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.