of Wales was given immense powers. Though the same policy was tried upon Ireland, the Irish remained firmly Catholic. In Scotland, Henry arranged a marriage of his son Edward and Mary Stuart, but the alliance did not take place. The Calvinist and Protestant leanings of the Scots kept them on good terms with HENRY VIII. Relation with Other European Rulers: P 156

Henry VIII’s interest in the Navy: (p 161) – port holes

Henry VIII & His Chancellors

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey:

Made chancellor even at the time of Henry VII. Henry VIII also let Wolsey to play a major role in keeping the balance of power among the European countries.

Wolsey tried to keep Spain and France in mutual dislike.

Tried to bring in an alliance between England & France through a diplomatic marriage (Henry VIII’s sister with the French king)

Disapproved by Charles V of Spain and Netherlands. (Netherlands was England’s partner in wool trade.)

Charles V was nephew to Queen Catherine of England

Unknown to Wolsey, Henry enters into an alliance with Spain; sends army to help Spain in a battle against France. Though England defeated France, this battle was not approved by the people of England. The war was also a failure in Wolsey’s statecraft.

Wolsey didn’t support Henry VIII’s desire to annul his marriage with Catherine. Wolsey was stripped of power and wealth.

          Page 157: Wolsey: an estimate

Sir. Thomas More

 (The author of Utopia)

More reluctantly took up office as Chancellor. A humanist scholar who wanted purification of the church from within. Did not approve the Act of Supremacy, and cheerfully accepted execution.

“…the king's good servant, and God's first” (Quoted as More’s words at the scaffold)

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

 Gave an intellectual backing to the king’s desires. Initiated discussions in the Universities on the need of reformation. One topic: king should be given chance to lead a blameless life by divorcing Catherine (incest). Cranmer broke off all connections with the Pope. He was free from the king’s paranoia.

Henry VIII & Thomas Cromwell

 A man of humble birth, Cromwell was a person through whom Henry VIII could fulfil his cruder wishes. He was instrumental in the execution of people who refused to accept the King as the supreme head of the church – this includes Sir. Thomas More and Bishop Fisher. He was elevated as Vicar General, and had power to enter any monastery – a step that helped in the dissolution of monasteries. In this process, there was widespread destruction of libraries and beautiful buildings. Cromwell earned the name: Hammer of the Monks. He also fell out of favour with the king when he attempted to bring in a marriage between the King and Anne, the sister of the Duke of Cleves (Germany/ Protestant). But the King took an instant dislike for Anne. Thomas Cromwell suffered the King’s wrath, and was executed.  (p 159, 60)

 Henry VIII & His Wives

Henry was first married to Catherine of Aragon, who was the widow of his brother, Arthur. Later he wanted to divorce her, as she was not able to give him a male heir. The only child who survived infancy was Princess Mary. Henry VIII’s infatuation with Anne Boleyn also prompted this divorce. Catherine submitted to the orders to go into retirement, as the King’s ‘honourable sister in law’.  

Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn in 1533, with the support of Cranmer. She too was not able to give him a son. A daughter was born to them, named Elizabeth. The people of England were sympathetic to Catherine, whom they considered as having been wronged by Henry. In 1536, the Queen was arrested for misconduct, tried and executed.

Cranmer permitted Henry to marry again, and his new wife was Jane Seymour, who had been lady in waiting to both Catherine and Anne. Sweet tempered and pleasant, she put up with Henry’s tantrums. A son, Edward, was born to them, but the Queen died in child birth.

Thomas Cromwell brought in an alliance for the King with Anne, the sister of the Duke of Cleves (Germany). Henry took an instant dislike for the Lutheran princess, and quickly divorced her. He gave her a house and a pension and called her his royal sister.

HENRY VIII’s next wife was Catherine Howard, the niece of the Duke of Norfolk. She was cousin of Anne Boleyn. The King looked upon his young wife with suspicion. Accused of infidelity, she was beheaded.

The last of HENRY VIII’s wives was Catherine Parr. She knew how to pacify the King. She was firmly with the reformers whose position in court was established with her support.

Henry VIII’s children:

Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon

Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn             

Edward, son of Jane Seymour

An amusing feature of history: these three step siblings become monarchs of England.

Henry VIII breathed his last in 1547, after a brief illness. He was succeeded by Edward, his only son and heir, who became Edward VI of England.

 

 

European Renaissance: Scientific Inventions, Geographical Discoveries

This post caters to the study of the Complementary Course “Evolution of Literary Movements”, assigned for students of BA English programme at CMS College.

SCIENTIFIC INVENTIONS    

Medieval ideas: influenced by the physics of Aristotle, medicine of Galen, astronomy of Ptolemy, Christian theology

Matter of 4 elements:        earth, air, water, fire

Man of four humours:        black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, blood

Earth of 3 masses:                Europe, Asia, Africa

Earth is the centre of the universe (geocentric universe)

All these were overthrown during the Renaissance, through empirical truth. Stage set by the Humanists of the 16th c., and developed by the scientists of the 17th c: Copernicus, Galileo, William Harvey and Sir. Isaac Newton.

Galileo Galilei

Nicolaus Copernicus

William Harvey

Isaac Newton

Liberal studies curriculum in Grammar schools and universities: classical languages, and arithmetic, geometry and algebra.

Translation of Archimedes contributed to the further understanding of mathematics.

*The works of Archimedes were written in Doric Greek, the dialect of ancient Syracuse

Heliocentric idea gained acceptance.

Gutenberg in his workshop (artist's visualisaton)

Development of technology: Printing Press (16th c.) – Movable metal type by Johannes Gutenberg, Germany

Humanism

  This post caters to the study of the Complementary Course “Evolution of Literary Movements”, assigned for students of BA English programme at CMS College.

HUMANISM

Related to Renaissance: Blend of Christian philosophy and secular thinking

A philosophy on MAN: a study through the examination of his actual behavior than attempting to understand him through rigid doctrinaire formula.

The Humanist idea of Man:

·        Man is in a constant attempt to strive for good, but often finds himself caught in the trap of evil.

·        Struggle of desires: immortality vs. earthly fame. Choice belongs to the individual

·        Interest in the volitional/ emotional side rather than the rational side of man

·        Man: an Actor as well as a Creator

Humanist: A teacher of humanities (15th c. use). Early humanists – University teachers Humanists (teachers) developed a new curriculum (Difference from Medieval thinking)

Importance to ancient Greek culture and the good life (relation between these two)

Liberal education: difference with religious education

Curriculum of liberal education

Taken up by Universities

Thus, adopted in all the colonies of the Western world

Liberal Education and CMS College
In the early years, the curriculum included the study of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Mathematics, History and Geography besides English, Malayalam, Sanskrit and Syriac.

Humanist Scholars

Secularists (believed in the efficacy of classical knowledge)

Christians (believed in the tenets of the Christian faith – those that didn’t run counter to the ideals of antiquity)

Humanist Scholars elsewhere

Italian scholar poet Petrarch

Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus

Humanist Scholars in England

Oxford Reformers

Dean John Colet   (interest in St. Paul: refer to the “struggle of desires” mentioned above)

Sir Thomas More  Utopia, Struggle with the King (Henry VIII)

(also Desiderius Erasmus)

The Oxford Reformers were true to the Catholic church, and tried to reform it from within. But it was not successful, and change had to come from outside, in the form of Reformation.

European and English Renaissance

 This post caters to the study of the Complementary Course “Evolution of Literary Movements”, assigned for students of BA English programme at CMS College.

EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE

Started by the 14^th century in Europe.

Impact upon Europe in

Language         Education         Art & Literature

Architecture    Science             Geography   Religion

Italy and Renaissance

Fall of Constantinople (1453: Turks)– scholars move to Italy – brings with them the knowledge of the East (esp. Greek & Latin) [this is after centuries of suppression by the Christian religion]

• Bible studied in original Greek and Hebrew
• Interest developed towards ancient Greek writings
• Insight on Greek attitude to knowledge: knowledge is the enquiry…p 139
• Scientific Temper
• Changed attitude to life

 

Florence & Renaissance

Florence: a wealthy city in Italy. Medici family.

Native place of many Popes who were patrons of Renaissance.

Popes established large libraries

The Medici family fostered art and knowledge

Impact of Renaissance                   

• Rediscovery of classical languages & Spread of Knowledge: (development of Printing)

• Art/ Architecture: broke away from Medieval patterns; looked to nature for guidance

               Leonardo da Vinci 

Leonardo da Vinci 

 Michael Angelo     

Fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican (Michael Angelo)

Raphael          

Titian              

Botticelli

Architecture: St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

•                   Science: Spirit of enquiry (da Vinci)

Nicolaus Copurnicus

•                   Exploration and Discovery (challenge to beliefs held by church): Solar System (Copernicus/ ratified by Galileo); 

Maritime adventures – Spain, Portugal & other European powers. Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan (circumnavigating the globe)

•                   Religion: Protestantanism

(Also refer to the points from Harris/ Sudhakaran: The Shapers of Destiny, pp141-2)

ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

(Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-britlit1/chapter/english-renaissance/ )

The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that is usually regarded as beginning in Italy in the late 14th century. Like most of northern Europe, England saw little of these developments until more than a century later. The beginning of the English Renaissance is often taken, as a convenience, to be 1485, when the Battle of Bosworth Field ended the Wars of the Roses and inaugurated the Tudor Dynasty. Renaissance style and ideas, however, were slow to penetrate England, and the Elizabethan era in the second half of the 16th century is usually regarded as the height of the English Renaissance.

 

The English Renaissance is different from the Italian Renaissance in several ways. The dominant art forms of the English Renaissance were literature and music. Visual arts in the English Renaissance were much less significant than in the Italian Renaissance. The English period began far later than the Italian, which is usually considered to begin in the late 14th century, and was moving into Mannerism and the Baroque by the 1550s or earlier. In contrast, the English Renaissance can only be said to begin, shakily, in the 1520s, and continued until perhaps 1620.