Poem: She Walks In Beauty like the night by Lord Byron

She Walks In Beauty like the night by Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Poem: Birds of Passage by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Birds of Passage by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Black shadows fall
From the lindens tall,
That lift aloft their massive wall
Against the southern sky;

And from the realms
Of the shadowy elms
A tide-like darkness overwhelms
The fields that round us lie.

But the night is fair,
And everywhere
A warm, soft vapor fills the air,
And distant sounds seem near;

And above, in the light
Of the star-lit night,
Swift birds of passage wing their flight
Through the dewy atmosphere.

I hear the beat
Of their pinions fleet,
As from the land of snow and sleet
They seek a southern lea.

I hear the cry
Of their voices high
Falling dreamily through the sky,
But their forms I cannot see.

Oh, say not so!
Those sounds that flow
In murmurs of delight and woe
Come not from wings of birds.

They are the throngs
Of the poet's songs,
Murmurs of pleasures, and pains, and wrongs,
The sound of winged words.

This is the cry
Of souls, that high
On toiling, beating pinions, fly,
Seeking a warmer clime.

From their distant flight
Through realms of light
It falls into our world of night,
With the murmuring sound of rhyme.

Poem: To Autumn BY John Keats

To Autumn BY John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
  Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
  With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
  And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
    To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
  With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
    For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
  Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
  Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
  Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
    Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
  Steady thy laden head across a brook;
  Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
    Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
  Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
  And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
  Among the river sallows, borne aloft
    Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
  Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
  The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
    And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Poem: Her Voice by Oscar Wilde

Her Voice by Oscar Wilde

The wild bee reels from bough to bough
With his furry coat and his gauzy wing,
Now in a lily-cup, and now
Setting a jacinth bell a-swing,
In his wandering;
Sit closer love: it was here I trow
I made that vow,
Swore that two lives should be like one
As long as the sea-gull loved the sea,
As long as the sunflower sought the sun,-
It shall be, I said, for eternity
'Twixt you and me!
Dear friend, those times are over and done;
Love's web is spun.
Look upward where the poplar trees
Sway and sway in the summer air,
Here in the valley never a breeze
Scatters the thistledown, but there
Great winds blow fair
From the mighty murmuring mystical seas,
And the wave-lashed leas.
Look upward where the white gull screams,
What does it see that we do not see?
Is that a star? or the lamp that gleams
On some outward voyaging argosy,
Ah! can it be
We have lived our lives in a land of dreams!
How sad it seems.
Sweet, there is nothing left to say
But this, that love is never lost,
Keen winter stabs the breasts of May
Whose crimson roses burst his frost,
Ships tempest-tossed
Will find a harbour in some bay,
And so we may.

And there is nothing left to do
But to kiss once again, and part,
Nay, there is nothing we should rue,
I have my beauty,-you your Art,
Nay, do not start,
One world was not enough for two
Like me and you.

Poem: A Farewell to False Love by Sir Walter Raleigh

A Farewell to False Love by Sir Walter Raleigh

Farewell, false love, the oracle of lies,
A mortal foe and enemy to rest,
An envious boy, from whom all cares arise,
A bastard vile, a beast with rage possessed,
A way of error, a temple full of treason,
In all effects contrary unto reason.

A poisoned serpent covered all with flowers,
Mother of sighs, and murderer of repose,
A sea of sorrows whence are drawn such showers
As moisture lend to every grief that grows;
A school of guile, a net of deep deceit,
A gilded hook that holds a poisoned bait.

A fortress foiled, which reason did defend,
A siren song, a fever of the mind,
A maze wherein affection finds no end,
A raging cloud that runs before the wind,
A substance like the shadow of the sun,
A goal of grief for which the wisest run.

A quenchless fire, a nurse of trembling fear,
A path that leads to peril and mishap,
A true retreat of sorrow and despair,
An idle boy that sleeps in pleasure's lap,
A deep mistrust of that which certain seems,
A hope of that which reason doubtful deems.

Sith then thy trains my younger years betrayed,
And for my faith ingratitude I find;
And sith repentance hath my wrongs bewrayed,
Whose course was ever contrary to kind:
False love, desire, and beauty frail, adieu!
Dead is the root whence all these fancies grew.

SPEECH ON IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS

SPEECH ON IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS
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Cleanliness has much importance in everyone’s life. It is vital for a healthy body, mind and spirit. Every individual is taught the importance of cleanliness right from their childhood, especially at school. Teachers adopt various methods to teach students this important lesson by asking them to write speech on importance of cleanliness. We have presented below some samples that would help you to write importance of cleanliness speech. It includes samples of short and long speech on importance of cleanliness. The language of the speech is very simple yet impactful; mainly focusing on the essence of speech on importance of cleanliness. Students belonging to any standard, including school and college, can take ideas from the following speeches on importance of cleanliness and prepare your speech.
SPEECH ON IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS – 1
Good Morning to our Hon’ble Principle, Vice Principal, Fellow Colleagues and Our Lovely Students!!

As we know that Mr. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of our country, has kick started the campaign called Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or ‘Clean India’ campaign with great gusto all across India to encourage people maintain high standard of cleanliness and hygiene at all places, be it our homes, workplaces, public places, streets/roads, etc so it becomes our responsibility too to inculcate the same spirit in our students.

Just like food, water, oxygen and other things are important for our existence, similarly cleanliness is also crucial for our healthy physical and mental makeup. Do we not keep hearing such news about people dying of diseases, such as Malaria, Jaundice, etc. that are borne out of filthy surroundings? Therefore, in order to prevent such cases the people of India should focus on maintaining cleanliness, which will help our country earn a respectable place in the eyes, souls, hearts and minds of the foreigners paying a visit to our country.

And, if every Indian citizen contributes to even some extent towards this Swachh Bharat Abhiyan then we cannot imagine how effective it will prove to be towards fulfilling the aim of this campaign. In fact, you can also teach people living in your vicinity or whom you know about the importance of cleanliness in their day-to-day lives.

However, dear students please also understand that you cannot force this on anyone. Cleanliness is a good habit and not everyone is born with it, so those who don’t practice cleanliness try and make them understand the benefits that cleanliness entails rather than forcing your viewpoint on others. Cleanliness can be of varied types, such as personal cleanliness, environment cleanliness, workplace cleanliness (such as our office, school, college, etc.). It doesn’t take much to maintain cleanliness in our day-to-day lives – just like we cook, eat, bathe, etc on a regular basis similarly maintaining cleanliness should also be made an integral part of our daily work lives. In fact, just by ensuring small-small things, such as throwing trash in the dustbin and not on the floor or road, not spitting or urinating on the road, etc. we can bring a substantial change in our surroundings.

We should not compromise with it and should make our little ones practice it right from their childhood so that they grow up as responsible individuals who know how to live a healthy life. This habit should be inculcated by parents in their children because parents; especially mother is the first mentor of a child who grooms him/her and helps giving shape to his/her personality.

When we know that Cleanliness is next to Godliness, so why are we still insensitive towards this issue? Unhygienic conditions can cause many serious health hazards including causing harm to the environment in the form of pollution. In filthy surroundings, germs spread all around, which we cannot see though our naked eyes and how fast these germs multiply we cannot possibly imagine. If pollution will increase in our environment – it will start breeding such diseases as asthma, cancer, chest congestion, lung infection thereby resulting in a person’s death.

So it’s high time when we should raise the consciousness of masses towards maintain cleanliness so that we can protect our environment and save the lives of hundreds of people who die due to unhygienic surroundings.

Thank You!

SPEECH ON IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS – 2
Good Morning to our Respectable Principal, Vice Principal, Teachers and My Dear Students!!

As you all know that our school has joined hands with other schools in the area for Clean Delhi Campaign, it has been considered appropriate to kick start this campaign right from our own institution where we as students will also get the encouragement to maintain cleanliness around us. But before we talk any further on this topic, let’s first understand what cleanliness is all about?

The term ‘cleanliness’ implies absence of dust, dirt, garbage, foul smell, stains, etc. You must have realized that most Indian places whether it’s a lane, street, railway station, government office, hospital or a bus stop look unclean and unpleasant to our eyes. In addition, the littered garbage, defaced walls and overflowing sewage result in the spread of diseases and clogging of water on the roads, which further aggravate the situation. The death toll rises as more and more people succumb to the diseases and die in the absence of proper treatment and care.

So to avoid this crisis, the natives of our country should put efforts towards maintaining cleanliness not only in their homes and working places, but in their surroundings too. A hygienic and clean environment creates happy souls and a fulfilling life. There is a famous idiom that says charity begins at home, likewise cleanliness of a city; village or town should first begin from people’s homes.

In fact, villages have become proactive in order to ensure cleanliness of their environment and hygiene of people inhabiting those villages. Other than public toilets, personal toilets too have been constructed in order to avoid defecation at open places. In fact, effective measures are being taken up for managing dirty water and solid waste. So when village folks are putting in concerted efforts, why we people living in well-developed cities should lag behind in this campaign? Please understand that cleanliness is as essential to human existence as oxygen, water and food. Also, it’s a foundation of discipline and hallmark of success because if a person can’t keep himself/herself and the immediate surrounding organized and clean, then how he/she would contribute towards the success of others. It’s not possible to maintain a healthy relationship with people in the absence of a clean environment. At least, a minimal level of cleanliness such as taking shower regularly, washing your hands after using toilet, protecting your feet from dust, throwing garbage in the dustbin, etc is expected from everyone.

Cleanliness is monumentally important and must be practiced daily. If we will keep ourselves and our surroundings clean, it will help in nation building exercise too because it will then encourage more and more foreign tourists to visit our land and appreciate its beauty, nature and living surroundings. Of course, no one wants to visit a foul land. So adopt a lifestyle and nurture a surrounding where there is no threat to nature and the living beings and everyone can live in a harmonious co-existence.

Thank You!

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SPEECH ON IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS – 3
Good Morning my dear Sir, Ma’m and hello to all my friends.

For today’s morning Assembly, I have chosen Cleanliness as my topic. This is a very essential part of one’s routine, surroundings and hygiene.

Cleanliness is not only the physical, it is also the social and mental well being that helps in maintaining good personality and building a good impression on others. Cleanliness gives rise to good character by keeping body, mind and soul clean and peaceful.

Isn’t it that we all feel stronger and wealthier when we keep ourselves and our surroundings clean. It makes our aura positive and happy. Maintaining cleanliness is the essential part of healthy living because it is the cleanliness only which helps to improve our personality by keeping clean externally and internally.

Someone has rightly said that cleanliness is the way to godliness. This means that by maintaining cleanliness and having good thoughts brings people closer or near to the God. Personal cleanliness is considered as the symbol of purity of body and soul, which is crucial to get healthy and spiritual connection. Being clean is very essential for getting good health, positive well being and leading a moral life.

Our teachers are very keen on promoting cleanliness all around. This is because they are aware that in order to lead a healthy, happy and a peaceful life, we all should practice clean habits in every aspect of life because unhygienic conditions symbolize evil whereas cleanliness symbolizes purity.

It is not that difficult to keep ourselves clean or to keep our surroundings clean. We should do it for ourselves, for our inner peace and wealth. As human beings, it is our responsibility to promote safe and clean well being. Cleanliness helps us to create a positive public image, helps us in staying healthy and wealthy.

Maintaining cleanliness safeguards us from diseases and unhealthy social, physical and mental inner self. It is very simple to include cleanliness in our regular routine and make it our habit. We should never compromise with cleanliness, it is as necessary as food and water for us.

I am glad that my parents and teachers have always motivated me and have keenly put emphasis on maintaining environment clean. They have always demonstrated the importance of being tidy and clean. Every child should be conveyed the importance of cleanliness. Since childhood, it should be made an inherited value in them. Clean eating habits, clean clothing, not littering the stuff here and there, cleaning the toilet after their use are a few basic and very essential cleanliness tactics that one should understand and follow.

Friends, I hope, I have been able to share with you my thoughts on the importance of cleanliness. Please stay healthy by making yourself and your surroundings clean. Also, share your bit and make others aware about the benefits of cleanliness.

Thank you teachers and my friends. Thank You!

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SPEECH ON IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS – 4
Good Morning everybody!

I want to thank my class teacher for considering me as the person who should bring forward the importance of cleanliness.

Friends; cleanliness is a very easy and crucial thing that we all should adhere to as individuals and also as the citizens of one country. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has specially launched a plan ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. He has launched this program by having faith in us that we will ensure our country’s cleanliness.

As being the citizen of the country, we all are responsible for cleaning any dirty place we see. We should keep our roads, tourist places, historical places, schools, colleges, office buildings, etc very neat and clean.

Cleanliness is not only required for the country. Charity begins at home, it is our home, school, college, society, community, office, organization, and everything even ourselves that should be kept clean. And it is not merely our choice, but our responsibility as being a human being. We need to clean ourselves, our home, surrounding areas, our society, community, city, garden, and environment on a daily basis.

It is not merely our physical looks; it is our mental and conscious well being as well. Cleanliness helps us make our social strengths. A clean person always seems a decent attraction for somebody to contact. People will like to appreciate and join with the ones who have clean habits. Similarly, if our country appears to be clean then how good it will feel when we see so many outsiders or tourists praising our country. Cleanliness should be our daily practice and not once in a lifetime or occasional thing.

Cleanliness of mind is also important along with physical cleanliness. As we keep our body clean, we must also keep our mind and heart clean. Lack of hygiene is the symbol of evil and cleanliness is the symbol of purity. Cleanliness is rightly said to be next to godliness. Spirituality cannot be preached until and unless the person is clean.

Children should be mandatory given lessons is cleanliness from the very beginning. They should be taught body hygiene. They should wash their hands before eating and take only clean food and pure water. At school, the children should be made to sit on properly cleaned chairs and benches. The elders should act as role models for children. They should themselves observe all the necessary rules regarding cleanliness.

I am sure that when we move from this desk we all be more dedicated towards the cleanliness drive than we were before. We as individuals are very strong to implement anything that we want to; cleanliness is merely one of our most important habits that are to be executed daily.

Thanks! Keep sharing the message of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan; it is our role to be played. Thank you! Have a great clean day!
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Shailesh Ramanuj

ESSAY: YOGA

YOGA ESSAY
   
Yoga is a good practice if one does in daily life. It helps to live healthy life style and better life forever. We should let our kids know about the benefits of yoga as well as practice yoga in daily routine. Yoga Essay is a general topic which students get in the schools during essay writing. Enhance your kids essay writing skills by using such type of simply written essay on yoga and its benefits. This Yoga Essay will help your child’s health and English skill as well.

ESSAY ON YOGA
YOGA ESSAY 1 (100 WORDS)
Yoga is an ancient art which was originated in India around six thousand years ago. Earlier people were used to of practicing yoga and meditation in their daily lives to live healthy and strong whole life. However the practice of yoga was declining day by day in such a crowded and hectic environment. Yoga is very safe and can be safely practiced by anyone anytime even by children also to take it’s all the benefits. Yoga is a practice to bring body parts together to make a balance of body, mind and soul. Earlier it was practiced by the yogis to meditate them.

YOGA ESSAY 2 (150 WORDS)
Yoga is the most favourable method to connect to the nature by balancing the mind-body connection. It is a type of exercise which performed through the balanced body and need to get control over diet, breathing, and physical postures. It is associated with the meditation of body and mind through the relaxation of body. It is very useful to control over mind and body as well as getting proper health of body and mind by reducing the stress and anxiety.

Yoga can be practiced by anyone as an exercise on daily basis to fulfil the need of very active and demanding life especially teenagers and adults. It helps in coping with the hard times of the life and pressure of school, friends, family and neighbours. Through yoga practice one can disappear his/her problems and stress given by others. It helps in easily accomplishing the connection between body, mind and nature.

YOGA ESSAY 3 (200 WORDS)
Yoga is most important for everyone’s life as it helps in balancing the relationship between body and mind. It is type of exercise which helps in learning physical and mental discipline through regular practice. It was originated in India long years ago in ancient time. Earlier people belong to the Buddhism and Hinduism were used to of the yoga and meditation. Various types of yoga are Raja yoga, jnana yoga, Bhakthi yoga, Karma yoga, Hatha yoga. Generally Hatha yoga having many asanas is practiced by the people in India. A world level event is celebrated every year called International Day of Yoga in order to increase the awareness of yoga benefits among people all over the world.

International Day of Yoga or World Yoga Day has been declared (by the United Nations General Assembly) to get celebrated on 21st of June after the suggestion and initiation of India. Yoga includes pranayama and kapal bharti which are one of the best and effective breathing exercises. Yoga is a therapy which helps getting rid of illnesses slowly if practiced on regular basis. It makes some positive changes to the internal body and regularise the body organs functioning. There is specific yoga for different purposes so only required ones can be practiced.

YOGA ESSAY 4 (250 WORDS)
Yoga was originated in India during ancient time by the yogis. Yoga word is originated from the Sanskrit language and has two meanings, one is union and another one is discipline. Practicing yoga teaches us about the body and mind discipline by uniting or connecting both body and mind. It is a spiritual practice used to meditate in the early morning to balance body and mind as well as remains close to the nature. It was practiced earlier by the people of religions like Hindu, Buddha and Jain. It is amazing type of exercise which makes life better by controlling the body and mind. Yoga is a science of living healthy life forever. It is like a medicine which treats various diseases gradually by regularizing the functioning of body organs.

Actually yoga is a practice of controlled body part movements and control of breathe. It enhances the inner and outer body and mind strength by connecting both to the nature. It is not a physical practice only as it makes a human able to get control over mental, emotional, and spiritual thoughts. It can be practiced by the people at any age during childhood, teenage, adult or old age. It needs only safe, slow and controlled movements of body with controlled breathing. In order to make worldwide people aware of the yoga and its benefits, an international level event (called International Day of Yoga or World Yoga Day) has been declared to celebrate it annually.

YOGA ESSAY 5 (300 WORDS)
Yoga is a most important and precious gift given by the nature from ancient time to get connected throughout the life with nature. It is the practice of uniting the mind and body in order to achieve the perfect harmony between both. It helps a person to get higher level of consciousness by getting control over the body in all aspects like physically, mentally, socially and intellectually. Yoga is promoted to get practiced daily in the schools and colleges for the betterment of the students as well as increasing their concentration level towards study. It is a systematic effort done by the people to attain the perfection by getting control over all different nature elements exist in the body.

It needs very safe and regular practice to get benefited all the asanas of yoga. Yoga is practiced to bring spiritual progress in the body and mind for self-development by controlling the inner energy. The inhaling and exhaling of the oxygen during yoga is the main thing. Practicing yoga in daily life regularly prevents from various diseases as well as cures fatal disease including cancer, diabetes, high or low blood pressure, heart ailments, kidney disorders, liver disorders, gynaecological problems and variety of mental problems.

Now-a-days, it is very necessary to practice yoga again to make lives of people better. Daily yoga practice provides inner and outer body strength. It helps in strengthening the body immunity system thus prevents from various diseases and cures different disease. It acts as an alternative system of medicine if practiced continuously. It also reduces the side effects of many heavy medicines taken on daily basis. The very good time for practicing the yoga like pranayam and kapal bharti is the early morning as it provides better environment to get control over body and mind.

YOGA ESSAY 6 (400 WORDS)
Yoga is very safe, easy and healthy way to get fit whole life without any problems. It just needs regular practice in right way of body movements and breathing. It regularizes the connection between three components of our body such as body, mind and soul. It regularizes the functioning of the all body organs and prevents the body and mind to get disturbed because of some bad situations and unhealthy lifestyle. It helps in maintaining the health, knowledge and inner peace. By providing a good health it fulfils our physical needs, through knowledge it fulfils our psychological needs and through inner peace is fulfils the spiritual need thus it helps in maintaining the harmony among all.

Regular practice of the yoga in the morning provides outer and inner relief by keeping away from the countless ailments at the physical and mental level. Practicing postures or asanas strengthens the body and mind as well as creates the feeling of well being. It sharpens the human mind, improves intelligence and help in high level of concentration by steadying the emotions and feelings. The feeling of well being creates helping nature within us and thus enhances the social well being. Improved concentration level helps in meditating and provides calming effect and inner peace to the mind. Yoga is like a practical philosophy which develops self-discipline and self awareness within us through regular practice.

Yoga can be practiced by anyone as it is irrespective of age, religion, or health circumstances. It improves the discipline and sense of power as well as provides a chance to life healthy life without physical and mental problems. To enhance its awareness about all benefits all over the world, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has suggested to the United Nations General Assembly to declare the 21st of June as an International Day of Yoga so that each and every may know about yoga and can been benefited. Yoga is an ancient Indian tradition which was originated in India and practiced regularly by the yogis to get fit and meditate. By seeing the benefits of implementing the yoga in daily life, United Nations General Assembly has declared the International Day of Yoga to be celebrated every year on 21st of June.

We cannot count the benefits of yoga, we can understand it only a miracle which has been gifted to the human fraternity by the God. It maintains physical fitness, reduces stress, control on emotions, feelings, controls negative thoughts, feeling of general well being, improves mental clarity, enhances self-understanding, connects to the nature and many more.

ESSAY: Yoga and meditation

Yoga and meditation

Yoga is a system of physical and mental discipline which originated in India long ago. The word is linked to meditative practices in both Buddhism and Hinduism. In the latter, it also refers to an orthodox school of philosophy.

Yoga has many branches like Raja yoga, Karma yoga, jnana yoga, Bhakthi yoga, and Hatha yoga. But when most people talk of yoga in India or abroad, they usually mean Hatha yoga, which consists of certain exercises called ‘asanas’.

It can also include ‘pranayama’, a set of breathing exercises. Yoga is an important system of complementary or alternative therapy. Yoga teachers prescribe specific asanas and breathing exercises for specific diseases. Yoga has beneficial results in treating many diseases like diabetes, asthma, hypertension, obesity, etc.

Yoga also helps maintain one’s youth and vitality. Yoga exercises help to control, purify and coordinate the nervous system. Doing yoga regularly rids the body of toxins, thereby improving general health. It also rids the mind of impure impulses leading to contentment and inner peace.

Meditation is a mental discipline by which one tries to attain a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. It involves focusing one’s attention on a single point of reference. It is an important part of many religions and it is practiced outside religion as well. Meditation may be used for different purposes.

They may include achieving a higher state of consciousness, greater focus, creativity or self-awareness or simple relaxation. Magsaysay award winner and former top police officer, Kiran Bedi, during her stint as IG of Prisons, Tihar jail, introduced classes in transcendental meditation (TM) for prisoners.

Reportedly, it made them more relaxed and peaceful and helped curb their violent impulses. Meditation can be done even while walking or doing simple tasks. It is also said to be good for lowering blood pressure.

ESSAY : WORLD YOGA DAY

WORLD YOGA DAY
International day of yoga is also called as the world yoga day. United Nations General Assembly has declared 21st of June as an International Yoga Day on 11th of December in 2014. Yoga in India is considered to be around 5,000 year old mental, physical and spiritual practice. Yoga was originated in India in ancient time when people were used of meditation to transform their body and mind. Launching a particular date of practicing yoga all across the world and celebrating as yoga day was initiated by the Indian Prime Minister to the United Nations General Assembly.

Yoga is very necessary and beneficial for all human being if it is practiced by all on daily basis in the early morning. Official name of this day is UN International Yoga Day and also called as Yoga Day. It is a worldwide event celebrated by the people of all countries through practicing yoga, meditation, debates, meetings, discussions, variety of cultural performances, etc.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2017 (WORLD YOGA DAY)
World Yoga Day or International Day of Yoga will be celebrated by the people throughout the world Third time on 21st of June in 2017, at Wednesday.

HISTORY OF WORLD YOGA DAY
Celebrating yoga day all over the world as World Yoga Day or International Day of Yoga on 21st of June every year was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on 11th of December in 2014. The declaration was done after the call by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to the United Nations General Assembly on 27th of September in 2014 during his address to the UN General Assembly. He call the United Nations General Assembly for adopting 21st of June as an International Yoga Day to get all the benefits of yoga for the people all around the world.

Narendra Modi has said during his address to the UN General Assembly that “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”

The declaration of International Day of Yoga is the great moment for the India in the history. It took less than three months to be declared as the World Yoga Day by the United Nations General Assembly. Narendra Modi had called for it on 27th of September in 2014 which was finally declared on 11th of December in 2014. It was first ever in the history that the initiative of any country has been proposed and implemented in the UN body within 90 days. This resolution has been adopted under the Global Health and Foreign Policy by the General Assembly in order to provide a holistic approach to the people worldwide for their health and well-being.

In order to create a great level of consciousness and positively changing the lifestyle of worldwide human population Indian PM, Mr. Narendra Modi has put his views for adopting a day especially for yoga while address to the United Nations General Assembly. He asked to the world leaders for adopting international Yoga day to deal with the declining health because of negative climate changes. Especially, he suggested 21st of June for adopting the International Day of Yoga as this day is the longest day in Northern Hemisphere regions as well as of great significance for people in many parts of the world.

WORLD YOGA DAY CELEBRATION
The celebration of the event International day of yoga is supported by various global leaders. It is celebrated by the people of more than 170 countries including USA, China, Canada, etc. It is celebrated on international level by organizing the activities like yoga training campus, yoga competitions and so many activities to enhance the awareness about yoga benefits among common public. It is celebrated to let people know that regular yoga practice lead to the better mental, physical and intellectual health. It positively changes the lifestyle of the people and increase the level of well-being.

All members, observer states, United Nations system organizations, other international organizations, regional organizations, civil society, governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and individuals get together to celebrate the International Day of Yoga in suitable manner according to the national priorities to raise the awareness about yoga.

OBJECTIVES OF WORLD YOGA DAY
International Day of Yoga has been adopted to fulfill the following objectives:

To let people know the amazing and natural benefits of yoga.
To connect people to the nature by practicing yoga.
To make people get used of meditation through yoga.
To draw attention of people worldwide towards the holistic benefits of yoga.
To reduce the rate of health challenging diseases all over the world.
To bring communities much close together to spend a day for health from busy schedule.
To enhance growth, development and spread peace all through the world.
To help people in their bad situations themselves by getting relief from stress through yoga.
To strengthen the global coordination among people through yoga.
To make people aware of physical and mental diseases and its solutions through practicing yoga.
To protect unhealthy practices and promote and respect the good practices to make health better.
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Poem "Tears, Idle Tears " by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Tears, Idle Tears by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,
Tears from the depth of some divine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy Autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.

Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail,
That brings our friends up from the underworld,
Sad as the last which reddens over one
That sinks with all we love below the verge;
So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.

Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns
The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds
To dying ears, when unto dying eyes
The casement slowly grows a glimmering square;
So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.

Dear as remembered kisses after death,
And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned
On lips that are for others; deep as love,
Deep as first love, and wild with all regret;
O Death in Life, the days that are no more!

Novel: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The boy rode along through the desert for several hours, listening avidly to what his heart had to say. It was his heart that would tell him where his treasure was hidden.

"Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart," the alchemist had told him.

But his heart was speaking of other things. With pride, it told the story of a shepherd who had left his flock to follow a dream he had on two different occasions. It told of destiny, and of the many men who had wandered in search of distant lands or beautiful women, confronting the people of their times with their preconceived notions. It spoke of journeys, discoveries, books, and change.

As he was about to climb yet another dune, his heart whispered, "Be aware of the place where you are brought to tears. That's where I am, and that's where your treasure is."

The boy climbed the dune slowly. A full moon rose again in the starry sky: it had been a month since he had set forth from the oasis. The moonlight cast shadows through the dunes, creating the appearance of a rolling sea; it reminded the boy of the day when that horse had reared in the desert, and he had come to know the alchemist. And the moon fell on the desert's silence, and on a man's journey in search of treasure.

When he reached the top of the dune, his heart leapt. There, illuminated by the light of the moon and the brightness of the desert, stood the solemn and majestic Pyramids of Egypt.

The boy fell to his knees and wept. He thanked God for making him believe in his destiny, and for leading him to meet a king, a merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist. And above all for his having met a woman of the desert who had told him that love would never keep a man from his destiny.

If he wanted to, he could now return to the oasis, go back to Fatima, and live his life as a simple shepherd. After all, the alchemist continued to live in the desert, even though he understood the Language of the World, and knew how to transform lead into gold. He didn't need to demonstrate his science and art to anyone. The boy told himself that, on the way toward realizing his own destiny, he had learned all he needed to know, and had experienced everything he might have dreamed of.

But here he was, at the point of finding his treasure, and he reminded himself that no project is completed until its objective has been achieved. The boy looked at the sands around him, and saw that, where his tears had fallen, a scarab beetle was scuttling through the sand. During his time in the desert, he had learned that, in Egypt, the scarab beetles are a symbol of God.

Another omen! The boy began to dig into the dune. As he did so, he thought of what the crystal merchant had once said: that anyone could build a pyramid in his backyard. The boy could see now that he couldn't do so if he placed stone upon stone for the rest of his life.

Throughout the night, the boy dug at the place he had chosen, but found nothing. He felt weighted down by the centuries of time since the Pyramids had been built. But he didn't stop. He struggled to continue digging as he fought the wind, which often blew the sand back into the excavation. His hands were abraded and exhausted, but he listened to his heart. It had told him to dig where his tears fell.

As he was attempting to pull out the rocks he encountered, he heard footsteps. Several figures approached him. Their backs were to the moonlight, and the boy could see neither their eyes nor their faces.

"What are you doing here?" one of the figures demanded.

Because he was terrified, the boy didn't answer. He had found where his treasure was, and was frightened at what might happen.

"We're refugees from the tribal wars, and we need money," the other figure said. "What are you hiding there?"

"I'm not hiding anything," the boy answered.

But one of them seized the boy and yanked him back out of the hole. Another, who was searching the boy's bags, found the piece of gold.

"There's gold here," he said.

The moon shone on the face of the Arab who had seized him, and in the man's eyes the boy saw death.

"He's probably got more gold hidden in the ground."

They made the boy continue digging, but he found nothing. As the sun rose, the men began to beat the  boy. He was bruised and bleeding, his clothing was torn to shreds, and he felt that death was near.

"What good is money to you if you're going to die? It's not often that money can save someone's life,"  the alchemist had said. Finally, the boy screamed at the men, "I'm digging for treasure!" And, although his  mouth was bleeding and swollen, he told his attackers that he had twice dreamed of a treasure hidden  near the Pyramids of Egypt.

The man who appeared to be the leader of the group spoke to one of the others: "Leave him. He doesn't  have anything else. He must have stolen this gold."
The boy fell to the sand, nearly unconscious. The leader shook him and said, "We're leaving."

But before they left, he came back to the boy and said, "You're not going to die. You'll live, and you'll learn that a man shouldn't be so stupid. Two years ago, right here on this spot, I had a recurrent dream, too. I dreamed that I should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds and their sheep slept. In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the sacristy, and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden treasure. But I'm not so stupid as to cross an entire desert just because of a recurrent dream."
And they disappeared.

The boy stood up shakily, and looked once more at the Pyramids. They seemed to laugh at him, and he  laughed back, his heart bursting with joy.

Because now he knew where his treasure was.

EPILOGUE

The boy reached the small, abandoned church just as night was falling. The sycamore was still there in
the sacristy, and the stars could still be seen through the half-destroyed roof. He remembered the time he
had been there with his sheep; it had been a peaceful night. . . except for the dream.

Now he was here not with his flock, but with a shovel.

He sat looking at the sky for a long time. Then he took from his knapsack a bottle of wine, and drank
some. He remembered the night in the desert when he had sat with the alchemist, as they looked at the
stars and drank wine together. He thought of the many roads he had traveled, and of the strange way
God had chosen to show him his treasure. If he hadn't believed in the significance of recurrent dreams, he
would not have met the Gypsy woman, the king, the thief, or. . . "Well, it's a long list. But the path was
written in the omens, and there was no way I could go wrong," he said to himself.

He fell asleep, and when he awoke the sun was already high. He began to dig at the base of the
sycamore.

"You old sorcerer," the boy shouted up to the sky. "You knew the whole story. You even left a bit of
gold at the monastery so I could get back to this church. The monk laughed when he saw me come back
in tatters. Couldn't you have saved me from that?"

"No," he heard a voice on the wind say. "If I had told you, you wouldn't have seen the Pyramids.
They're beautiful, aren't they?"

The boy smiled, and continued digging. Half an hour later, his shovel hit something solid. An hour later,
he had before him a chest of Spanish gold coins. There were also precious stones, gold masks adorned
with red and white feathers, and stone statues embedded with jewels. The spoils of a conquest that the
country had long ago forgotten, and that some conquistador had failed to tell his children about.

The boy took out Urim and Thummim from his bag. He had used the two stones only once, one morning
when he was at a marketplace. His life and his path had always provided him with enough omens.

He placed Urim and Thummim in the chest. They were also a part of his new treasure, because they
were a reminder of the old king, whom he would never see again.

It's true; life really is generous to those who pursue their destiny, the boy thought. Then he remembered
that he had to get to Tarifa so he could give one-tenth of his treasure to the Gypsy woman, as he had
promised. Those Gypsies are really smart, he thought. Maybe it was because they moved around so
much.

The wind began to blow again. It was the levanter, the wind that came fromAfrica . It didn't bring with it
the smell of the desert, nor the threat of Moorish invasion. Instead, it brought the scent of a perfume he

knew well, and the touch of a kiss — a kiss that came from far away, slowly, slowly, until it rested on his
lips.

The boy smiled. It was the first time she had done that.

"I'm coming,Fatima ," he said.

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A Brief History of the Sonnet

A Brief History of the Sonnet

Originally an Italian form, the sonnet has remained vital since its development in the 13th century. Francesco Petrarch was one of the form’s original masters; in the 14th century, the Italian poet brought the sonnet to prominence through the poems he wrote in admiration of a woman named Laura. Petrarch’s contributions to the sonnet are both formal and conceptual.

The Petrarchan sonnet, like all true sonnets, consists of fourteen lines. The first eight lines comprise the octave and the final six form the sestet. The octave presents and develops some type of conflict for the speaker, which in the case of Petrarch, is often related to the nature of desire or the cruelty of love. The volta, or the poem’s turn, typically appears at the beginning of the sestet and introduces a markedly different tone from that of the octave. Finally, the sestet offers reflection on and sometimes resolution to the conflict of the poem. The lines are in iambic pentameter and the rhyme scheme is generally one of the following two patterns: ABBA ABBA CDECDE or ABBA ABBA CDCDCD.

Petrarch also adds his use of figurative language and the Petrarchan conceit, an exaggerated comparison between a woman’s features and an object. For instance, in Sonnet LIV, Petrarch compares Laura’s eyes to a “golden citadel.” Additionally, Petrarch popularized the theme of inaccessible love pervasive in his sonnets. The highly personal nature of his sonnets transform the tradition of love poetry, and the love of a virtuous and ideal woman that they display provides an example of how one might better love God.

Petrarch influenced Sir Thomas Wyatt, who brought the Petrarchan sonnet to England in the 16th century. Wyatt translated much of Petrarch’s work, and he consistently utilizes the Petrarchan conceit, as in the sonnet “Whoso List to Hunt,” in which the sought after doe represents a woman. In Wyatt’s case, that woman might have been Anne Boleyn. The doe wears a collar that proclaims, “Noli me tangere, for Caesar’s I am.” Like Petrarch’s speaker, Wyatt’s speaker’s love is not attainable. Wyatt also made modifications to the Petrarchan sonnet’s rhyme scheme and meter in order to better suit the English language.

During the Renaissance period, William Shakespeare continued in the Petrarchan tradition with his highly personal sonnets. However, the form of the Shakespearean sonnet differs from that of the Petrarchan model. Although Shakespeare’s lines are iambic pentameter, his sonnets are made up of three quatrains and a final couplet, and his rhyme scheme is as follows: ABABCDCDEFEFGG. He also departs from Petrarch’s tendency to idealize the object of his affection. In Sonnet 130, for instance, which is a response to Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress,” Shakespeare undermines this Petrarchan convention and use of blason: “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know / That music hath a far more pleasing sound.” And later, in the poem’s final couplet, Shakespeare’s point seems to be that love does not require romantic conceit in order to be real.

The sonnet has persisted over several hundred years, and many contemporary poets continue to utilize the form. However, most take liberties, and any poem of fourteen lines is likely to be named a sonnet. These sonnet variations may display no dominant meter, and they may employ slant rhyme or no rhyme at all. Take, for example, Derek Walcott’s “The Morning Moon,” which adheres to the sonnet form in that it has fourteen lines and uses somewhat regular pentameter; however, the lines are unrhymed, and they vary in length. The stanzas in “The Morning Moon” are tercets and stand alone lines. Successful contemporary sonnets expand the form in a multitude of ways. Ted Berrigan’s The Sonnets, for example, does not at all resemble the sonnets of Petrarch or Shakespeaere in form; however, these sonnets share subject matter with those that came before them. In the introduction to “The Art of the Sonnet,” Stephen Burt notes that the best contemporary sonneteers remind us that we are connected to a history, that, in fact, we are not unlike the generations that came before us. We love the same, we share similar fears, and we all grieve.

Source: coldfrontmag

Novel : The Cactus by O. Henry

The Cactus by O. Henry

The most notable thing about Time is that it is so purely relative. A large amount of reminiscence is, by common consent, conceded to the drowning man; and it is not past belief that one may review an entire courtship while removing one's gloves.

That is what Trysdale was doing, standing by a table in his bachelor apartments. On the table stood a singular-looking green plant in a red earthen jar. The plant was one of the species of cacti, and was provided with long, tentacular leaves that perpetually swayed with the slightest breeze with a peculiar beckoning motion.

Trysdale's friend, the brother of the bride, stood at a sideboard complaining at being allowed to drink alone. Both men were in evening dress. White favors like stars upon their coats shone through the gloom of the apartment.

As he slowly unbuttoned his gloves, there passed through Trysdale's mind a swift, scarifying retrospect of the last few hours. It seemed that in his nostrils was still the scent of the flowers that had been banked in odorous masses about the church, and in his ears the lowpitched hum of a thousand well-bred voices, the rustle of crisp garments, and, most insistently recurring, the drawling words of the minister irrevocably binding her to another.

From this last hopeless point of view he still strove, as if it had become a habit of his mind, to reach some conjecture as to why and how he had lost her. Shaken rudely by the uncompromising fact, he had suddenly found himself confronted by a thing he had never before faced --his own innermost, unmitigated, arid unbedecked self. He saw all the garbs of pretence and egoism that he had worn now turn to rags of folly. He shuddered at the thought that to others, before now, the garments of his soul must have appeared sorry and threadbare. Vanity and conceit? These were the joints in his armor. And how free from either she had always been--But why--

As she had slowly moved up the aisle toward the altar he had felt an unworthy, sullen exultation that had served to support him. He had told himself that her paleness was from thoughts of another than the man to whom she was about to give herself. But even that poor consolation had been wrenched from him. For, when he saw that swift, limpid, upward look that she gave the man when he took her hand, he knew himself to be forgotten. Once that same look had been raised to him, and he had gauged its meaning. Indeed, his conceit had crumbled; its last prop was gone. Why had it ended thus? There had been no quarrel between them, nothing--

For the thousandth time he remarshalled in his mind the events of those last few days before the tide had so suddenly turned.

She had always insisted upon placing him upon a pedestal, and he had accepted her homage with royal grandeur. It had been a very sweet incense that she had burned before him; so modest (he told himself); so childlike and worshipful, and (he would once have sworn) so sincere. She had invested him with an almost supernatural number of high attributes and excellencies and talents, and he had absorbed the oblation as a desert drinks the rain that can coax from it no promise of blossom or fruit.

As Trysdale grimly wrenched apart the seam of his last glove, the crowning instance of his fatuous and tardily mourned egoism came vividly back to him. The scene was the night when he had asked her to come up on his pedestal with him and share his greatness. He could not, now, for the pain of it, allow his mind to dwell upon the memory of her convincing beauty that night--the careless wave of her hair, the tenderness and virginal charm of her looks and words. But they had been enough, and they had brought him to speak. During their conversation she had said:

"And Captain Carruthers tells me that you speak the Spanish language like a native. Why have you hidden this accomplishment from me? Is there anything you do not know?"

Now, Carruthers was an idiot. No doubt he (Trysdale) had been guilty (he sometimes did such things) of airing at the club some old, canting Castilian proverb dug from the hotchpotch at the back of dictionaries. Carruthers, who was one of his incontinent admirers, was the very man to have magnified this exhibition of doubtful erudition.

But, alas! the incense of her admiration had been so sweet and flattering. He allowed the imputation to pass without denial. Without protest, he allowed her to twine about his brow this spurious bay of Spanish scholarship. He let it grace his conquering head, and, among its soft convolutions, he did not feel the prick of the thorn that was to pierce him later.

How glad, how shy, how tremulous she was! How she fluttered like a snared bird when he laid his mightiness at her feet! He could have sworn, and he could swear now, that unmistakable consent was in her eyes, but, coyly, she would give him no direct answer. "I will send you my answer to-morrow," she said; and he, the indulgent, confident victor, smilingly granted the delay. The next day he waited, impatient, in his rooms for the word. At noon her groom came to the door and left the strange cactus in the red earthen jar. There was no note, no message, merely a tag upon the plant bearing a barbarous foreign or botanical name. He waited until night, but her answer did not come. His large pride and hurt vanity kept him from seeking her. Two evenings later they met at a dinner. Their greetings were conventional, but she looked at him, breathless, wondering, eager. He was courteous, adamant, waiting her explanation. With womanly swiftness she took her cue from his manner, and turned to snow and ice. Thus, and wider from this on, they had drifted apart. Where was his fault? Who had been to blame? Humbled now, he sought the answer amid the ruins of his self-conceit. If--

The voice of the other man in the room, querulously intruding upon his thoughts, aroused him.

"I say, Trysdale, what the deuce is the matter with you? You look unhappy as if you yourself had been married instead of having acted merely as an accomplice. Look at me, another accessory, come two thousand miles on a garlicky, cockroachy banana steamer all the way from South America to connive at the sacrifice--please to observe how lightly my guilt rests upon my shoulders. Only little sister I had, too, and now she's gone. Come now! take something to ease your conscience."

"I don't drink just now, thanks," said Trysdale.

"Your brandy," resumed the other, coming over and joining him, "is abominable. Run down to see me some time at Punta Redonda, and try some of our stuff that old Garcia smuggles in. It's worth the, trip. Hallo! here's an old acquaintance. Wherever did you rake up this cactus, Trysdale?"

"A present," said Trysdale, "from a friend. Know the species?"

"Very well. It's a tropical concern. See hundreds of 'em around Punta every day. Here's the name on this tag tied to it. Know any Spanish, Trysdale?"

"No," said Trysdale, with the bitter wraith of a smile--"Is it Spanish?"

"Yes. The natives imagine the leaves are reaching out and beckoning to you. They call it by this name--Ventomarme. Name means in English, 'Come and take me.'"

Play: Candida by George Bernard Shaw

Candida by George Bernard Shaw

Candida, a comedy by playwright George Bernard Shaw, was written in 1894 and first published in 1898, as part of his Plays Pleasant.

Characters in the Play Candida

Candida: She is the main character of the play. She is a woman of 33. She is very attractive & has a charming personality. She knows well to use her beauty to get her ends. She is the wife of James Morell & mother of two children.

James Morell: He is the husband of Candida. He is a healthy man of 40. He is a clergyman. He is also a socialist & an active member of the Guild of St. Mathews & Christian Socialist Union.
He is a well ornate & is very popular. Every Sunday he delivers lecture at the Church. He is constantly invited to different places for delivering lectures. Hence he hardly has time for himself.

Eugene Marchbanks: He is the nephew to an Earl. He is a young boy of 18. He is a poet. He is very shy. Later on in the play, he falls in love with Candida, who is 10 years older than him.

Alexander Mill (Lexy): He is curate to James Morell. He has just graduated from Oxford University. He has great respect for James Morell.

Miss Proserpine Garnett(Prossy): She is the typist of James Morell. She is about 30 years old. She is secretly in love with James Morell.

Burgess: He is the father of Candida. He is old & greedy. Previously he was a petty trader, but became rich by making the workers of his factory to work more & also by paying them lowest possible wages. He has no value for relations. He seeks for profit in everything.

Other Characters These characters have no role in the play. They are found only in the talks.
Children of Candida
Maria: The maid of Candida

Summary:

The play is set in the northeast suburbs of London in the month of October. It tells the story of Candida, the wife of a famous clergyman, the Reverend James Mavor Morell. Morell is a Christian Socialist, popular in the Church of England, but Candida is responsible for much of his success. Candida returns home briefly from a trip to London with Eugene Marchbanks, a young poet who wants to rescue her from what he presumes to be her dull family life.

Marchbanks is in love with Candida and believes she deserves something more than just complacency from her husband. He considers her divine, and his love eternal. In his view, it is quite improper and humiliating for Candida to have to attend to petty household chores. Morell believes Candida needs his care and protection, but the truth is quite the contrary. Ultimately, Candida must choose between the two gentlemen. She reasserts her preference for the "weaker of the two" who, after a momentary uncertainty, turns out to be her husband Morell.

Play: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.

Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play.

Summary:

As a flute melody plays, Willy Loman returns to his home in Brooklyn one night, exhausted from a failed sales trip. His wife, Linda, tries to persuade him to ask his boss, Howard Wagner, to let him work in New York so that he won’t have to travel. Willy says that he will talk to Howard the next day. Willy complains that Biff, his older son who has come back home to visit, has yet to make something of himself. Linda scolds Willy for being so critical, and Willy goes to the kitchen for a snack.

As Willy talks to himself in the kitchen, Biff and his younger brother, Happy, who is also visiting, reminisce about their adolescence and discuss their father’s babbling, which often includes criticism of Biff’s failure to live up to Willy’s expectations. As Biff and Happy, dissatisfied with their lives, fantasize about buying a ranch out West, Willy becomes immersed in a daydream. He praises his sons, now younger, who are washing his car. The young Biff, a high school football star, and the young Happy appear. They interact affectionately with their father, who has just returned from a business trip. Willy confides in Biff and Happy that he is going to open his own business one day, bigger than that owned by his neighbor, Charley. Charley’s son, Bernard, enters looking for Biff, who must study for math class in order to avoid failing. Willy points out to his sons that although Bernard is smart, he is not “well liked,” which will hurt him in the long run.

A younger Linda enters, and the boys leave to do some chores. Willy boasts of a phenomenally successful sales trip, but Linda coaxes him into revealing that his trip was actually only meagerly successful. Willy complains that he soon won’t be able to make all of the payments on their appliances and car. He complains that people don’t like him and that he’s not good at his job. As Linda consoles him, he hears the laughter of his mistress. He approaches The Woman, who is still laughing, and engages in another reminiscent daydream. Willy and The Woman flirt, and she thanks him for giving her stockings.

The Woman disappears, and Willy fades back into his prior daydream, in the kitchen. Linda, now mending stockings, reassures him. He scolds her mending and orders her to throw the stockings out. Bernard bursts in, again looking for Biff. Linda reminds Willy that Biff has to return a football that he stole, and she adds that Biff is too rough with the neighborhood girls. Willy hears The Woman laugh and explodes at Bernard and Linda. Both leave, and though the daydream ends, Willy continues to mutter to himself. The older Happy comes downstairs and tries to quiet Willy. Agitated, Willy shouts his regret about not going to Alaska with his brother, Ben, who eventually found a diamond mine in Africa and became rich. Charley, having heard the commotion, enters. Happy goes off to bed, and Willy and Charley begin to play cards. Charley offers Willy a job, but Willy, insulted, refuses it. As they argue, Willy imagines that Ben enters. Willy accidentally calls Charley Ben. Ben inspects Willy’s house and tells him that he has to catch a train soon to look at properties in Alaska. As Willy talks to Ben about the prospect of going to Alaska, Charley, seeing no one there, gets confused and questions Willy. Willy yells at Charley, who leaves. The younger Linda enters and Ben meets her. Willy asks Ben impatiently about his life. Ben recounts his travels and talks about their father. As Ben is about to leave, Willy daydreams further, and Charley and Bernard rush in to tell him that Biff and Happy are stealing lumber. Although Ben eventually leaves, Willy continues to talk to him.

Back in the present, the older Linda enters to find Willy outside. Biff and Happy come downstairs and discuss Willy’s condition with their mother. Linda scolds Biff for judging Willy harshly. Biff tells her that he knows Willy is a fake, but he refuses to elaborate. Linda mentions that Willy has tried to commit suicide. Happy grows angry and rebukes Biff for his failure in the business world. Willy enters and yells at Biff. Happy intervenes and eventually proposes that he and Biff go into the sporting goods business together. Willy immediately brightens and gives Biff a host of tips about asking for a loan from one of Biff’s old employers, Bill Oliver. After more arguing and reconciliation, everyone finally goes to bed.

Act II opens with Willy enjoying the breakfast that Linda has made for him. Willy ponders the bright-seeming future before getting angry again about his expensive appliances. Linda informs Willy that Biff and Happy are taking him out to dinner that night. Excited, Willy announces that he is going to make Howard Wagner give him a New York job. The phone rings, and Linda chats with Biff, reminding him to be nice to his father at the restaurant that night.

As the lights fade on Linda, they come up on Howard playing with a wire recorder in his office. Willy tries to broach the subject of working in New York, but Howard interrupts him and makes him listen to his kids and wife on the wire recorder. When Willy finally gets a word in, Howard rejects his plea. Willy launches into a lengthy recalling of how a legendary salesman named Dave Singleman inspired him to go into sales. Howard leaves and Willy gets angry. Howard soon re-enters and tells Willy to take some time off. Howard leaves and Ben enters, inviting Willy to join him in Alaska. The younger Linda enters and reminds Willy of his sons and job. The young Biff enters, and Willy praises Biff’s prospects and the fact that he is well liked.

Ben leaves and Bernard rushes in, eagerly awaiting Biff’s big football game. Willy speaks optimistically to Biff about the game. Charley enters and teases Willy about the game. As Willy chases Charley off, the lights rise on a different part of the stage. Willy continues yelling from offstage, and Jenny, Charley’s secretary, asks a grown-up Bernard to quiet him down. Willy enters and prattles on about a “very big deal” that Biff is working on. Daunted by Bernard’s success (he mentions to Willy that he is going to Washington to fight a case), Willy asks Bernard why Biff turned out to be such a failure. Bernard asks Willy what happened in Boston that made Biff decide not to go to summer school. Willy defensively tells Bernard not to blame him.

Charley enters and sees Bernard off. When Willy asks for more money than Charley usually loans him, Charley again offers Willy a job. Willy again refuses and eventually tells Charley that he was fired. Charley scolds Willy for always needing to be liked and angrily gives him the money. Calling Charley his only friend, Willy exits on the verge of tears.

At Frank’s Chop House, Happy helps Stanley, a waiter, prepare a table. They ogle and chat up a girl, Miss Forsythe, who enters the restaurant. Biff enters, and Happy introduces him to Miss Forsythe, continuing to flirt with her. Miss Forsythe, a call girl, leaves to telephone another call girl (at Happy’s request), and Biff spills out that he waited six hours for Bill Oliver and Oliver didn’t even recognize him. Upset at his father’s unrelenting misconception that he, Biff, was a salesman for Oliver, Biff plans to relieve Willy of his illusions. Willy enters, and Biff tries gently, at first, to tell him what happened at Oliver’s office. Willy blurts out that he was fired. Stunned, Biff again tries to let Willy down easily. Happy cuts in with remarks suggesting Biff’s success, and Willy eagerly awaits the good news.

Biff finally explodes at Willy for being unwilling to listen. The young Bernard runs in shouting for Linda, and Biff, Happy, and Willy start to argue. As Biff explains what happened, their conversation recedes into the background. The young Bernard tells Linda that Biff failed math. The restaurant conversation comes back into focus and Willy criticizes Biff for failing math. Willy then hears the voice of the hotel operator in Boston and shouts that he is not in his room. Biff scrambles to quiet Willy and claims that Oliver is talking to his partner about giving Biff the money. Willy’s renewed interest and probing questions irk Biff more, and he screams at Willy. Willy hears The Woman laugh and he shouts back at Biff, hitting him and staggering. Miss Forsythe enters with another call girl, Letta. Biff helps Willy to the washroom and, finding Happy flirting with the girls, argues with him about Willy. Biff storms out, and Happy follows with the girls.

Willy and The Woman enter, dressing themselves and flirting. The door knocks and Willy hurries The Woman into the bathroom. Willy answers the door; the young Biff enters and tells Willy that he failed math. Willy tries to usher him out of the room, but Biff imitates his math teacher’s lisp, which elicits laughter from Willy and The Woman. Willy tries to cover up his indiscretion, but Biff refuses to believe his stories and storms out, dejected, calling Willy a “phony little fake.” Back in the restaurant, Stanley helps Willy up. Willy asks him where he can find a seed store. Stanley gives him directions to one, and Willy hurries off.

The light comes up on the Loman kitchen, where Happy enters looking for Willy. He moves into the living room and sees Linda. Biff comes inside and Linda scolds the boys and slaps away the flowers in Happy’s hand. She yells at them for abandoning Willy. Happy attempts to appease her, but Biff goes in search of Willy. He finds Willy planting seeds in the garden with a flashlight. Willy is consulting Ben about a $20,000 proposition. Biff approaches him to say goodbye and tries to bring him inside. Willy moves into the house, followed by Biff, and becomes angry again about Biff’s failure. Happy tries to calm Biff, but Biff and Willy erupt in fury at each other. Biff starts to sob, which touches Willy. Everyone goes to bed except Willy, who renews his conversation with Ben, elated at how great Biff will be with $20,000 of insurance money. Linda soon calls out for Willy but gets no response. Biff and Happy listen as well. They hear Willy’s car speed away.

In the requiem, Linda and Happy stand in shock after Willy’s poorly attended funeral. Biff states that Willy had the wrong dreams. Charley defends Willy as a victim of his profession. Ready to leave, Biff invites Happy to go back out West with him. Happy declares that he will stick it out in New York to validate Willy’s death. Linda asks Willy for forgiveness for being unable to cry. She begins to sob, repeating “We’re free. . . .” All exit, and the flute melody is heard as the curtain falls.

LYRICAL BALLADS : A ROMANTIC MOVEMENT TOWARDS CONTEMPORARY POETRY

LYRICAL BALLADS : A ROMANTIC MOVEMENT TOWARDS CONTEMPORARY POETRY

A rebellion against the Enlightenment and its emphasis on logic, politics, the church, and the like, the Romantic Movement focused on individualism, emotions, nature, and in the promotion of these concepts, broke many social conventions. Romantics viewed society and it’s constraints as the true malefactors of their time and had a passion for what is natural, whether it is an emotion, a person’s identity or the environment around them. Due to their aversion to the structure that society enforced, two of the major players in the Romantic Movement, William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, decided to do something different. At the time, literature was written about kings, queens and nobles, and in a more advanced language than could be understood by much of the lower classes. In an attempt to inspire support of their values, and widen the scope of individuals with access to literature, Wordsworth and Coleridge put together a collection of poems that were written in a language and with subject matter that reached commoners. Their collection, titled Lyrical Ballads, not only exemplified the beliefs of Romanticism but was also one of the first steps towards contemporary poetry.

The first edition of Lyrical Ballads, published anonymously in 1798, was followed by another publication with added poems and a significant preface two years later, in 1800. The reason that Wordsworth states for adding the preface is that he felt a need to explain why, to an experienced reader of poetry, it may seem that he was not doing his duty as a writer. He felt a need to explain why the poems published in Lyrical Ballads were written so differently than traditional poetry. James Chandler from The University of Chicago explains Wordsworth’s reasoning by using Shakespeare’s King Lear as an example. He says that just as Cordelia refused to praise her father in response to a disapproval of the way in which her sisters’ praise was being used, the authors of Lyrical Ballads refused to use the standard form of poetry in response to a disapproval of the direction in which they perceived poetry to be heading. That direction being towards diction that was too lofty as well as subject matter that was both largely restricted and too distant from that which is “incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature.” (Wordsworth, Location 32) Furthermore, Wordsworth states in his preface that although neither he nor Coleridge was the first to use ballads, they constructed each of theirs with a “worthy purpose.” (Wordsworth, Location 47) That purpose being “to illustrate the manner in which our feelings and ideas are associated in a state of excitement,” (Wordsworth, Location 63) or more specifically, “to follow the fluxes and refluxes of the mind when agitated by the great and simple affectations of our nature.” (Wordsworth, Location 63)

As presented, the embracement of nature is a major component of Romanticism. During a time of significant industrialization and a societal move towards city life, the Romantics rediscovered the power and beauty in nature and held onto it desperately.  For some, it even replaced religion for they believed that anything to which God was given credit, was actually a result of nature. For Wordsworth, Nature became something of a source for answers, although the answers that it provided were less an articulated response and more of a transformation into the sublime.

Two of the most well-known poems in Lyrical Ballads are Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”; both of these poems perfectly illustrate the values and messages of both the Romantic Movement and Lyrical Ballads. In “Tintern Abbey”, Wordsworth discusses the way in which human-kind changes over time and how the way that we perceive the world is altered post-youth. His vehicle for this discussion is a description of his return to the area around Tintern Abbey. He explains that five years prior, his perspective was different, and the experience included “bound[ing] o’er the mountains, by the sides/Of the deep rivers, and lonely streams,/Wherever nature led” (Wordsworth, lines 69-71) but that now he is more meditative. This has its benefits though, he points out. He remarks how simply remembering the greatness he experienced has brought him peace frequently since then, to the extent that it is as if Nature has provided him with an advanced state of being.

“…For I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes

The still, sad music of humanity,

Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue

And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense of sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused.”

(Wordsworth, lines 89-98)

Furthermore, he states that even if this effect stems not from truth, but his imagination that it’s all the same as long as it works for him as an individual.

Finally, Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, while utilizing gothic elements (a result of the imagination stimulated by the breaking of conventions), tells the tale of a prophet of Nature. An old sailor pulls aside a guest at a wedding and entrances the man with his story that he is compelled to tell. The encounter resembles a religious conversion attempt but is actually a plea to appreciate Nature.

“Farewell, farewell! But this I tell

To thee, thou Wedding-Guest!

He prayeth well, who loveth well

Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best who loveth best

All things both great and small;

For the dear God who loveth us,

He made and loveth all.

(Coleridge, lines 610-617)

As one can see through the segments of these poems provided in this essay, the diction is more simplistic and lyrical than that of the majority of poems written at that time. As one can also see, both of these poems also contain messages encouraging a return to, and appreciation of nature for peace, knowledge, safety, and happiness as well as the support of emotional expression, and individuality. Poetry today is available and relatable to a large variety of people. The pieces in Lyrical Ballads played a vital part in both the Romantic Movement as well as in making poetry universally accessible.

Source: britlitsurvey2.wordpress

REASONS TO READ BOOKS

50 REASONS TO READ BOOKS

1. Books help to feel more confident.
2. Books help to travel around the world in the cheapest way.
3. Books develop your personality.
4. Books provide food for thought.
5. Books make you laugh and think.
6. Books draw you towards perfection.
7. Books stimulate creativity.
8. Books bring out writing talent.
9. Books help in communicating.
10. Books clear your vision.
11. Books satisfy your curiosity.
12. Books help you make more choices.
13. Books help you build literary talent.
14. Books do not require any special device to teach.
15. Books increase your attention span.
16. Books are fruitful pastime.
17. Books can be used anytime, anywhere.
18. Books provide entertainment, when others fail.
19. Books make you powerful.
20. Books help you know the 'Whys' and 'Hows' of everything.
21. Books help you to create and spread fun.
22. Books help you travel across time intelligently.
23. Books keep you updated with facts and figures.
24. Books spread love, affection and knowledge.
25. Books make the best of friends.
26. Books take you to intellectual environment.
27. Books help you feel the world around you.
28. Books entertain your mind.
29. Books broaden your horizon.
30. Books bring Nature to your doorstep.
31. Books bring about a 'personality change'.
32. Books increase comprehension.
33. Books do not require company.
34. Books are stress-busters.
35. Books develop a sense of belonging to people around you.
36. Books provide mental and physical relaxation.
37. Books act as a communication tool.
38. Books are intellectually satisfying activity.
39. Books provide spiritual experience.
40. Books provide emotional strength.
41. Books build your self-esteem.
42. Books help and encourage your imagination to soar.
43. Books make you smarter and wiser.
44. Books help you grow.
45. Books take you to a 'world of dreams'.
46. Books can change your life and vision.
47. Books help in achieving 'life goals'.
48. Books develop wonderful experience.
49. Books transform lives.
50. Books inspire, books motivate, books build nations

Poem by Mirza Ghalib

I will not cry for satisfaction if I could get my choice,
Among the divine beautiful virgins of heaven, I want only you.

After killing me, do not bury me in your street,
Why should people know your home address with my reference.

Be chivalrous for you are the wine bearer (beloved) , or else I
use to drink as much wine as I get every night.

I have no business with you but O! dear friend,
Convey my regards to the postman if you see him,(to remind him that he has to deliver my message to my beloved) .

I will show you what Majnoo (Hero of the famous Arabic love tale, Layla Majnoo) did,
If I could spare some time of my inner grief.

I am not bound to follow the directions given by Khizar (A prophet who is believed to be still alive and guide the people, who have lost their way, to the right path) ,
I accept that he remained my companion during my journey.

O! The inhabitants of the street of my beloved see
if you could find the insane poet Ghalib there some where.
=============================
Mirza Ghalib

ESSAYS ON CITY LIFE VS VILLAGE LIFE

ESSAYS ON CITY LIFE VS VILLAGE LIFE
====================================
Even decades after independence, India is replete with inequality so much so that it is often said there are the two countries, one that is Bharat and the other, India. It speaks of the two different realities that prevail in rural and urban parts of the country. But, it is essential that the residents of both rural and urban areas live in harmony with each other.
According to the National Survey Organisation, the average monthly per capita expenditure in a rural area of ​​the country was Rs 1054, while in urban areas it was Rs 1984 in 2009-10, that means the per capita expenditure of urban dwellers was more than 88% as compared to those living in the villages. This is not the only difference in the lives of villagers and city dwellers. Here we are providing essays on village life vs. city life in a very simple and easy to understand language for students so that they can select any of them as per their needs.

ESSAYS ON CITY LIFE VS VILLAGE LIFE
ESSAY ON CITY LIFE VS VILLAGE LIFE 1 (100 WORDS)
India is said to be a land of villages. Sixty-seven percent of the country’s population still lives in villages. To people who live in villages, life in urban areas is full of difficulties. What they do not like is vehicular pollution, crowd, constant noise, and smoke rampant in cities, which make them feel uneasy.

But those raised in cities love the hectic pace of life. They love to chase their dreams of money, power and social status. Each day brings to them new problems and complications for which they struggle to adjust to survive the rat-race of life.

Definitely, there is a great difference in the lifestyle of people living in villages and cities. The need is to balance both kinds of lifestyles by incorporating good aspects from each other.
ESSAY ON CITY LIFE VS VILLAGE LIFE 2 (150 WORDS)
Facilities and opportunities to move forward are greater in urban life than what we find in rural existence but there is an acute problem of pollution, noise, lack of adequate water supply, traffic jam, overcrowding and crime in cities. Similarly, though there is a lack of modern facilities in rural areas, but the clean air and peace are beneficial for the health of the people living there.

Villages hold a mirror to Indian culture and heritage. India’s centuries-long traditions still exist there. You can enjoy sunshine, greenery and tranquillity, and the people here are found to be very warm and friendly.

On the other hand, urban life is filled with tough challenges. Mostly, the people living in cities can avail latest amenities and cutting-edge facilities. They are always pre-occupied and busy with one thing or the other all the time. Sadly, they do not have time to even meet their neighbours, friends and relatives. Thus, there are advantages as well as drawbacks to live in both rural and urban areas.

ESSAY ON VILLAGE LIFE VS CITY LIFE 3 (200 WORDS)
India is largely an agriculture-based country. Farmers are the backbone of rural economy.  They work very hard in agricultural fields where they grow grains and vegetables. They conserve water in ponds and canals to irrigate crops. The life of farmers is close to nature, away from the hustle and bustle of cities. There is peace and tranquillity everywhere, except for conflicts over land and caste prejudices and the prevailing taboos and superstitions.

On the other hand, people in cities are always racing against time. There is always great pressure to perform leading to stress and other health problems related to the hectic lifestyle of urban life. The urban dwellers have little time for friends, neighbours, relatives, or even their own family members. As the cost of living in cities is constantly going up, the chase of money becomes an inevitable part of life in cities. Yet despite accumulating wealth, peace still eludes the urban habitants.

But life in villages has its own problems. There are frequent clashes related to ownership of land and caste. Many villages do not even have basic facilities of education, employment, healthcare, transport and electricity. Ultimately, there is need for restoring true balance and purpose in your life, whether you are living in a village or a city.

ESSAY ON VILLAGE LIFE VS CITY LIFE 4 (250 WORDS)
Rural life is quite peaceful as people here do not lead a hectic lifestyle. They wake up early in the morning and fall asleep timely at night. Here the air is not polluted, as is the case with cities. There is also less pollution and crowd. Villagers are accustomed to easy-going life in villages as opposed to the hectic life in cities that leads to great amount of stress for them.

But villages mostly lack basic facilities such as electricity, schools, nursing homes and factories to employ people. Villagers have to walk on foot for several miles, if they do not have their own transport. Villages only provide seasonal employment and mostly people there are not gainfully employed. All these factors lead to large-scale migration of people from rural to urban areas in search of good education, employment and comforts of life.

But life in cities has its own negative side – it’s full of pressure, stress and anxiety. People here have several material comforts and amenities but no mental peace. They are always busy in executing various tasks related to their personal and professional life so much so that they sometimes they do not even know their next-door neighbour. The pressure to constantly perform takes a heavy toll on their health and they become prone to various ailments or lifestyle diseases even at a young age. Some of them even spend sleepless nights and their mental equilibrium takes a beating. So, life in rural and urban areas is poles apart but both are integral to the development of India.

ESSAY ON VILLAGE LIFE VS CITY LIFE 5 (300 WORDS)
More than half of India’s population lives in villages. Gandhi had said “the real India lives in villages”. Rustic simplicity and natural beauty is emblematic of Indian culture and heritage.

Lives of most of the people in villages mostly depend on agriculture. Some people earn their living from animal husbandry and agro-based cottage industries. Most of the villagers are farmers. They are hardworking, unassuming and generous. When farmers plough their fields in the morning sun, the chirping of birds that accompanies the movement of the oxen seems to hum a melody of hard work. Farmers are innocent by nature unlike some of their urban counterparts who lose their inner goodness in the cut-throat world of materialism in cities.

Life in urban India is marked by wide-ranging disparity. There are residents who have unlimited means of enjoyment but some people are so poor that they have to live in slums. Economic inequality, pollution and garbage are the bane of urban existence. People also have to face lack of adequate water supply. Yet people want to live in cities because they get facilities for good education, healthcare, transport and so many modes of comforts and entertainment. There are also good opportunities for employment in cities unlike villages where very few people are gainfully employed.

City life is a boon in many ways, but on the other hand it is also a curse. Every year the population of cities is growing by leaps and bounds, increasing pressure on their infrastructure and reducing life to a dehumanised rat race.

Thus, life in villages and in cities presents two contrasting pictures. There are positive as well as negative aspects to the both and it is up to the individuals to make the most of it irrespective of the rural or urban setting that one lives in.

ESSAY ON VILLAGE LIFE VS CITY LIFE 6 (400 WORDS)
Life in both rural and urban areas has its own plus points and problems. One is quite different from each other. Traditionally, India is a predominantly rural country as Mahatma Gandhi had said, “The real India lives in villages”.

There is a splash of festivals and fairs in villages. Here festivals are celebrated with a sense of brotherhood in a traditional way. The whole village dances to folk tunes at the time of festival whether it is Holi, Baisakhi, Pongal, Onam, Dussehra, Diwali, or Eid. All the people in the village live in bonds of fraternity. They share mutual happiness as well as sorrow with each other as per the circumstances of life. Though their lifestyle is not as advanced as what you see in the cities, rural people are warmer, and more cordial. They are more considerate and know each other in the village. They do not live in a state of isolation as is the case with metropolitan cities.

The natural beauty of the villages in India is simply eye-catching. The lush green fields capped around by flowers and spread an intoxicating fragrance. Birds chirp around merrily in fields, barns and village homes. Simplicity is the hallmark of life in villages.

Unfortunately, the search for jobs and the glare of material comforts and facilities is leading to large-scale migration of people from rural to urban areas. Though, now villages in the country are now also advancing in terms of standard of living. Urbanisation is taking place at a fast pace; electricity, piped water, concrete roads, telephone/mobile phone, computers, education and medical care are accessible facilities in many parts of rural India these days. Farmers are now using modern agricultural implements, and in place of oxen, they are ploughing the fields with tractors.

But life is not without troubles in villages too. There are frequent disputes over land and same-gotra love marriages, which all result in bloodshed and violence. The village panchayats when deliberating on disputes pronounce very harsh and uncalled-for judgements which make people’s life a tale of misery and pain.

Villagers depend on the sale of their agricultural produce on urban markets and city dwellers cannot survive without the supply of essential commodities such as grain, fruits and vegetables from rural regions. People from villages daily commute to cities to buy latest articles of modern life, watch movies, relax and enjoy themselves or do jobs in urban establishment. In fact, development of India is unthinkable without the harmonious development of villages and cities. Both of them complement each other.
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Shailesh Ramanuj