A Fine Day by Michael Drayton

         A Fine Day is a very short poem written by the Elizabethan writer Michael Drayton.   

    Clear had the day been from the dawn, 
             All chequer'd was the sky, 
   Thin clouds like scarfs of cobweb lawn 
        Veil'd heaven's most glorious eye.  

         This short poem describes the wonderful morning of European countries.  Because for them it is 'Good Morning !' The sun hardly appears in the sky,  and we know the importance of the sun.  Here poet tells that from dawn the sky is clear,  which makes them happy as they can go outside on the hills for the fun.  Moreover,  poet compares this sight with the clouds who had been playing the role of scarf for the sun.  But now these clouds have veiled the heaven's most glorious eye ( Sun ! ) getting away from the sun.

The wind had no more strength than this,  
                 That leisurely it blew, 
       To make one leaf the next to kiss 
               That closely by it grew.  

       In the second stanza poet describes the motion of wind,  which is very much favourable to enjoy the nature. We can say that now wind is turned into breeze,  which helps leaves to kiss each other ! As we have discussed earlier that it is all about enjoying the weather,  same way poet has offered  humanly emotions to the leaves. 

'Daybreak' by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow

  About Poet : H.W. Longfellow was an American poet and educator worked during the 19th century.  

   'Daybreak' is a poem, full of motivation and enthusiasm. In this poem poet has personified the wind to proceed his thoughts regarding the hardships of the life. The poem is divided into the nine couplets.

   As every title has its own significance, same way, the title of the poem suggests that we don't have to stop in life because our goals are yet not fulfilled. 

Poem Analysis : 

         A wind came up out of the sea,  
And said,  'O mists,  make room for me.' 

   As Wordsworth says that nature is the best teacher in our life. Likewise,  this poem has also the same motif.  In the beginning, the wind floats from sea to the land,  where people are sleeping at the time of dawn.  Here wind has an honest duty for the people whom it cares. But the mist makes obstacle in reaching towards the people. However,  wind is determined to reach its goal same way in our lives also we find so many obstacles,  but we need to overcome it and for that one should keep ourselves away from social barriers. 

        It hailed the ship and cried, Sail on,
           Ye mariners, the night is gone; 

       After clearing the mist,  wind reaches to the ship and tells the mariners that night has gone, it is the time to sail on again. Here we can assume that the morning time is the best time for hardwok. Because there are less obstacles in our path as livid can not awake early. 

         And hurried landward for away,  
              Crying 'Awake it is the day.  ' 

      The nature of wind is to keep floating, so now it moved towards the land, where this social animals have been sleeping for an hours.  Suddenly wind shouts and tells them that 'it is the day.'

         It said unto the forest, ' shout ! 
       Hang all your leafy banners out ! ' 

   Just meeting human world is not enough for wind, because everyone on earth is its friend.  Not attaching its feeling for the human world and moved into forest where it tells the wood to let leaf enjoy the sunshine. 

  It touched the wood- bird's folded wing, 
    And said, ' O bird,  awake and sing.' 

     In forest, wind touches the wing of bird and tells to chirp and lightens the new day of life. 

     And o'er the farms ' O Chanticleer,  
     Your clarion blow;  the day is near. ' 

     After taking a short halt in forest,  wind proceeds to the farm,  where farmers have been sleeping, here wind tells the Chanticleer to start his clarion so these dreaming farmers gets awake and start working for the real 'yields'.


     It whispered to the fields of corn,  
' Bow down, and hail the coming morn.' 

  Still wind's duty doesn't over. It whispered to corn and bow down to the sun,  as their survival is depending on the sun.  Same we in life we are so much depended on others, and to we owe to them. 

    It shouted through the belfry tower, 
    'Awake, o bell ! proclaim the hour. ' 

    In the second last couplet, wind shouted at bell, because it is his duty to proclaim, with its proclamation all sleeping city will get back to their work.

     It crossed the churchyard with a sigh,  
       And said,  ' Not yet ! in quiet lie !  

   In his journey, wind reaches to graveyard, after realizing that he is in churchyard, he introspects that still he can not take 'rest' cause there are so many things missing in his life. 

       Thus here poet has personified the wind to proceed his messages to human beings.  And not to forget the people who have been helping us invincibly in fulfilling our life goals. 

'The Old Woman' by Joseph Campbell

• Joseph Campbell (1881-1944)  : 

     He was an Irish nationalist poet and mainly famous for his lyrical and simple poetry. His famous poem The Old Woman, describes the old-age beauty of an Old Woman. He re- looks the idea of beauty,  as mainly poets celebrate the beauty of a young lady however here poet beautifully represents the inner as well as the outer beauty of an Old Woman.  

                        As a  white candle

                          In a holy place,  

                          So is the beauty 

                          Of an aged face. 

      The poem is divided into three stanzas. In  the first stanza poet has compared the lady's face with a white candle. Here,  white candle represents the peace and light, that is what makes a human being happy in the life. But to get that bliss one needs to wait till the old age. We feel that poet has an optimistic vision towards the old age. It seems that lady has lived her youth fully and worked like a white candle : Itself burning but giving lightness to others. And that's what makes her face more shining.

                     As the spent radiance
                        Of the winter sun,
                             So is a woman
                    With her travail done. 

       In second stanza poet compares the old lady with the winter sun. In winter the soft rays of sun makes everyone better,  provides warmth,  likewise, old age shines because of the lots of hard work and vastness of heart. The Old Woman is at bliss as she has ' her travail done'.

               Her brood gone from her,
                And her thoughts as still
                         As the waters
                   Under a ruined mill. 

     At the end of the poem,  poet compares the old lady with the water under a ruined mill. As time has passed, the 'brood' of the Old lady has left the house, which makes her more emotional, what she wants is just to be with them. But things are now out of control as she has lost her importance.

      However, we can imagine so many things related to the old age,  where people have their life long experiences, and it becomes inevitable to accept the things as nature has given to the human beings.

                       

'Yussouf' by James Russell Lowell

   The poem 'Yussouf' belongs to an American romantic poet James Russell Lowell. Before we begin the analysis of the poem,  let us discuss some important things related to the author.  

•    He was born in an aristocratic (Brahmin) family. 
• He advocated the civil rights movement in America. 
•  There are some other reforms which has been attributed to him. Like,  anti slavery reforms, and American Renaissance. 
• He had been associated with the group called Fireside Poets, it is connected with the New England poets. 
• His most of the poems are connected with the theme of morality, forgiveness and philosophy of happiness.   

 A stranger came one night to Yussouf’s tent,
   Saying, “Behold one outcast and in dread,
 Against whose life the bow of power is bent  Who flies, and hath not where to lay his head;
    I come to thee for shelter and for food,    To Yussouf, called through all our tribes ‘The  Good.’”

The poem begins with the description of a gloomy night, A Stranger, hurriedly reaches at Yussouf's tent and asks for the shelter and food.  It seems that he has been ostracized by the powerful person.  ( Here it raises so many questions in our mind that why he has been outcasted ? Has he done something wrong to them ?  Is he lying  ? Or Is he on a secret mission  ? etc,. In addition, the stranger asks for the goodness.  

    “This tent is mine,” said Yussouf, “but no more

   Than it is God’s; come in, and be at peace;
     Freely shalt thou partake of all my store
         As I of his who buildeth over these
Our tents his glorious roof of night and day,
And at whose door none ever yet heard Nay.”

    In reply,  Yussouf tells him that he himself the head of the tent but no more than God. So be at peace and nobody heard " Nay " at my door. Here we can see the good qualities of Yussouf and becomes the saviour for the stranger. 

  So Yussouf entertained his guest that night,
  And, waking him ere day, said: “Here is gold,
   My swiftest horse is saddled for thy flight,
     Depart before the prying day grow bold.”
  As one lamp lights another, nor grows less,
       So nobleness enkindleth nobleness.

   Moving further, Yussouf provides good hospitalities to the stranger and asks him to depart by taking Yussouf's horse and some money,  so he can save his life from the enemies. The character of Yussouf, represents the morality by showing the nobleness towards the stranger. 

   That inward light the stranger’s face made.      grand,
Which shines from all self-conquest; kneeling low,
      He bowed his forehead upon Yussouf’s.          hand,
     Sobbing: “O Sheik, I cannot leave thee so;
      I will repay thee; all this thou hast done
        Unto that Ibrahim who slew thy son!”

    After getting impressed with the facilities given by Yussouf, stranger bow down to him  and promises to 'repay'. After this great attachments,  suddenly we see change in the poem as that stranger whose name is Ibrahim, who confesses that he himself had killed the Yussouf's son.  

 “Take thrice the gold,” said Yussouf, “for with.  thee Into the desert, never to return,
  My one black thought shall ride away from      me;
First-born, for whom by day and night I yearn,
   Balanced and just are all of God’s decrees;
   Thou art avenged, my first-born, sleep in          peace!”

  The confession of Ibrahim might have shocked Yussouf, seems stuck in two states of mind, But as he considers himself as a great worshiper of God, he forgives the stranger by giving thrice gold and says never to return back at his tent again.  

  

ALL MY SONS : BY ARTHUR MILLER

        All My Sons is a 1947 play by Arthur Miller.  The genre of the play is a tragedy. However, we can categorized it as a family drama too. As per the background of the play, it denotes an event related to world war- 2.  The protagonist of the play, [Joe Keller ] for the sake of financial benefits, dishonestly sales cracked cylinder to the US army which causes the death of 21 pilots. As a result of it he puts blame onto his business partner [ Steve Deever ]. Here writer criticizes the idea of American Dream too. The materialistic life becomes the reason of great fall. At the end of the play the protagonist finds himself entangled in a  miserable situation and commits suicide.
     
       A Note on Arthur Miller :
       Before we move further, let us discuss some important things about the writer. He was born in Jewish family. His father was financially ruined in the great economic depression. This knowledge of business remains the great source of his plays. He was much interested in writing from his college days. Among his most popular plays are : Death of a Salesman (1949)- it is said that this play had been taking shape in his mind for ten years, though he wrote it in six weeks. Death of a Salesman received the Pulitzer Prize for theatre.
        The Crucible (1953) - a play dealing with a witch hunt in Salem in 1692, was rightly assumed to have a contemporary relevance in view of the persecution of real and alleged Communists in the America of the fifties. This was followed by A View from the Bridge in 1955, a tragedy of sexual rivalry and betrayal. Apart from these all, his personal life was very much political. He used to rank himself as American Liberals.

           Characters of the Play : 

          Miller is usually regarded as an intellectual dramatist and that seems in the characterization of the play. Almost all the characters represents the real life situations.  Moreover,  Miller's characters are never aristocratic.  They may make money but they remain culturally underprivileged. 

• Joe Keller
• Kate Keller
• Larry Keller (Never appears onto stage)
• Chris Keller
• Steve Deever (Never appears onto stage)
• Ann Deever
• George Deever
• Dr.  Jim Bayliss
• Sue Bayliss
• Frank Lubey
• Lydia Lubey
• Bert

     Major themes : 

   √  Social Responsibility : In Keller family, character of Joe ( portrays the situation of Bourgeois ) has more responsibility for his family.  Whatever he has done it is for Chris, for his family.  But he becomes the victim of American Dream. Here Miller criticizes the competition amongst the individual and society. 
   √  Money : Another element of fall. In the play we see Joe doesn't want a loss in business, and tells his business partner (Steve) to  sale faulty aircrafts. Similarly,  Sue wants his husband to focus on his financial career rather than further study. 
   √  Guilt : Most of the characters have guilt for their family members. 
   √  Bravery and Sacrifice : The decision made by Chris and Ann, requires great courage. Larry's decision of committing suicide, these all the events shows the positive side of human behavior.  Ultimately, it teaches that one shouldn't cross the limit of affection,  because it can be possible that opposite person may not understand your feelings. 

     At the end of the play we can say that Miller criticizes the capitalism.  He favours Marxism. 
     
     

'Re- Organisation' for Humanity.

Political and Cultural Blueprint for a certain social order :

            In the present 'climate' some of the so called #Leftists forgot the meaning of 'Left'-( Liberal, Progressive,  Revolutionary,  Socialist,  Radical). (Feigned Leftist - Suffering from preconceived notions.)  What they do, merely opposes the #Rightist ideologies ( Some ideologies may have faults - That can oppose) without any contemplation.  

            By taking the contemporary issue of J&K, these leftists arugues about the identity of 'people'. Many #Separatists wants to see #J&K as a separate 'state'. ( One can not imagine a separate 'state' within a democratic 'Nation'/ Particularly in a #Multicultured Nation, or in Globalized World. Because it is against the idea of #Unification. See in contemporary time it is almost difficult to survive as a small 'state' - that can easily invaded by other nation.  Moreover it triggers the demand of separate state to the other cultures.  -  Ultimately it might create Anarchy in the Nation.) For that they can look back in history.  Nobody can forget the #Khalistan Movement. During that period Central Government of India( Government of Indira Gandhi - Congress ) had opposed that movement and as a result of it government took military action #Operation Blue Star - 1984 against #Sikh Militants.- (Humans)( A movement for a separate 'state'.) ( Sikh community considers them as a Martyred. )

    It seems that these #Separatists ( They have their selfish motives,  nothing to do with 'people' ) are suffering from Egoistic mind set.These are the groups which tries to create atmosphere of #Xenophobia. They tries to turn 'Temple', 'Mosque', 'Gurudwaras' into #Orthodox Religious Arsenal. But a civilian should know that they are #Proselytizer,  #Brainwasher,  #Sponsor.

 

     Similarly that is what happening in J&K. These #Separatist proselytizes ( In the name of Religion - Oldest weapon of mass Destruction)  - the common 'People' and tries to fix #Rightist Ideologies as an #autocratic, #Jingoistic #Other people in the mind of indigenous people. Which creates different mindset between different person.  

    The unification is necessary for the development of common 'people'. Invest your time for the humanity rather than #religious beliefs.  

( I am not propagating any particular party,  these are my personal views regarding contemporary event.)  

   

    

' Brief Answers To The Big Questions ' - Stephen Hawking

 

   In this era we are being introduced with so many questions related to the Universe. Which are necessary for the survival of human beings.
         Similarly,  Stephen Hawking has tried to give a brief explanation of each curious questions related to the cosmos.  Unfortunately,  his work published posthumously but many of the answers are  taken from his interviews and articles.
       In this book,  Hawking has tried to expand our understanding of the universe and unraveled some of its greatest mysteries. There are total 10 questions  in this book.

• Is there a God ?

      By answering this question,  Hawking tells that people clings to religion, because it gives comfort,  and they do not trust or understand science. For that he gives an example of Aristarchus.  Who studies  the heaven and gives the solutions of eclipses - As the shadow of the Earth passing over the moon.
    For Hawking / Einstein the universe is made up of mass and energy. - E= mc square. In conclusion he says that, this question it self makes no sense. As no one created the universe and no one directs our fate.

• How Did It All Begin ?

       Many province of religion argues that God created the universe.  Here one question arises that What was God doing before he made the world?
         To explain this, he emphasizes on Big Bang Theory.

• Is There Other Intelligent Life In The Universe ?

        According to him, one needs to understand DNA of human beings.  In nutshell he frankly answers that if there is intelligent life elsewhere,  it must be a very long way away otherwise it would have visited Earth by now.

• Can We Predict The Future ?

      Most of the time we hear about the Astrology.  To explain this here Hawking uses the references of various scientists. Like,  Heisenberg Planck, John Bell and etc.  Thus, some of the theories tells that at a single time one can not know the position and speed of a particle. However, both answers can be given  - yes and no. As the laws allow us to predict the future.  But in practice the calculations are often too difficult.  For Laplace, future can be determined  if one knew their positions and speeds at one time.

• What Is Inside A Black Hole ?

 

 
 Now a days we see news related to the Black Hole.  A Black Hole - It has a boundary called the event horizon.  It is where gravity is just strong enough to drag light back and prevent it from escaping.  To understand it one needs to study Quantum Mechanics.  But in simple words one can loose existence.

• Is Time Travel Possible  ?

     As light travels faster then anything else. So, if one could not go faster than light,  then it becomes impossibles to reach at the centre of Galaxy.  If general relativity is correct and energy density is positive,  time travel is not possible.

• Will We Survive On Earth ?

         By explaining this answer,  Hawking talks about the immense catastrophe created by the atomic weapons. He points the line from Bhagavad-Gita, " Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. " And the Earth is becoming too small for us.  In addition he censures the activities and technologies which affects the climate.
           What he really thinks is that either a nuclear confrontation or environmental catastrophe will cripple the Earth at some point in the upcoming years.

• Should We Colonise Space  ?

       The obvious answer is,  it won't solve any of our immediate problems on planet Earth,  but it will give us a new perspective on on them and cause us to look outwards rather than inwards. The main aim is it will unite us to face  the common challenge.
           As Earth is becoming too smaller,  there is no any other options.  If humanity is to continue for another millions years,  our future lies in boldly going where no one else has gone before.

• Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart Us ?

    As we know that Hawking was suffering from Motor Neuron Disease. So,  technological advancements proved boon for him. In this book he says that with more powerful technologies such as nuclear weapons, synthetic biology and strong artificial intelligence,  we should instead plan ahead and aim to get things right the first time. Our future depends the wisdom of technology.

• How Do We Shape The Future ?

     He sees the internet as a source of improvement.  Most of the work will be done only by internet.
        Mainly he advocates that all young people should be familiar with and confident around scientific subjects. They need to be scientifically literate,  and inspired to engage with the developments in science and technology in order to learn more.
        In nutshell, I can say that everyone should read this book. Because there are so many answers related to the science.  In addition, book provides a new way of thinking, it inspires the students to cultivate the habit of scientific imagination, wisdom of technology and how a human endeavors can make life more interesting.  Further,  it tries to provide the solution related to clean energy and global warming.

" Be brave,  be curious,  be determined,  overcome the odds.  It can be done. "