📔 LITERATURE 🖋️📚🖊️

Literature is a way to express our feelings through our writings it may be a poetry ,drama or prose.

The author or poet express their feelings through their work and we read it we can imagine and feel the excitement and pain in them .

It is a method of preserving and transmitting knowledge  and entertainment .It also have social , spiritual and political role .         

”  THE BEST EXPRESSION OF THE BEST THOUGHT REDUCED TO WRITING . “
                               
                         – (1910-1911) encyclopaedia Britannica

There are different types of literature- drama ,prose ,poetry novel,novella  short story , fictional story and drama.

There are many genres in literature like romance , horror,  science fictional and  adventure. There are many nonfictional works which comes under literature like essay, memos, reports and journals.

In today’s world ,there are many not many people who read books or we can say read from book . And those who read know it’s value . People don’t read books today  we just like to watch  it in form of movie though reading books is way more better than watching movies.

Generally ,now everyone reads books from   their phone. There are many applications through which we can download and read books and we can also read books online.

We can say  that not everyone has the talent to express and convey thur feelings  to others through their writings. So we should respect the author /poet .

How To Achieve Your Word Count Goal?

“The best word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest.”

  • Markus Zusak

A word count is the calculation of the total number of words required in an essay, article or maybe a story. Articles for instance, are assigned a word count of 1000 words. However, many a times, the word count isn’t mentioned. In such cases, its relevance diminishes since you have been provided the freedom to write as much as you please.

But, if you ask me, it is beneficial to set up a word count before starting to enter the world of authors! If you are a novice in the writing process and find the concept of length of your write-ups bemusing, then a word count comes in handy! Just as the deadline in any task makes us work effectively under pressure, the word count in writing makes us acquainted to the process, thereby improving our ability to write! After all, everything has a beginning!

Here, in this article, I will be guiding you towards achieving your word count goal effectively through a step by step approach.

  • Sanity Matters!

The First step is to eliminate any type of stress or laziness when setting up your writing atmosphere. Have a clear mind when writing, because a healthy mind blossoms more creative ideas than the one which isn’t.

  • Move To Pleasant Surroundings!

The Second step is moving to pleasant surroundings where writing seems a fun task. If the chirping birdies in the garden inspire you, then just reach out to them at the earliest possible convenience!

  • Get Your Medium Out!

The Third step is getting any medium of writing, be it a notebook and pen or a laptop out of that cupboard and decide to write. It is however, advisable to choose a laptop for the process, since Microsoft word helps keep track of your word count on the bottom left corner of the page. This makes it easier for you to begin.

  • Set Up Your Word Count!

The Fourth step is setting your word count. Make an apposite choice of the count depending on your strength to write!

  • Choose A Good Topic!

The Fifth step is pondering over the topic you would choose. Select a topic that would provide you a wide range of information to write on. This would automatically increase your word count.

  • A Random Topic is Hunky – Dory

The Sixth step is selecting a random topic of your choice and jotting down some words on it. In short, start with a short essay on any topic concerned while not forgetting to set up a word count of course!

  • Resolve The Word Count Increase!

The Seventh step is resolving to increase your word count day by day. Make it a habit to set your goal and implement it almost every time.

  • Write Regularly!

The Eighth step is vowing to write daily. When you decide to write regularly, your speed of typing or writing has a hike thus, making it easier for you to increase your count.

Go For Writing Prompts!

The Ninth step is resorting to writing prompts. Write anything, on almost any insensible issue as long as it helps you to develop your love for writing and increase your writing speed.

Approach Your Writing Coach For Assistance!

The Tenth step is optional. If you still encounter difficulties in setting your word count, then some help or guidance is always welcome. You may visit your nearest writing coach for the same!

Thus, I would conclude stating that your word count is deeply impacted by your attitude towards writing and your love for it. Make sure to remain dedicated towards your writing goals and resolve to develop its addiction! Yes! I know, it is a hyperbolic term to be used, but that’s actually the idea towards developing effective writing skills. If not addiction, then at least try allotting some time of the day for relevant, random topics that brush through your mind! If, while performing the daily chores, a bizarre topic is lurking in your head and just can’t wait to get itself out on the paper, then don’t procrastinate! Instantly, resolve to complete your significant tasks and get your laptop outta that cupboard. Don’t suppress your thoughts to the extent that they completely vanish from your head and you no longer remain with anything to write on. In short, writing needs to be a daily task, if gaining excellence in it, has been your deep rooted dream.

Also, choose correct and influential words as you develop experience in the writing field. Start making your write-ups mature enough. Don’t stick to the same insensible topics as you chose as a beginner. Increase your level of communication through write-ups thus, making them interesting. Start choosing relevant topics and not random ones. Make your write-ups golden so that it would lure more and more readers!

P.S. Don’t overdo or stress yourself for writing a piece regularly. Do it in sound mental and physical conditions.

Thank You For Reading!

BOOK REVIEW- Heidi

Ah, Heidi, that brings light to the heart! What comfort you have brought me!

Peter’s Grandmother in ‘Heidi’ (Johanna Spyri)

Heidi is a child who warms the heart of each and everyone she meets, be it the beautiful characters she meets and interacts with or the readers who only meet her through the words of Johanna Spyri. A girl so pure and untainted that all you want is a happy ending for her.

Reading the book as a 12-year-old brought me immense joy and happiness. From the moment we first met her, a bundle of clothes being taken up the mountains to live with her gruff grandfather because her aunt couldn’t care for her, her aura shone through the pages and made you feel like you were actually accompanying her. I felt bad for her when her aunt was describing the rumors about ‘Uncle Alp’ her grandfather, felt happy for her when ‘Grandfather’ turned out to actually be the most caring and kind human being who loved Heidi with all her heart. I could almost see the beautiful sunset that lit up the mountain tops that she saw on her first trip up with the goats and her excitement dripped off the pages every time she did something new.

Reading the book again as an adult brought me the same happiness. The same sense of wonder and sympathy. I was hooked once again and dragged into the Swiss world of Heidi, the moment I opened the first page. I experienced anew the fear and confusion she felt at suddenly being sent away to Frankfurt, a city that was so much of a contrast from the mountains and nature she had gotten used to. At the same time, I laughed along with Sara, the invalid she was sent to accompany, at the ridiculous exploits she still got up to. I laughed at Miss Rottenmeier, the housekeeper’s, dismay at having to deal with a child who seemed to know nothing of the basic alphabet let alone etiquette.

As any children’s book, Heidi gets her happy ending when she is sent back to her Grandfather in the alps by Mr. Sesemann, Clara’s father, when he sees how homesick she is. She returns home a changed girl though. While still maintaining her innocence and carefree nature, she has grown into quite a capable young woman who brings a lot of change in her mountain friends, getting even Peter, who hated studying, to read a hymn a day for his poor old, blind grandmother.

‘Heidi’ is a book that I think I will enjoy reading even when I am much much older. A book that will bring back the feelings I felt as a child every time I read it. Well-written and a timeless classic, it is a book that captures the innocence of child, the confusion they face when put in an unfamiliar environment, the ease with which children adapt. It is also a book that poignantly captures the homesickness any human feels in a place they don’t belong and the beauty that is nature. It is a book filled with a lot of emotions while still remaining light-hearted. Many things made an even more profound impact on me when I read it as an adult. A lot of themes like the power of rumors and the misconceptions of people about ‘Uncle Alp’ hit me more as an adult. The helplessness Clara feels, stuck in a wheelchair all her life, and the immense happiness she experiences at being able to walk again. The resignation with which Peter’s grandmother accepted her fate and the peace she felt when her days were filled with the light that Heidi brought in with her every time she visited. While I did feel happy reading all the good things and sad at all the bad things, reading them again at a much more mature age put them in a different light.

This is a book, I feel that everyone must read at least once if not twice. A book that will bring you so much joy no matter your age. A book that reveals a lot more layers than you would expect from a children’s book. A book I am sure I will pick up once again to read the next time I come across it on my shelf. A book I will fall in love with all over again no matter how many times I have read it.

Are Romantic Movies Damaging Real Relationships???

Let us be honest.

To start with, like everything, romantic movies too affect in both positive and negative ways. Talking about positive effects of romantic movies that shows the love relationships between two individuals, irrespective of their age, sex, caste, country and religion affects and in a way broadens the concept of love between two. If we see the earlier and even today’s version of a country like India, we are very well known by the fact that the only love that was considered dignified and pure was that of between two individuals of different sex, same caste, same religion and same age group that also needed to happen between two after marriage only. Love before marriage, love between same sexes, love between individuals of different caste and religion was not at all accepted in earlier India. But now, as we see India is changing bit by bit. There are many who accepts and encourages love that has no boundaries of sex, marriage, caste etc. And for this change, two things are responsible : 1- Education and 2- Romantic movies. Its film industry and the films that younger generations learn from and try to follow. And when these younger generations become older, they allow their next generations to love before marriage and all sort of things. In some cases, old generations also try not to enforce the laws and boundations that were earlier enforced on them in their young ages that didn’t allowed them to love freely and in a way forced them to suppress their desires. That’s how films normalised and even today trying to normalize the love of different kinds that knows no boundaries  at all. Films taught people that its nothing wrong in it if they are falling for someone of the same sex or different age group. Off course, only if the other person is also into it equally. Also, romantic movies presents the feelings and situations of both individuals equally and that helps people to understand their partner better. We cannot deny the fact that every person is different in nature and might have different feelings and circumstances that made her/him but anyhow, by  presenting love relationships, it gives a sight into other person’s psyche. Or we can say, romantic movies makes us to think beyond ourselves.

Now coming to the negative effects of romantic movies we may say that such movies also develops a particular image of love, what our partner should behave like, or what many times we address it like “Sapno ka Rajkumar” / “Sapno ki Rani”. Its not the dreams that we see about our would be partner but the effect of these romantic movies that we start imagining our partner to be identical to this or that character, which is not at all good. We know every person is different from the other and different circumstances and experiences are the things that makes up the individual into who they are today. So it would be wrong to expect someone to act in a way you want, or a character of a romantic movie you like. On one hand people keep saying that they want a real person who doesn’t act fake to look perfect and on the other its the same people who fancy about a character in a movie and rejects a real person saying that they are not the person they’re looking for. People imagine to have a movie like relation in real life and if things don’t go that way, they simply want to come out of it. That is actually the effect of romantic movies people see and they don’t even realise that their relation can’t work like the cooked up ones in those ENTIRE WORKS OF FICTION.

Why reading books is very important in today’s life

Everyone in this world wants to be updated, and it is also our requirement that we should have some knowledge related to a different field. where we found out the information which is not only limited to success but also with failures so we became aware of all the paths or have some knowledge related to different conditions of life but the question which arises in our mind is that where we found that information.

Well, I am not saying that everyone should read books it is a matter of choice but if you have some extra time and have some passion for reading and you also want to increase your knowledge you should read more and more books as much possible as. Because by reading books you not only increase your knowledge but also found some ideas that will help you in your life.

Reading different books daily gives you the following benefits that will change your life and these are the following benefits;

1) reading books daily for 1 week and you will notice that your concentration increase without doing any extra efforts

2) while reading books, you will come to the different difficult situations of life and after that, you become aware of their solutions, so when this type of problem will come into your life you will solve them easily.

3) when you read some autobiographies you not only motivated by the person’s life but also become aware that nobody can be done something good without failures, and after you will inspire by true-life events.

4) reading books daily is one best habit that you will always find out when you become aware of the daily habits of very successful people. Reading books not only increases your knowledge but also gives some ideas that will help you in solving various problems.

5) Through reading books for 1- 2 weeks daily you will find out that your vocabulary is also developed . I thought if you are the one who has a English vocabulary related problem you should read different books.

6) if you are a daily reader you will correlate with the thought that reading books will develop your mental condition, which will also activate your mind so you can easily find out the solution of the problems.

7) if you are a person that has so many questions related to life, success, failures, love, relationships, friendship, etc I will suggest that you should start reading books if you have a busy schedule that you can read 1 hour daily but read daily if you’re not comfortable in reading books daily, read on the weekends

8) reading different books give you different exposers of life your mind becomes active and work on various ideas, you have some idea that how we can think differently out of box, so I think you should read daily

9) people always say that they have limited time so they can’t read it’s just like that you require more energy from your body but not have time to eat, so how this will solve. You have to give some time to yourself so that you can increase your mental activeness.

10) There are various types of books are available nowadays so if you don’t want to read some stories don’t read fictional books read non-fictional ones that will give you various life-related solutions that will help you develop your life.

So in the above post, we discussed some benefits of book reading. that will help you to develop this habit of reading.

Top five TED TALKS you should watch right now!

1.You owe it to yourself to experience a total solar eclipse | David Baron

Ever heard of the word  ‘umbraphile’ ?  Meet David Baron : not-mystical, not-spiritual eclipse evangelist. In 12 minutes and 20 seconds David tells the story of his first tryst with eclipses and subsequent adventures. A gifted story-telling episode that makes you want to sit in the front row and experience it live. He then passes on the advice that changed his life –’before you die, you owe it to yourself to experience a total solar eclipse’

 

I’ve lived as a man & a woman — here’s what I learned | Paula Stone Williams | TEDxMileHigh

“Now, I get my hair cut about half as often as I used to, but it costs ten times as much.So, I can go on vacation or I can get my hair cut ”

Paula stone was fired from her job as the  president of the christian church planting organization Orchard Group when she came out as a transgender woman. Unfortunately that wasn’t it, she went on to face many obstacles because of her transition. But she was now gifted with knowledge only few on earth would possess: to have lived as a man AND as a woman. In her hilarious and eye-opening  talk she tells us anecdotes on her experiences of mansplaining, gender politics and of course womens’ jeans  pocket sizes!

3.Your elusive creative genius | Elizabeth Gilbert

 Elizabeth Gilbert, no doubt, is one of the most gifted speakers of all time. As an aftermath of the success of her memoir Eat,Pray,Love, Elizabeth has a realization that leads her to uncover the truth of creative mindset.I can only describe this talk as her splitting and disintegrating our society’s stereotypes of artists and creative geniuses. She makes us question if we should stick to our renaissance-cy thought process that has only brought our artists pain and anguish or if we should re-invent.

Elizabeth Gilbert on the best career advice we've ever heard

4. I got 99 problems… palsy is just one | Maysoon Zayid

Listen to the hilarious comedian maysoon as she tells us about her life with cerebral palsy. Her anecdotes are charming and inspirationa.At the end you will be in awe of her positive attitude and determination to achieve her dreams.You will appreciate life a little more.

5.  Inside the massive (and unregulated) world of surveillance tech | Sharon Weinberger

Thanks to dystopian novels, we all know surveillance is a weapon in the information age. But it might shock you to know that selling surveillance technology does not require you to have an export license in most countries including the United States(the way most arms sales would). It’s this unregulated weapon technology that journalist Sharon Weinberger warns us about. From devices that can collect DNA just by swiping across the skin to devices that can identify a person and their exact geographical location just based on their unique voice print  technology in the spy bazaar is alarming. This talk will open your eyes to the dangers of an unregulated market.

(Not in any particular order)

DREAMS AND REALITIES

People Who Live Without Dreams. Insights of the people who don't have… | by  Vinod Sharma | Live Your Life On Purpose | Medium

“History has proven that those who dare to imagine the impossible are the ones who break all humans limitations”

Your dream is the reason for the way you are. Your dream is not a coincidence. Your dream IS who you are. You SHOULD pursue it. Your dream gives you a sense of meaning and purpose, and drives you on into your chosen future. Your dream IS the meaning of your life.


Every person dreams to become something, to do something, to make the name of his parents and family proud with pride.
Some dreams are fulfilled and some remain unfulfilled, but this does not mean that you could not achieve anything in life. A human being should try their best with all dedication, whatever the outcome may be.

In the Bhagavad Geeta, Lord Krishna has given the same instruction that a person should do his work without worrying about the result. 

Everything teaches us something, whether it is a success or whether it is a failure. On one hand, where success gives us courage that if anything is done with a true mind then nothing is difficult and on the other hand, failure teaches us to be patient and persistent. A man should learn from his mistakes because there is no better teacher than mistakes. No effort ever goes in vain, with every effort made we get a new experience that helps us to move forward. This life is a school where a person learns at every step. The process of learning goes on till a person dies. Difficulties come in life to make us move forward, to make us strong. We should not be afraid of difficulties and should face them boldly.

Steve Keating on Twitter in 2021 | Dreams come true quotes, Chase your dreams  quotes, Dream of you quotes

Everyone should dream and try their best to fulfill them. Every effort made moves us towards our destination. In order to fulfill dreams, one should be patient and must have believe that you will do something good in life, it is very important to have this kind of attitude in the achievement of your goals. It is not necessary that you get success in the first attempt, sometimes a person has to make continuous efforts. I know all these things are easy to say but it feels like a shock.

 The more you pursue your dreams, the more exciting your life becomes.
God is going to use you in ways you never imagined possible. And the only side effect is: feeling GOOD! 

So, here are some ways which can help to make your dreams fulfilled :

  • Determination170 Dream Quotes That Will Boost Your Motivation
  • Stay motivated
  • Keep remembering your goal
  • Reward yourself
  • Take some breaks
  • Stay among people with positive mindset
  • Don’t hesitate to make mistakes

 

 

13 beautiful words you probably never heard of!

Language is art. The calm you get when gazing at art is unparalleled, they say. Little did they know about the sweet words in a language that could sway the souls of millions. Each language has its own charm, wrapping its arms around people whose only solace is words. Keeping aside all distress, gloom and melancholy, I am going to take you places today.

Is it just me, or does your mind couple certain words with visualized scenarios that transport you magically and everything starts to fall into place and just make sense? If you are like me, then get ready for a hell of a ride! I am going to give you 13 never heard words from different languages, with deep, beautiful meaning behind. Tuck in tight. Check the last word for a twist!

Beautiful words that just make sense

1. Zenith (Arabic)

Pronunciation: zen.ɪθ

Meaning: the best or most successful part of time. Astronomy: Highest point reached my a heavenly body

Sample sentence: The sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky.

2. Gumusservi (Turkish)

Pronunciation: goo-moo-SAIR-vee

Meaning: moonlight shining on water

Sample sentence: To see a silvery trail of gumusservi alone in the quiets of night is paradise on earth.

Gumusservi- Moonlight on water
Gumusservi- Moonlight on water

 

3. Vellichor (English)

Pronunciation: vel-li-kor

Meaning: the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time.

Sample sentence: As she entered the dust filled store, she was overcome with vellichor.

4. Eldritch (English)

Meaning: weird and sinister or ghostly.

Sample sentence: The woman, whose voice had risen to a kind of eldritch sing-song, turned with a skip, and was gone.

5. Moonbow (English)

Pronunciation: moon-bow

Meaning: a rainbow caused by reflection and refraction of moon light.

Sample sentence:

A moonbow
A moonbow- rainbow at night

6. Arcane (French)

Pronunciation: ɑːˈkeɪn

Meaning: secret, mysterious, only understood by a few.

Sample sentence: The arcane knowledge he possessed was envied by the Gods.

7. Halcyon (English)

Pronunciation: ˈhælsɪən

Meaning: a time in the past that was calm and peaceful, happy and prosperous.

Sample sentence: She recalled the halcyon days of her childhood, innocent and free.

8. Eunoia (Greek)

Pronunciation: you-no-ya

Meaning: well mind/beautiful thinking

Sample sentence: His compassion and eunoia make him a fantastic candidate.

9. Orenda (Huron)

Pronunciation: aw-ren-duh

Meaning: a mystical force present in all people that empowers them to affect the world, or to effect change their own lives.

Sample sentence: The orenda of the rabbit controls the snow.

10. Charmolypi (Greek)

Pronunciation: char-mo-lip

Meaning: a mixed feeling of happiness while being sad.

Sample sentence: Staring at the sunset, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of charmolypi.

11. Scintilla (Latin)

Pronunciation: sɪnˈtɪlə

Meaning: a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.

Sample sentence: I felt a scintilla of guilt washing over me as I saw her walking away.

12. Chatoyant (French)

Pronunciation: ʃəˈtɔɪənt

Meaning: showing a band of bright luster caused by reflection from inclusions in the stone.

Sample sentence: She was attired in a silk dress with chatoyant effects in red and green.

13. Maanvizhi (Tamil)

Pronunciation: The ‘zh’ sound cannot be represented in phonetics and is unique to the language itself(Tamizh). It is pronunced by rolling your tongue inwards making sure it doesn’t touch the roof of your mouth. Watch this to learn how to pronounce it.

Meaning: A person(usually female) whose eyes is like a baby deer’s eye

The letter 'zha' in tamil
The letter ‘zha’ in tamil

 

These are a few words that I curated overtime and found them to be so beautifully formed. They resonate a unique feeling when pronouncing them. I have given to you only a very few words from very few languages across the world. There are certainly many words that I’ve missed. Do comment your favorite ones.

 

Rumi

The Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, popularly known as Rumi was born in thirteenth century. He was an Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic having roots from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran. Rumi’s works are mostly in Persian, though use of Turkish, Arabic and Greek can be seen in his verses. Today his works are widely read in Greater Iran and other Persian-speaking countries and translations of the same are extremely popular in United States, Turkey, South Asia and Azerbaijan.

Rumi’s Influence can be traced in the ethnic dividons of Turks, Tajiks, Greeks, Pashtuns, Central Asian Muslims and Indian subcontinent Muslims. Also his poetry has majorly influenced literary traditions of various languages such as Bengali, Urdu, Chagatai etc. Moreover, he has also been declared as one of the greatest and best-selling poets in the US.

Rumi had strong belief in the use of music, art and dance and considered it as a path to connect with the God. Most of his works talk about love and the concept of oneness of God. A major focus on music was promoted by his teachings so intense to take the soul to a spiritual journey. He also encouraged Sama, listening to music and performing a sacred dance. Sama represented a mystical journey of mind to the God seeking true love, abandoning ego and finding the ultimate truth. Rumi also believed in serving to the masses with greater maturity and without discrimination, regardless of race, nation, caste, beliefs etc.

Provided below is an example of famous beliefs of Rumi:

Scholars believe that Rumi’s beliefs and teachings often known as Rumi philosophy find place in the modern time and are highly versatile. It encourages personal growth and development in a very clear manner. Rumi’s vision for world, love, God and his works teach modern Westerners how to attain happiness and inner peace.

Types of Sonnets

       A sonnet is a fourteen line poem  with a fixed rhyme scheme expresses one single thought or emotion and were usually written in iambic pentameter. Sonnet was originated in the Italian poetry which was composed at the court of Holy  Roman Emperor Fredrick ll in Sicily. The term sonnet was derived from the word sonneto which means ” a little sound or strain”. It was invented in 13th C  by Giacomo da Lentini who was the head of Sicilian school. By the 13th C, this poem  followed strict rhyme scheme and structure. During the Renaissance time ,  sonnet was the  choice mode or expressing romantic love. Later, Dante, a  genius used it in the latter half of 13th C. He may have been the predecessor of writing sonnets.

     There  are various types of including Italian sonnets,  spenserian sonnets and Shakespearean sonnets.

Italian sonnets:



      The other name for this sonnet  is Petrarchan  sonnet and also known as classical model because later it was followed by many other countries in the world. This sonnet is divided into two parts. The first eight lines are called octave and the next part consists of six lines called as seset.The octave has two rhyme  say a and b. The rhyme scheme for the octave is abbaabba. The seset sometimes has three rhymes sometimes different from those which employed in the octave.Eg: cdecde. At the end of the octave,  there  is a well marked pause  called caesura which is indicated by a punctuation or command or fullstop. The caesura is followed by Volta which means a change in thought or summarized. Milton  followed this type of Italian sonnet in his few works. In the hands of Milton, the scope of sonnets  were greatly widened  and it included within its range  all human feelings and experience.

Shakespearean sonnets:



       Sonnets was introduced by Thomas Wyatt in the first half of the 15th Century. Along with Wyatt, Henry Howard , Earl of surrey were the poets who made some changes in the Italian sonnets.  Surrey in particular adopted a different rhyme scheme. His rhyme schemes were ababcdcdefefgg. Concluding lines are called as couplets which is gg.  There is no structural connections . Later, Shakespeare followed his own form and it became famous after him. Italian sonnets have pause, comma or Volta but in the Shakespearean sonnets, there is no pause or change in thought. Only in the final couplet where the highest peak of the poet’s emotions are reached. The following sonnet by Shakespeare named “Remembrance ” is the model for the Shakespearean sonnets. There  was no set range of subjects for sonnets but Shakespeare limited its theme to love . Most of his sonnets celebrates his attachment  to his young friend to whom they are dedicated. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets which were all published together in ‘quarto’ in 1609.

Spenserian sonnets:



      This type of sonnets are structurally interconnected with three quatrains and it’s rhyme schemes are ababbcbccdcdee. There is a change of theme or meaning in the poem that usually  occurs in the nineth  line of the sonnet. Among the three types of sonnet,  this type of sonnets are little bit difficult to write. Spenserian sonnets requires two fewer rhymes. Best example for spenserian sonnet is ” One Day I Wrote Her Name Upon The Strand”.

WHY READING FICTION IS GOOD FOR YOU?

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
– Charles William Elliot

I’m certain that many of you will acknowledge what Charles William Elliot said. No one can deny the degree of power that books hold within itself and what lasting prints it leaves on us.
People usually pick up non-fiction books relating to- self-help, business, health, the lifestyle which are undoubtedly great to widen one’s horizons of knowledge. But fictions, on the other hand, are in a way an untapped reservoir of knowledge, wisdom, understanding, emotions, and countless other things.

If one wishes to develop an exceptional personality then he/she must inculcate the act of reading fiction. These are the most robust way of exercising your brain muscles and being more creative apart from developing a sense of understanding.

Reading fiction is like living many hundreds of life and experiencing all the heat and rain of it.

Ernest Hemingway said, “All good books have one thing in common — they are truer than if they had really happened, and after you’ve read one of them you will feel that all that happened, happened to you and then it belongs to you forever: the happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, ecstasy and sorrow, the food, wine, beds, people, and the weather.”
And only a fiction reader can relate to what Hemingway has said. While reading fiction the protagonist’s life gets affixed with the readers and whatever happens to him is experienced by the reader within himself and this is how the not-the-real story becomes an experience for the reader and it carries this experience throughout his life.

READING FICTION MAKES YOU MORE CREATIVE-


According to research conducted at the University of Toronto, it was found out that the students who read fiction experienced less need for “cognitive closure” (the human desire to eliminate ambiguity and arrive at definite conclusions ) than non-fiction readers.
Reading fiction novels makes the brain active and enables the reader to broaden his creativity and think of a situation or a thing from many different ways and angles.

FICTION HELPS UNDERSTAND OTHERS PERSPECTIVE-


You must have sensed while reading a fiction book a connection between you and the character. You see the situation through the character’s view and not from yours. That is where you blend yourself with the character and understand his perspectives, the way he opines, his actions, his arguments, and his justifications.

A good fiction runs deep in the dominion of psychology and philosophy. You start to accept and justify the other person’s viewpoint.

READING FICTION GIVES YOU WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE-


Many different books have many different stories. Each time you pick a book you are transported back to a completely different time and space. That is the power of reading fiction books.

You experience tragedies, happy endings, downfall, success, and whatnot. And while these experiences, you widen the realm of your wisdom. You clearly see the distinction between true and untrue, good and evil.
“You can never be wise unless you love reading”, says Samuel Johnson, an 18th CE English writer.

For instance, while reading a history academic textbook you just gulp down the fact and dates. But when you read historical fiction you walk down that path, experience the time and surrounding. And after you have put down your book you feel as if you are back in your time with a bagful of experiences and long-lasting impact.
“A good book is an event in my life.” is what Stendhal, a 19th-century French writer feels about reading.

FICTION HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE-


Fiction in its narration exhibits the bigger picture in a minuscule and detailed manner. It familiarises the readers with the ground situation and gives them a wholesome experience.

In the book “The Thousand Splendid Suns”, Khaled Hosseini portrays the life journey of a young girl to becoming an old woman in Afghanistan from the time of Soviet invasion to the reign of Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding.
Through this deep-moving chronicle, the author teaches its reader about the life of common Afghanistani during the time, the hardships she goes through, and a beautiful, gripping description of her feelings and emotions.

Hosseini, through his book, tries to make his readers experience while sitting on their couch the turns and turmoils in the protagonist’s life and learn from the story the life morals, values, and virtues to hold on to.

All in all reading fiction gives you ‘EXPERIENCE’ of many lives and thus helps you in your overall personality.

My fellow murder mystery junkie, I’ve got your alibi!

Experiences are always fun to talk about, right? Let’s do a quick refreshing. Adventure, gut-wrenching, adrenaline gush. Try to map these three words to a single entity. Your mind, involuntarily would picture the obvious risk driven bungee jumping or skiing or other such outdoor activities. What if I told you, all I can picture is a cozy couch and a cup of steaming coffee? This sounds calm, not dangerous, you may think. But beware, a good murder mystery or a thriller book clutched within your hold, can shake the living hell out of you!

What happens physically when reading a murder mystery?

Without moving an ounce of your flesh, you get to experience a whirl wind of emotions. Reading a thriller book gives you the best experience. These sort of books give us a unique sensation that books of other genres can never do. They are all packed with suspense, waiting to burst within the hands that  pick them. Let me explain you what happens when you reach the core of a thriller book:

The back of our throat wanting to fill with bile, our stomach flutters, lungs struggle to get more air, our heart racing at a tremendous 120 km/hr. speed. Amidst all this, our brain trying to declutter the plethora of meaning underlying in a single sentence while at the same time, convincing our body that we our still positioned at our room’s couch, not on a wild goose chase of a psychopath of our imaginative, yet so realistic world.

Huh, I am gasping for air for just typing this out!

In addition to the chaos and turmoil bubbling inside, we can actually feel our hands go numb and our spine getting chilled. Its absolute wonder that a mere combination of 26 alphabets of a language can give you such trills. It is an amalgamation of so many things: excitement, terror, horror and what not?

Sonder

Apart from the train of random feelings, and a rollercoaster of emotions, these books actually provide a deep unfathomable impact and realization of the complexity of life. There exists a beautiful word in English for explaining this feeling and from the moment I heard it, I fell in love with it. Sonder.

sonder meaning
Sonder: Meaning

 

Movie or book?

Many a times, you may argue that a movie adaptation of a thriller book can give you the same experience. Let me tell you, you will miss one major escapade which can be experienced only by reading books, and not visually seeing a movie adaptation of the same.

When we see a movie, we do not give our brain enough time to contemplate what is going on. We adapt to the perspective of the director instead of developing our own. But when reading about the vivid description of a place, or about the character build, our brain gives life to the book. It tries to imagine the place, gives a face to the character and adsorbs the essence of the scene. This virtualization becomes impossible when we watch a movie as that work is already being done for us.

The good and evil within

Good and Evil
Good and Evil

Thriller books and murder mystery books keep us guessing about the suspects and without our knowledge, our mind penetrates into the mindsets of both the protagonist and into that of the villain. This introduces us into the duality of the human mind. We astonishingly try to relate with the good and the bad simultaneously. We try to seek justice for the light and the dark, putting us in a unique juxtaposition.

We are like water, taking the form of whatever we are poured into. It is up to us to stay true to who we are and lead our life absorbing the positive vibes only. So apart from the unique experience, thriller books also convey a beautiful truth about life, good needs evil to survive. Without mistrust, you will not grasp onto faith. Without rain, you will not appreciate the sun. So put your faith in the right things, lead your life with happiness. My dear fellow crime junkie, I’ve got your alibi (Wink).

Good and bad is not black and white but a million shades of grey.

 

 

WHO IS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born on or about the 23rd April, 1564, at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. He was the son of a prosperous tradesman of the town, who a little later became its High Bailiff or Mayor. Though there is no actual record of his class , he went to the local Grammar School, an excellent institution of it’s kind, where he was taught Latin and arithmetic. While he never became a learned man, his few years at school thus gave him a sound education as far it went. Financial misfortunes presently overtook his father, and when he was about fourteen, he was taken from school that he might help the family by earning money on his own account. Of the nature of his employment, however, we know nothing. In his 19th year he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior, the daughter of a well to do yeoman of the neighbouring village of Shottery. This marriage was hasty and ill advised and appears to have been unhappy. There children were born to him: Susannah and the twins Judith and Hamnet. Tradition says that meanwhile he fell into bad company, and that a deer- stealing escapade in the woods of Charlecote Hall obliged him to fly from home. There may or may not be the truth in this story — we cannot tell. It is certain that a few years after his marriage roughly about 1587 he left his native to seek fortune in London. At this time , the drama was gaining rapidly in popularity through the work of the University Wits. Shakespeare soon turned to the stage and became first an actor and then a playwright.

An ill natured reference to him in a pamphlet written by Greene on his deathbed, shows that in 1592 he was well known as a successful author. He remained in London upwards of twenty years after this, working hard producing on an average a couple of plays a year and growing steadily in fame and wealth. He became a shareholder in two of the leading theatres of the time , the Globe and the Black friars and purchased property in Stratford and London. but the years which brought prosperity also brought domestic sorrows. His only son died in 1596; his father in 1601 ; his younger brother Edmund , also an actor , in 1607 ; his mother in 1608 . Then between 1610 and 1612 he retired to Stratford , where he had bought a house – the largest in the town – known as New Place . His elder daughter had already (1607) married Dr. John Hall , who was later celebrated as a physician ; on February 10, 1616 , Judith became the wife of Thomas Quiney , whose father had been one of the poet’s closest friends. By this time Shakespeare’s health had broken down completely , and he died on the 23rd April of that year.

Shakespeare’s biography proves conclusively that like Chaucer , he was no dreamer , but a practical man of affairs . He reached London poor and friendless ; he left it rich and respected ; and his fortunes were the work of his own hand. Much light is thus thrown not only upon his personal character, but also upon his writings , in which great powers of creative imagination are combined with, and supported by a wonderful feeling for reality , sound commonsense , and a large and varied familiarity with the world.

Book Review: HOW TO WIN FRIENDS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carnegie

How to win friends & Influence people is a beautiful book about building a human relationship which was first published in 1937 with 500+ copies.

How was Book written:

used to conduct the educational course for business and professional men and women in New York on public speaking and later on wrote the book.

Before Dale wrote this book, he made thousands of research and practice of what was being told in the book. Research, investigations, and experiments on public relations were held in Carnegie foundation for the advancement of teaching.

Also, Researches were held at the Carnegie Institute of technology which revealed that

“Even in such technical lines as engineering, about 15% of one’s financial success is due to one’s technical knowledge and about 85% is due to skill in human engineering- the personality and ability to lead people”. 

A person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas is the person headed with higher earning power.

In preparation for this book, Dale Carnegie read from every resource possible which included reading biographies of successful people, research papers, reading magazines, news reports, psychologists, and also engaged multiple employees for research work for years to get themselves involve in libraries reading about success and dealing with people. He also shared that he went through multiple biographies of the same person, again and again, to extract exactly what was required.

The book was definitely not written out of word but was written out of experiences of thousands of adults.

After 15 years of research and proper revised studies came to this book which within time turned to be the best seller and around 18 million books have already been sold.

How will this book change your life:

This book will be a total failure for those who are reading and not practicing the actions described in the book, Dale calls this book an Action Book. Knowledge is never known if action is not made with it. Once you start reading the book you will get to know that it is divided into segments in the form of chapters and the author described that if you complete 3 chapters and find there is no change that occurred in you then this book will be a total failure for you.

Remember: This Book is an action book.

Nine Suggestions on How to get the most out of the book:

  1. A deep desire to learn: If you have vigorous determination to increase your ability to deal with people keep reminding yourself that how these principles will lead to getting a richer and happier life.

 

  1. Read each chapter thoroughly :

Read each chapter and practice what is been written considering it as an action book. If you are merely reading just for fun then you will not get the best out of the book.

 

  1. Stop frequently reading:

Don’t read in hasty, you will not get anything like this. Just think about how can you practically implement each suggestion.

 

  1. Mark what is important:

Keep your crayon, pen, pencil, highlighter, or sticky note and mark what you feel is important giving it a 4-star rating (****)

 

  1. Review and apply:

Reading something thoroughly will not provide results, keep the book on your desk and keep revising it every month. Consider this book as your handbook. Keep constantly impressing yourself by applying this everywhere.

 

  1. Learn by Doing:

If you desire to master building human relationships apply these rules.

 

  1. Charge yourself penalty

Ask your near once that after violating any rule. They ask you a specific amount. Make this a mastery game.

 

  1. Maintain an engagement book:

Keep a record of all the appointments, meetings, call to be handled. Along with writing down your task for the week and do follow them, if you miss any at the end of the day notice why did you fail to do that and if you succeed doing any compare with the failed one and again try, this way you will surely improve.

 

  1. At the end of the book, there are several blank pages provided to write down if you applied any suggestions and it worked the way described in the book. Also put the date, where it was applied. Keeping such records will inspire you to do more and better.

 

So these are the rules which are to be followed while reading this book.

Dale guaranteed 100% success if followed the rules in the same manner written.

 

How to win friends is divided into 4 parts:

  1. Fundamental technique in handling people.
  2. 6 ways to make people like you.
  3. How to win people your way of thinking.
  4. Be a leader: How to change people without giving offers or arousing resentments.

 

Dale Carnegie excellently explained all these parts by 100’s of examples of great leaders like Abraham Lincon, Benjamin franklin, and many.

This book will help you achieve that how you can deal with people effectively, achieving your target to get your work done. I won’t mention everything about the book but yes once you start reading I promise this will be a life-changing handbook. When I first started reading, I went through the rules of how to get the most out of the book and followed all 9 rules mentioned above.

Some of the fundamental techniques in handling people

 

     PART 1

  1. Don’t criticize condemn or complain.

If you complain to anyone maybe your friends, family members, siblings, or anyone else then that is the biggest mistake you are attempting. Rather if we start appreciating about small things they do, that will generally make them more to do. If you find mistakes and criticize people, eventually will end up person stop doing work with the same enthusiasm.

  1. Give honest and sincere appreciation

This principle is key to success making people turn to your side which can be achieved by appreciating fellow members and your teammates. Wonder you do some work for any organization and your boss appreciates you honestly saying “You did an incredible job, and we need a client like you”. What would you do after listening to this?

Yes, obviously we would want to work more with more potential to be appreciated in the same manner and get that feeling of importance.

  1. Arouse in the other person an eager want

This can be achieved only in one way and that one way arises by giving what person need. If you attempt to make a person agree with your point which ultimately has your benefit how would you do that? We can do so by also keeping the other persons’ need and offer them to make your work done.

 

PART 2

 

  1. Become genuinely interested in other people

We generally fail not thinking other’s points of view. If you want other people to put your point can be only done if you are a good listener and becomes equally and genuinely interested in the other person’s point.

 

  1. Smile

Trust me this works magic. Smile is a trick to make another person like you and follow your way. A smile doesn’t need to be a great task for you right?

Just giving a pleasant positive smile can easily make your work easy. Just try!

 

  1. Remember that the person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language 

This is what we all can relate to. Anyone calling us by our name with the best tone is so encouraging making an urge to respect the person who called. This also makes other people get that feeling of importance by loudly addressing him/her name.

 

  1. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves

We all like to tell our point and that gives us relief but what if we don’t listen to the other person’s point. Yes, it’s important to equally give importance to other people and hear their views. This will result in a good friendship-making bond stronger and will maintain a healthy understanding with your client, friend, or anyone you are dealing with.

 

  1. Talk in terms of the other person’s interest 

This is how to interest people. Roosevelt said, “All leaders know, that the royal road to a person’s heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures the most”.

 

  1. Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely

This is about How to make people like you instantly.

William James said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

 

     

PART 3

 

  1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it

Opera tenor Jan Peerce said “When one yells, the other should listen—

because when 2 people yell. There is no communication, just noise, and

bad vibrations.”

 

2. Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, ‘You’re wrong’

 

Don’t argue with your customer or your spouse or your adversary. Don’t

 

tell them they are wrong, don’t hem stirred up. Use a little diplomacy.

 

3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically

 

When we are right, let’s try to win people gently and tactfully to our way

of thinking, and when we are wrong—let’s admit our mistakes quickly

with enthusiasm.

    ‘By fighting you never get enough, but by yielding you get more than you   

     expected.’

 

4. Begin in a friendly way

 

Sun can make you take off your coat more quickly than the wind; and kindliness, a friendly approach, and appreciation can make people change they are more readily than all the bluster and storming in the world.

Lincoln said: ‘A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.’

 

5. Get the other person saying ‘yes, yes’ immediately.

He who treads softly goes far.

 

6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking

Safety valve in handling complaints.

 

7. Let the other person feels that the idea is his or hers

This is about how we can achieve Cooperation

 

8. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s 

This will be one of the stepping—stones of your career. Try to think from another person’s point of view.

 

9. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires

This will stop arguments, eliminate ill feelings, create goodwill. And make the other person listen attentively.

 

10. Appeal to the nobler motives

An appeal that everybody likes.

 

11. Dramatize your ideas

The movies do it. TV does it. Why don’t you do it?

12. Throwdown a challenge

When nothing else works, try this

 

      PART 4

        BE A LEADER: HOW RO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT GIVING                  OFFICE OR AROUSING RESENTMENT

  1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation

If you Must find Fault, This is the way to begin

 

2. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly

How to criticize—And Not Be Hated for it

 

3. Talk about your own mistakes before

Talk about Your own Mistakes First before criticizing the other person

 

4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders

No one Likes to Take orders

5. Let the other person save face

 

6. How to spur people on to success

Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise”

 

7. Give a Dog a Good Name

Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.

  1. Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct

Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct

 

8. Making People Glad to do What You Want

Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest,

 

Dale Carnegie excellently explained all these parts by 100’s of examples of great leaders like Abraham Lincon, Benjamin Franklin, and many.

This book will help you achieve that how you can deal with people effectively, achieving your target to get your work done. I won’t mention everything about the book but yes once you start reading I promise this will be a life-changing handbook. When I first started reading, I went through the rules of how to get the most out of the book and followed all 9 rules mentioned above.

 

 

MOVIE REVIEW “The color purple”

 

“The color purple” is a breath-taking historical drama starring Whoopi Goldberg as Celie the main protagonist directed by Steven Spielberg. This movie claimed many prestigious awards like Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film, etc. The world premiere occurred on December 18, 1985.

The plot is based on the Pulitzer prize-winning 1982 novel “The color purple” by Alice Walker. I always enjoyed the script, the idea of how a woman who is timid, terrified is converted to a strong independent personality at the end of the movie.

Celie is a woman cruelly treated by the world, a shy, frightened little girl whose life consists mostly of eluding the men who want to rape and beat her. As a young teenager, she is raped by the man she takes to be her father, and both of her babies a son and a daughter are taken away from her. Then after this Celie is married off to Albert by her stepfather, Albert- a brutal farmer, who beat her, uses her as a servant and use her as an object to satisfy his lust and also convinces her she is ugly.

 

There are many emotional scenes in this movie but for me, the scene that pulled my heartstrings is where Celie is separated from her sister Nettie-the one person who loves Celie, who understands Celie. Nettie is one of the beautiful things Celie has in her life. When her father tries to assault her, she flees to Celie for safety now then Albert tries to assault her but when she fights him off, he throws her from his house. This scene is so much emotional, powerful and real. Hats off to the actors Deserta Jackson and Akosua Busia who played young Celie and Nettie, they both are so good in the movie.

 

The climax in the movie comes when two powerful, strong independent women came to Celie’s life. One is Sofia who is married to Harpo (son of Albert from his first wife) and the other women is Shug Avery the one person Albert cherishes in his life. Shug a jazz singer who remains Albert’s one and only true love. Shug could see the beauty beneath Celie’s fear, she became the transformative power in Celie’s life.

One of the most joyous experiences I have in the movie is the scene where Shug tells Celie “Oh miss Celie why you always cover up your smile, show me that pretty smile” and for the first time Celie laughed her heart out and this scene is the favorite and most joyous scene of mine.

 

This movie has many scenes where feminist criticism is shown I.e. the inequality between the sexes, the injustice of domestic and sexual abuse, and women’s struggle for recognition as individuals who deserve fair and equal treatment. Some of the scenes are: –

  • Violence by males upon females is a common occurrence even in relationships that are quite loving, like that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. He beats her because a woman is supposed to mind a man. Beating a wife is regarded as an acceptable way to assert male authority.
  • Women are not allowed to laugh at a man like in the scene where Celie passed comments on Albert and every woman present there starts laughing at Albert, Harpo says “Shut up! It’s bad luck for a woman to laugh at the man.”

 

The most powerful and turning point of the movie is when Shug finds out about Nettie’s letter, Celie discovered that her children and her sister is alive whom she thought had died.

Now, Celie becomes so powerful that she questioned Albert about the letters and finally takes a stand for herself and told Albert that she is leaving him and going with Shug. They both have a war of words in which again Albert tries to convince Celie he says “You’re black, you’re poor, you’re ugly, you’re a woman! You’re nothing!” to which Celie replied “Until you do right by me everything you even think about gonna fail! I’m poor, black, I may even be ugly. But dear god, I’m here.”  This is the favorite dialog of mine in the movie. This particular dialog shows how a shy, frightened woman is transformed into a strong personality and speaks for her own rights.

 

Hats off to the director and cast especially Whoopi Goldberg who played Celie. When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That’s what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. For a time during watching “The color purple” my mind, my soul connects with the character Celie as I empathize with her struggle and her victory at the end.

This movie justifies its main central idea I.e. self-discovery, womanhood- how a woman’s mutual sympathy and support can act as a defense against the oppression of men.

 

 

Really loved the movie!! Hope you all will enjoy the movie.