Summary of literary texts and key concepts of literature

INTRODUCTION : English poet William Cowper (1731-1800) reconstructed the famous story of Alexander Selkirk, who spent a segregated life for four years on a deserted island and later rescued by a British ship. The poem highlights the sorrow and solitude suffered by Selkirk during his stay on an isolated island. According to Cowper Selkirk (the persona conceived by the poet) regretted his decision later considering his wrong decision the sole cause of his misery. In this poem Cowper projects Selkirk’s reflection on the entire subject of solitude.   HISTORICAL ACCOUNT :   Alexander Selkirk (1676 -1721) was a Scottish sailor. He ran away to the sea and joined the privatizing expedition by William Dampier in 1703.Having quarreled with the captain, he was put ashore on one of the uninhabited  Pacific islands of Juan Fernandez in 1704 and he remained there until 1709 when he was rescued by Woodes Rogers. On his return, he met Richard Steele, who published the accounts of experiences in

The Gothic Novel emerged as a specific literary genre in the latter half of the 18 th century. These novels are marked with an atmosphere of supernatural occurrences, horror, mystery and suspense. The word Gothic originated from the early Germanic tribe, the Goths. Subsequently, the word came to signify anything medieval. During this period, a medieval type of architecture, characterized by the use of pointed arches, vaults, intricate recesses developed and became popular throughout the Western Europe. The term Gothic novel has an alternative term, the Gothic romance.   This literary genre was a product of an interest in the possibilities for emotional excitement by the ages of superstition and romance generated out of a growing interest in the “Gothic” It is a type of prose fiction pioneered by Horace Walpole with his novel The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story , published in 1764. Other successful practitioners of this literary genre were Mrs. Anne Radcliffe (1764-1823) The My

Utilitarianism is a theory proliferated from the ethical theories of the late 18 th century that advocated performing actions to maximize happiness and well being for the affected individuals. The major figures who propounded this philosophy were Jeremy Bentham(1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). John Stuart mill possessed a ‘humane, analytic and lucid mind’ and his writings were written in such a pragmatic and disinterested manner that helped to reform thoughts. Accompanied with the teachings of his father, James Mill and Jeremy Bentham, the ‘utilitarian reformers’, John determined to work on the development of the utilitarian philosophy. He was an astute propagandist and explicator of those views on human welfare and politics. His views helped construct the new theory of happiness and political system based on the greatest happiness principle. In his essay ‘Utilitarianism’, Mill expresses an awareness of the complicated, varied human experiences.   James Mill and Jer

About the Poet: Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was one of the founding figures of the Romantic Movement in England. He was also a member of the Lake Poets. His well known Romantic poems are, Kubla Khan, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Christabel.  He was immensely influenced by the ideals of the French Revolution. Ode of France was the last of his poems which was written by him under the influence of the French Revolution.He is also known for his critical writing Biographia Literaria. About the idea: In the chapter XIV of Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria , he used the phrase, ‘willing suspension of disbelief, to describe ‘ the state of receptivity and credulity desirable in a reader or member of an audience’. The reader should be persuaded to believe the evidently imaginary story narrated by the poet. Coleridge possibly adapted the idea from French sceptic Francois de la Monte La Vayer(1588-1672), who referred to the wisdom of the sceptic in his phrase ‘cetle belle

  ‘Natural Selection and Sexual Selection’ in The Descent of   Man by Charles Darwin   About the Author: Charles Robert Darwin, FRS FRGS FLS FZS (born February 12, 1809, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England—died April 19, 1882, Downe, Kent),   was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, famous for his contributions to the theory of evolution by natural selection. The English naturalist’s scientific theory of evolution by natural selection became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies. His proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors is now widely accepted, and considered a foundational concept in science Summary of the Introduction of ‘Natural Selection and Sexual Selection’ in The Descent of   Man   Charles Darwin observed the distribution of the inhabitants of South America to scrutinize the geographical relations of the past and present inhabitants of the continent. To study the origin of those species, he accumulated da

  In Samuel Richardson’s novels, a moral intention has been glaringly evident, where his imaginary characters frequently escaped strict schemata. His novels speak volumes of complacent and calculating middle class morality. In his notable work, Pamela or Virtue Rewarded, the protagonist reaps the dividends of her virtuous nature by marrying an affluent nobleman.   In Christianity, virtue is fundamental to Christian ethics. There are seven types of virtues, consisting of the four “natural” virtues, those inculcated in the old pagan world that spring from the common endowment of humanity, and the three “theological” virtues,   specifically prescribed in the Christianity   emblem of special gifts from God. Virtue is defined as “conformity of life and conduct with the principles of morality.” The virtues are the positive attitudes and habits adopted in obedience to moral principles. They are conventionally seven in number, each as a counterpart to the seven deadly sins. In Pamela,

About the poet: Henry Louis Vivian Derozio  (18 April 1809 – 26 December 1831) was an Indian  teacher  and assistant headmaster of Hindu College, situated in Kolkata,  a radical thinker who played crucial role in the Renaissance of Bengal and one of the first Indian educators to introduce Western learning and science among the young men of  Bengal . He was witnessing the tyranny of slavery, prevailing in the colonial India, part of which he adroitly reflected in the poem. About the poem: In this poem, the poet-persona expresses his notion of the true value of freedom to a slave. Only when human beings are free from the shackles of slavery, they can perceive the aesthetic aspects of life and human existence. To a slave, freedom is the feeling of being treated with the dignity that a man truly deserves. The poet persona imagines how the slave will feel, when he will be informed that he is no longer a slave. Receiving the news of his newly acquired freedom, his heart beats proudl