Essays on English Literature

English literature

The 19th and early 20th century had to face a reality characterized by social, political and economic issues. Furthermore the World War One dramatically changed the already complex and troubled frame which gave birth to the Modernism. Indeed during the 19th century the traditional Victorian society turned itself into a modern and industrialized society, where cities were growing fast and the old ethical and religious values were rejected. This massive change also involved all the traditional forms of art, literature, architecture, philosophy, science and even all the aspects of the everyday lives. Salient of the Modernism Era is the ...

The ubiquitous echo of poetry’s yearnings to be heard throughout the annals of time, reflect mankind’s endless search for meaning whilst on earth. As such, English Literature as a formal academic discipline – and generic genre of creative expression – holds a place of often cited materials for pondering. Poetry consists of more than reading stanzas on a page that rhyme. This essay attempts to cogently analyze the poem by William Wordsworth, entitled ‘The World is Too Much with us.’ A brief background will remind the reader herein that Wordsworth’s mother died when he was only eight-years-old, and ...

Literature has the capacity to delve into varied themes and portraitures as per the perspective and vision of the literary artists. Thus, literary works can differ from one another in content and presentation only to enhance the scope and appeal of the field of art in general. As such, one can take into reckoning the short story, The Metamorphosis, penned by the stalwart literary artist, Franz Kafka that delves into the thematic content of existentialism. Again, the famous poem I wandered lonely as a Cloud (Daffodils) penned by the famous Romantic poet, William Wordsworth can be taken to be ...

At the beginning of the Paradise Lost we are introduced to Satan, who has found himself on the surface of a boiling hot lava after falling from Heaven. He has fallen from Heaven because he no longer wanted to be subservient to God. As an alternative he wishes for there to be more equality between God and the Angels. Throughout Paradise Lost Satan, continues to be obsessed with equality. This is something that is inferred throughout much of Paradise Lost. This paper will examine Satan’s need for equality. Satan’s desire for equality is seen from the very ...

Classic English Literature

The ‘Lyrical Ballads’ is a combined work of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published in the year 1789, which can be referred to as an autobiography, a philosophical work, and also a literary criticism. The fundamental principles presented in this work is the creative imagination of both the authors. The poetic principles that Wordsworth had presented in the ‘Preface’ of the 1800 edition of Lyrical Ballads essentially denounce a kind of revolution with respect to the critical notions concerning the lyrical language, the subject matter of the poetry, and also the role played by the poet. Dismissing the ...

This course has had a profound effect on my progression as a writer. There is a much more defined thought process behind my words now, and I have learnt to clarify my language through lessons in what sounds sharp and what doesn’t. I have discovered my passion for the critical analysis of texts through my developed understanding of various literary theories, and it has enabled me to get so much more pleasure from a novel, poem, play or short story. When the course began, I was unsure of how well I would cope with the intensity of the work and the level ...

I am writing this essay in order to formally announce my desire to join your Master of Arts in English Studies program. As a non-native speaker of the language, I have always been fascinated by English and its place in world culture. I have worked hard to learn the ins and outs of the language itself – how to use it, how to speak it, and so on. However, now that I have a firm grasp of English, my next step is to learn more about English literature, using this newfound knowledge of the language to find new contexts and discover its ...

This paper is the result of my research on the British dramatist, Harold Pinter. There is so much material available on Pinter that it was sometimes hard to decide exactly what to use, so I have limited my source texts to two authoritative reference books. As well as giving biographical information, I have tied to trace his contribution to the theatre, but even that was slightly problematic, since he did so much – he directed, acted and wrote for the theatre. Even if we concentrate on his writing, we are dealing potentially with a huge amount since he wrote plays, poems, ...