Subodh Bhattarai (English & Communication Notes - BBA/BBS/BBBS/BHM/BIM//MBA/MBS & +2)

Shel Silverstein, USA (1930-1999) Literal Comprehension : This poem "Invitation" has been composed by 20th century American poet Shel Silverstein. The speaker in the poem invites different persons with different natures with them to accompany with her. He invites the readers who are imaginative as dreamers or even liars who always tell lie. Hopers who for something are prayers of religious deities or persons with magical power are invited to her. He even invites to the pretenders who pretend to be superior or greater to others. So, whoever the readers are, they all are invited by the speaker to sit by him to spin the Flex Golden Tales. The tales are more colorful and very much imaginative, adventurous and with many more outstanding qualities. He invites the readers for four times to accompany him unfolding Flex Golden Tales. Interpretation : The poem "Invitation" might be trying to create a good readership especially in young generation. Modern young

Isaac Asimov, USA (1920-1992) In this argumentative essay the writer makes an argument that intelligence is not absolute but is a function of the society. Often we define intelligence with respect to human qualities. Thus, as we tend to consider ourselves as the most intelligent species, we compare other species to ourselves. Yet, is this really possible?  "We willingly accept the idea of intelligence in a life form only if the intelligence displayed is on the same evolutionary wavelength as our own. Technology automatically indicates intelligence. An absence of technology translates into an absence of intelligence." Truly, intelligence seems to be relative, in that it evolves to fulfill the needs of the particular species. How, then, can we truly compare the intelligence of a crocodile with that of a whale or that of a human? Evolutionary speaking, scientists agree that organisms seem to have become more complex behaviorally. Some argue that this is correlated with i

Anton Chekhov, Russia (1860-1904) In this story, Alyohin, a narrator is the main character. He is a graduated person but he chose to work in his own field with his servants because his land was heavily mortgaged by his acparents for his study. One morning  Alyohin  was having breakfast with his friends (Burkin and Ivan). Alyohin told them about the different love affairs: first about his servants and then about his own.  In the story, the writer talks about expressed love of Nikanor and Palegeya and unexpressed love of Alyohin and Anna. Three friends Alyohin, Burkin and Ivan are having breakfast in Alyohin’s house. In the meantime, Nikanor, his servant came to ask what the guests would like to have for dinner in the evening. When Alyohin looked at Nikanor , he reminded of his love affair with Pelageya and started to tell the story. After his story over, Alyohin told about his own experience. Then the conversation turned to love as there was rain outside, the sky full of

Ray Young Bear (1950- ) if i were to see  her shape from a mile away i 'd know so quickly  that it would be her. the purple scarf and the plastic shopping bag. हजुरआमा  if  i   felt hands on my head i 'd know that those were her hands  warm and damp with the smell of roots. if i heard a voice coming from  a rock i ' d know  and her words would flow inside me  like the light of someone stirring ashes from a sleeping fire at night. Notes and References: stirring (v): moving slightly   Grandmother, written by American- Indian poet Ray Young Bear, is a recollection of poet's profound love for his grandmother. The poet draws the unique picture of his grandmother - all loving and all inspiring- through the use of images. The poet figure out cultural identity of American Indian or Mesquaki people. Metaphorically, the poem ‘Grandmother’ has connection with Mesquaki tribe and the identity of the poet. The poet also reveals the socio

Andrew Marvell , England (1621-1678) Marvell didn't become very popular until T. S. Eliot wrote an essay praising him for his ability to shift between high seriousness and humour. This poem was first published after Marvell's death, by his housekeeper. To His Coy Mistress  is divided into three stanzas. A narrator is an anonymous man speaking to an anonymous woman.   In the first stanza, the narrator tells the mistress—not a woman on the side but simply a lady—that if they had had more time and space, her " coyness " or teasing/shyness wouldn't be an issue. He goes on to describe how much he would compliment and admire her if time permitted. He would focus on every inch of her body until he got to the heart—(a metaphor for her sex organ and love.) In the second stanza, the narrator basically tells her, “ But we don't have time and we're about to get old and die .” He says that life is short but death is eternal and time is running out. In addition, the s

David Herbert Lawrence, England (1885-1930) Background : D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) was born on 11 September 1885 in Eastwood, a coal-mining village in  Nottingham-shire  England. He was the fourth child of a struggling coal miner who was a heavy drinker. His mother was a former schoolteacher, greatly superior in education to her husband. Lawrence's childhood was dominated by poverty and friction between his parents. He was educated at Nottingham High School, to which he had won a scholarship. He briefly became a teacher. Despite his hard background he grew up to become a writer that wrote about the relationships between men and women and between human beings and the natural world. He became one of the greatest figures in 20th-century English literature. In 1912 he met Frieda von Richthofen, a professor’s wife and fell in love and eloped [ran away] with her. As a result, he led a nomadic (mobile) or wandering existence. D. H Lawrence became a novelist,  story-writer , critic, poet

Parashu Pradhan, Nepal (1943-) (Translated By: Michael Hutt) Krishna had come in the city from the village. He worked as a guide for tourist. All the day he was busy explaining the entire history of the country to the tourist and answering their questions. He had a dream of going to America following a tourist girl. He always used to come late at night in his room from hotel being tired. A telegram had been lying on the table for weeks. There was a message that his wife had died previous day. But the message of his wife’s death did not touch him at all. The telegram should have made him weep. He should have felt regret. He should have fasted for some days. But he didn't do anything. The telegram should have affected him. But he was not sad and nothing touches him. He was happy dreaming of America. His living room was not that good. He paid high rent but there was no facility. If he could not get up early in the morning, he would not get water. He wanted to move somewhere else so t

Balakrishna Sama (1902-1981 ) (Translated by Michael Hutt) I.                   Literal Comprehension Context: This poem has been written by Balakrishna Sama (1902-1981). He was a dramatist par excellence, a performing artist, painter, sculptor, poet, essayist, novelist and short story writer. In this poem, he has advocated of nature conservation. The speaker of the poem is trying to persuade the woodcutter not to cut down the trees. Therefore, he calls the woodcutter ‘brother’ and tries to establish emotional attachment with the trees using the phrase ‘dead mothers’. He requests the woodcutter not to cut down the trees because they provide us with the motherly love and care. They protect us from the sun and the rain, seat us on their laps, carry us in their arms and shoulders, give us fruits and flowers, and kiss our foreheads with leafy lips. They also weep for us, but they cannot speak and plead with us. In winter, we sit around the fire and enjoy the warmth inside our h