VAC
☆ VAC
Name of college : Maharani shree nandkumarba mahila arts & commerce college
• NAME : Gohil Devyaniba Jagdishsinh
• YEAR : F.Y. B.A
• SEMESTER : 2nd
• SUBJECT : English
• PAPER NAME : VAC
• DATE :
• PROFESSOR : RACHNA MA'M
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《 CLASS ASSIGNMENT 》
☆LONDON:
▪︎ABOUT POET:
The poem “London” was written by William Blake.
He was an English poet and artist. He was born in 1757 in England. He wrote poems about society, poor people, and human suffering.
William Blake did not like injustice and inequality. He felt sad seeing how poor people were treated in London. In his poem London, he describes the pain, sadness, and problems of the people living there.
His poems give a strong message about freedom, equality, and caring for others.
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▪︎ THEMES:
1. Oppression and Loss of Freedom:
Blake uses the word “chartered” again and again.
It means the streets and even the River Thames are controlled by authorities.
This shows that people have no real freedom.
The government, church, and rulers control everything.
Even nature is not free.
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2. Suffering Everywhere:
Blake says he sees “marks of weakness, marks of woe” on every face.
He uses the word “every” many times.
This shows that all people are suffering.
No one is happy.
Pain and sadness are everywhere in the city.
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3. Political and Social :
Blake criticizes important institutions in society:
The Church – He calls it the “blackening Church.” This shows the church is corrupt and not helping poor people.
The Monarchy – The soldier’s blood on palace walls means that poor people suffer while kings live in comfort.
The Legal and Economic System – The laws and rules control people’s lives and create inequality between rich and poor.
Blake shows that these systems are responsible for people’s pain.
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4. Loss of Innocence:
In the last stanza, Blake talks about a harlot, a baby, and a bridegroom.
Children lose their innocence.
Marriage, which should be happy, becomes connected with death (“marriage hearse”).
This shows that society is morally and emotionally sick.
Everything pure and good is being destroyed.
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IN SHORT:
The poem London shows a city full of suffering, control, corruption, and lost innocence.
Blake gives a strong message against injustice and lack of freedom in society.
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☆ON KILLING A TREE :
▪︎ ABOUT POET:
The poem “On Killing a Tree” is written by Gieve Patel.
He was an Indian poet, doctor, and painter. He was born in India and wrote many poems about nature, human life, and society. In his poems, he often talks about the relationship between humans and nature.
In On Killing a Tree, he shows his concern about how people destroy trees and harm nature. Through this poem, he gives an environmental message and tells us to respect and protect trees.
He uses simple but strong words to show that nature is powerful and living, just like humans.
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▪︎THEME;
The main theme of the poem is that humans destroy nature, but nature is very strong and powerful. The poet explains how to kill a tree, but actually he wants to show how cruel humans are towards nature.
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1. Human Violence Against Nature:
The poem shows that cutting a tree is like killing a living person.
The poet describes the process in a detailed and harsh way to show human cruelty.
It shows how humans dominate nature without caring about its pain.
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2. Strength and Power of Nature:
The poem also shows that nature is very strong.
Even if a tree is cut, it grows again.
This means nature can heal itself.
But if humans destroy the roots completely, then the tree dies.
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3. Connection Between Tree and Earth:
The tree is deeply connected to the earth.
It grows by taking sunlight, air, water, and nutrients for many years.
This shows that all living things depend on each other.
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4. Importance of Roots:
The roots are the source of life.
Only when the roots are removed, the tree truly dies.
This shows that life is strong and deeply rooted.
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5. Irony in the Poem:
The poet says “how to kill a tree,” but he does not really want us to kill it.
He uses irony to show that killing a tree is painful and wrong.
He wants people to understand its value and stop harming trees.
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IN SHORT :
The poem gives a strong message about protecting nature.
Nature is alive and powerful, but humans destroy it carelessly.
The poet wants us to respect and protect trees.
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《HOME ASSINGNMENT》
☆ FEELINGS OF A BANYAN TREE
▪︎ SUMMARY:
Stanza 1:
In the first stanza, the poet tells us that his family had to leave their old home in Baroda and move to Bombay.
His father decided to cut down the big banyan tree that had been growing for almost 300 years.
The tree was very huge and strong.
Its roots were deep and spread widely in the ground.
Because of this, it was very difficult to cut it down.
This stanza shows how big, old, and important the tree was.
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Stanza 2:
In the second stanza, the poet says the tree did not die easily.
Even after the trunk was cut, new shoots started growing from the roots.
The workers kept cutting it again and again.
The tree looked like it was fighting back, as if it were alive.
Even after burning and chopping, it continued to grow.
This shows that nature is strong and does not give up easily.
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Stanza 3:
In the last stanza, the poet talks about his feelings after the tree was finally cut down.
The banyan tree was a big part of his childhood and family home.
After it was gone, the family moved to Bombay.
Bombay was full of tall buildings and concrete, and there were no old trees like that.
The poet feels sad and misses the past.
The banyan tree now lives only in his memory.
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《 ESSAY 》
ECOCRITICISM / GREEN STUDIES
■ INTRODUCTION
Ecocriticism is a new theory in literary criticism.
It became important in the 21st century.
Today, scientists are worried about the earth.
The earth and its natural resources are in danger.
Modern science and technology have created many problems.
Too much carbon dioxide damages the ozone layer.
Natural gas and oil are used too much.
Because of this, the future generation may suffer.
The distance between humans and nature is increasing.
So, we need balance between man and nature.
Ecocriticism helps us understand this balance.
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□ DEFINITION OF ECOCRITICISM
Ecocriticism is the study of literature and environment.
It studies the relationship between human beings and nature in literary works.
It examines how nature is shown in poems, novels, and stories.
It studies environmental problems in literature.
It is an interdisciplinary study.
It is also called:
Green Studies
Eco-poetics
Environmental Literary Criticism
It studies how people behave towards nature.
It teaches us to protect the earth.
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□ ORIGIN OF ECOCRITICISM
In 1972, Joseph Meeker used the term “Literary Ecology.”
He wrote a book called The Comedy of Survival.
In 1978, William Rueckert first used the word “Ecocriticism.”
He used it in his essay Literature and Ecology.
Ecocriticism became popular in the USA in the 1980s.
In Europe, it was called “Green Studies” in the 1990s.
Two important books made it official:
1. The Ecocriticism Reader – edited by Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm
2. The Environmental Imagination – written by Lawrence Buell
□ MAJOR FOLLOWERS
Jonathan Bate – Father of Ecocriticism in England
Cheryll Glotfelty – Founder in the USA
Laurence Coupe
Patrick D. Murphy
Raymond Williams
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□ IMPORTANT BOOKS
The Green Studies Reader – Laurence Coupe
The Song of the Earth – Jonathan Bate
The Ecocriticism Reader – Cheryll Glotfelty
Literature of Nature – Patrick D. Murphy
What is Nature? – Kate Soper
□ DETAILED NOTE
Cheryll Glotfelty founded Ecocriticism in the USA.
She helped start ASLE in 1992.
Ecocriticism studies the link between culture and nature.
Its roots can be seen in 19th-century American writers.
These writers are called Transcendentalists.
Important writers were:
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Margaret Fuller
Henry David Thoreau
Emerson wrote Nature in 1836.
Thoreau wrote Walden about simple life near nature.
They believed that we should return to nature for peace and self-growth.
In the UK, Ecocriticism came from British Romanticism.
In America, it is called Ecocriticism.
In England, it is called Green Studies.
American writers praised nature.
British writers warned about environmental dangers.
Ecocritics say nature is very important.
They do not agree that everything is created only by society and language.
They also say that today there is no pure wilderness.
Every place is affected by human activities and global warming.
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□ WHAT DO ECOCRITICS DO?
Ecocritics study literature from an environmental view.
They:
Study the relationship between humans and nature
Examine human civilization and nature together
Study pollution, war, and industrial growth
Show how humans harm ecological balance
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□ EXAMPLES
1. Wordsworth’s Daffodils
The poet shows love for nature.
Nature gives him happiness and peace.
2. Alexander Pope’s Ode on Solitude
The poet praises simple life in nature.
He prefers nature over busy modern life.
