Summary of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise"

 

Maya Angelou is an African-American poet.  She has written many poems.  She has written many poems on women and race.  ‘Still I Rise’ is a poem by the American poet Maya Angelou.  This is a protest poem.  ‘Still I Rise’ is about racial and gender discrimination. 

 

Angelou starts her poem by saying "you." She uses wordplay with "write down in history." This phrase means both "write my history" and "downplay me by lying." Even if people try to make her and other African-Americans feel small, Angelou says she will rise, just like dust, and not be defeated.

 

In the second stanza, Angelou asks if her confidence and attractiveness upset people. She walks proudly, like a rich oil baron. In the third stanza, she says she will rise like the sun and moon, and like our hopes for a better future.

 

In the fourth stanza, Angelou asks more questions. She says the addressee wants to break her spirit. In the fifth stanza, she shows her pride. She holds her head high instead of bowing. She laughs confidently, like someone very rich with gold mines in their backyard.

 

In the sixth stanza, Angelou shows her defiance. People may use cruel words and unkind looks, and throw 'hatefulness' (meaning both 'bad attitudes' and 'hate for others') at her and other black people. But they will rise 'like air': naturally and lightly.

 

In the seventh stanza, Angelou talks about her 'sassiness' becoming 'sexiness'. She shows more confidence. Now, she looks like she has diamonds between her thighs. This means her body and wealth have come together.

 

‘Still I Rise’ ends differently with fifteen lines repeating ‘I rise’ many times. Angelou says she and others rise from the shameful history of how black people were treated. She is like a powerful, vast, and energetic ocean that can handle life's challenges.

 

She is leaving behind the dark times of fear and starting a new, brighter, and hopeful time. Her ancestors, who suffered as slaves and faced racial prejudice, dreamed of this moment. Their hard work and struggles, including those of Civil Rights campaigners like Angelou, have made this dream come true.

Summary of Jawaharlal Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny"

 Introduction

Jawaharlal Nehru is the first Prime Minister of India.  He took part in India’s freedom struggle.  He is a well-educated man.  His book The Discovery of India narrates the history of India in detail.  Tryst with Destiny is a speech delivered by Nehru on 14^th August 1947 to the Indian Constitution Assembly.

 

Nehru’s Vision

Nehru opens his speech by thanking destiny or fate, which has given way to India’s freedom after a long time.  He is eagerly waiting for midnight, wherein India will be a free nation.  India will awake when the whole world sleeps.  India has achieved freedom after a long struggle.  Before British came to India, we were a better nation.  Nehru wants Indians to be idealistic and make India progress.

 

Responsibility of Indians

Nehru asks the people of the assembly to take responsibility that is given by freedom.  India still suffers from the pain that was there before freedom, yet we should think of the future and not the past.  Future of India is not an easy one.  Indians should fight against poverty, ignorance, dieses and inequality. 

 

Nehru’s Mission

Nehru calls every Indian to work hard to make the dream come true.  Indian must work hard to unite the whole world.  Indians should not blame each other over petty issues, but they should be united.  Nehru is waiting for 15^th August and he wants to rewrite Indian history through its freedom.

 

Thanking Freedom Fighters

Nehru thanks Gandhi, the father of our nation.  He asks every Indian to follow the footsteps of Gandhi and to pass his messages to the next generations.  He thanks the soldiers and volunteers, who fought for India’s freedom.  He also remembers the people, who are been sent to other countries during freedom.

 

Free India

Nehru calls every one of us to create better India in future.  Freedom and opportunity must be given to farmers and ordinary people.  India must be developed into a progressive nation with good society, economics and politics.  Everyone should work together without religious and other differences. 

 

Conclusion

            He concludes his speech by thanking the people of the world and promising them that India would help other countries to create a better world.

Summary of Oliver Goldsmith's A City Night-Piece

 

A City Night-Piece

-          Oliver Goldsmith

Introduction

Oliver Goldsmith is a poet, dramatist, essayist and a novelist.  He has contributed to English literature in all its forms.  His works are known for their observation of his society.  He explains in detail about the people and the setting of age in all his works.  A City Night-Piece is a short essay about Goldsmith’s experience during a night.  He walks alone by 2.00 a.m. and observes the people and the happenings in the streets of London.

London at 2.00 a.m.

Goldsmith comes out by 2.00 a.m. and finds the taper busy rising and falling into the socket.  The watchman is almost asleep.  People who worked hard are asleep.  People who are suffering from guilt and despair, drunkards, robbers and people who commit suicide are the ones who are awake.

Goldsmith’s Philosophical Thoughts

Goldsmith stops his observation and decides to walk around the streets.  All streets are empty without people.  A few hours before all the streets were full of people, who were very proud.  By 2.00 a.m., there are no people and no pride.  The sound of a dog and a chiming clock is heard.  All human beings are silent.  It is like a mockery of human pride.  Goldsmith thinks of a period where a future traveler like him may come and look at the empty city.  The traveler would see bushes and plants in the place of churches.  Reptiles will be seen in temples and theatres.   All places would have fallen and become empty.  The rich and influential people would become dead.  Every human being and their pride will become nothing.

The People at 2.00 a.m.

Goldsmith looks at the few people who are found in the street at that part of the day.  They are the people who wear a mask during day time.  These people will hide themselves during day.  These people are strangers, wanderers and orphans, who usually stay in the streets and before the houses of the rich.  These people horrify Goldsmith and they create pity.  Some people are without proper clothes and many are with diseases.  There are some women, who are turned to be prostitutes by rich men.  These women were beautiful once.  They were misused by villains who are rich.  These women are now suffering and shivering in snow.  The villains who ruined their life are happy and peaceful.

Conclusion

Goldsmith finds it difficult to see the suffering of all these people.  The world, for him, will give him only sufferings.  People are suffering because of the small habits of the rich people.  The powerful people destroy their life.  The poor people only cry out of pain.  Even laws become an enemy to the poor.  Goldsmith feels bad for observing such people, because it pains him.  He cannot help them and this makes him suffer more than those people.

Summary of Francis Bacon's "Of Adversity"

 

Of Adversity

-          Francis Bacon

 

Introduction

Francis Bacon is called as the father of English prose.  He was the first to write prose pieces in English, during Elizabethan period.  He writes about common topics.  He deals the topics in a straight forward manner by using less number of words.  Of Adversity is one such essays, which is about the positive features of adversity.  Adversity means bad or difficulty times.

 

Positivity of Adversity

Bacon opens the essay by quoting Seneca, a Roman Philosopher, who has said that prosperity is always related to good things, so it is often wished for.  Adversity should be admired and appreciated.  He quotes another Latin saying which means, things of victory are desired and adversity is wonderful.  Through these quotes Bacon wants us to see adversity in a positive way.

 

Miracles and Adversity

Miracles happen during adversity.  These miracles are created by God, to save normal human beings.  These miracles prove our faith in God.  Bacon again quotes a Latin proverb, which says that greatness is in the man’s prayer to God during the times of adversity.  When we accept that we are powerless, we are great before God.

 

Adversity through Poetry

Bacon says that these miracles happen in poetry.  The calamities and adversities of our life are better explained through the imagination in poetry.  Bacon shares the story of Hercules and Prometheus to explain this.  Prometheus was a brave man, who wanted to help human beings, but he was punished by God.  Hercules, who was Prometheus’ friend, went to rescue him.  Hercules crossed an ocean in a very small vessel to save his friend.  This story in the form of poem helps us to think of adversity in a positive way.

 

Adversity and Bible

Prosperity and adversity are gifts of God.  Prosperity brings moderation and adversity brings courage.  Prosperity is the sign of Old Testament and adversity is the sign of New Testament.  Bacon narrates the story of Job from Bible.  Job faces many difficulties or adversities during his life, which has a happy and blessed ending.  Bacon wants us to accept a life of adversities, so that we become stronger and courageous.

 

Adversity compared with Embroidery

Bacon says that prosperity is not always with joy and happiness.  Adversity is not always with sorrow and grief.  He explains this by comparing it with an embroidery.  It is good to see a bright embroidery with a dull background.  If the background is good and the embroidery is dull, it will not be attractive.  We cannot complain the embroidery work.  We should judge something by heart and not with our eyes.

 

Conclusion

Bacon concludes the essay by saying that the true smell of a flower will be experienced only when it is crushed.  Similarly, our true strength and courage will be known to everyone only during the times of adversity.

 

Summary of Bacon's Of Truth

 

Introduction

Francis Bacon is called as the father of English prose.  He was the first to write prose pieces in English, during Elizabethan period.  He writes about common topics.  He deals the topics in a straight forward manner by using less number of words.  Of Truth is one such essays, which talks in favour of truth.  Bacon argues about the values of truth.

 

Truth and Lie

Bacon begins the essay by quoting an incident, where Pilate, a Roman governor, asked what is truth but he did not wait for an answer.  People usually do not like truth because of the following reasons:

1.      Truth affects free thinking

2.      It takes a long time to prove

3.      People like lies

The philosophers who talked about truth are no more alive.  The modern philosophers who talk about truth are not that vigorous as the old philosophers.  Bacon says that lie gives pleasure in poetry, it gives gains to business men and people like it for the sake of it.  He compares truth to the day light, which shows everything as it is.  Lie is compared to a candle light, which shows and hides things.  Truth is like a peal, which shines only during day time.  Lie is like a diamond, which shines during night and changes its shade with different colours of light.  Lie adds some pleasure to our life.  Life would be dull and melancholic, when there are no false valuations, imagination and lie.

 

Qualities of Truth

People normally blame poetry because it is filled with lie.  This is not true.  Poetry is a reflection of reality.  A lie that passes over the mind is good, but the lie that sinks into the mind hurts.  Truth can be defined only by itself.  The best part of human nature is to find truth, love truth and to believe in truth.  Bacon compares truth to light through Bible.  He says that God created light on the first day and He created man on the sixth day.  After creating man, He gifted him the light of reason.  Bacon says that it is better to be present in the ship, which is in the sea and to be in the battle field and fight, than to stay in a place and look at the happenings.  Such people, who are in the field, would look and at the human errors with pity and not with pride.  Truth makes a man move in charity and this would heaven in earth.

 

Truth in Normal Life

            After talking about truth in a religious and philosophical tone, Bacon talks about the role of truth in normal life.  He compares lie mixed with truth with a gold coin mixed with copper.  The copper makes gold better, but it reduces the value of gold.  Speaking lie is like a snake that moves with its belly and not upright upon its feet.  There is not shame for a man other than speaking lie.  Bacon quotes Montaigne, who said that a man who speaks lie is brave towards God but a coward towards human beings.  By this Bacon means that a man who speaks lie will face the judgement of God.