Tuesday, November 1, 2011

001. Solitude. Alexander Pope Poem. Appreciation By P S Remesh Chandran

001.

Solitude. Alexander Pope Poem. Appreciation By P S Remesh Chandran

Editor, Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum

By PSRemeshChandra, 7th Mar 2011
Short URL http://nut.bz/281k669t/
First Posted in Wikinut Poetry

Link: http://sahyadribooks-remesh.blogspot.com/2011/11/01.html


01. Article Title 1 Image & Graphics By Adobe SP


Alexander Pope was born a Catholic in Protestant England, was forbidden to live in London City and was liable to pay a double taxation. Moreover, he was suffering from a series of diseases. ‘To combat these handicaps’, he possessed more than the courage of a lion. His poems were acrimonious attacks on society, and in a few cases they were against authority. He mentioned names in his poems, leaving dashes in places, which his contemporaries happily filled in to the embarrassment of adversaries.

Satisfaction, self-sufficiency and piety are the characteristics of a happy life.



02. Portrait of Alexander Pope.

'Ode On Solitude' which was alternately titled 'The Quiet Life' was written by Alexander Pope to celebrate the virtues of a happy and satisfied life. In this poem, he discusses the characteristics of a happy life which are satisfaction, self-sufficiency and piety. Man was the fittest subject for his poetry. In an imaginative treatment, he illuminates the knowledge about man, in relation to individuals, society and the Universe. He once said: The proper study of mankind is man. To him belongs the greatest number of quotations in the English language. Essay On Man, Essay On Criticism, The Rape Of The Lock, and The Temple Of Fame are the most famous of his works. They are very long poems, but Ode On Solitude is a short poem. Even though it is very short, it conveys to mankind the full philosophy of how to live contented. We cannot search for a happy man in this world because he is a very rare specimen to find, but can certainly identify one by tracing the characteristics of a happy life back to him.

Be happy to breathe one's native air in his own ground.

03. Happy to breathe his native air in his own ground. 

Everyone knows that he who goes after increasing the area of land in his possession by encroaching into his neighbor's property will land in trouble, and lose the quietness and happiness of his life. The happy man is satisfied with what he is having at present. He is not interested in increasing his landed properties. His wish and care are bound within the few acres of land given to him by his ancestors. These few paternal acres are enough for him. In the old England, whoever wanted more prosperity than what his natives had, went to France and made money. At one time, it was even joked that whoever vanished from Dover in search of a job would certainly make his appearance soon in Calais, the counterpart town on the French coast across the Channel. But the happy man wishes not to go abroad to France or anywhere else to make money or to enjoy life as others of his times did. He is content to breathe his native air in his own ground. Thus satisfaction is characteristic of a quiet, happy life.

He who watches the passing of time without anxiety is happy.

04. A day's labour blesses us with a night's sleep.

Dependence leads to bondage and bondage deprives man of his freedom. With the loss of freedom, the quietness and happiness in man's life is lost. Therefore the happy man would be self-sufficient also. He would not depend on others for food, clothes or drinks. His herds would be supplying him with milk and his flocks of black sheep would be supplying him with wool for making his attire. He would be winning his bread by cultivating his own fields. And he would have planted enough number of trees in his homestead which would yield him cool shade in summer and enough firewood to burn in winter. Thus self-sufficiency is another characteristic of a happy life.

Time passes as if a sledge is sliding over the snow.


05. Herds and woods for milk and fire.

If somebody can watch without anxiety the passing of time, then he is a blessèd person indeed. Hours, days and years slide soft away as if a sledge is sliding over the snow. Time progresses in a straight line and no point in it will ever be repeated. The feelings and passions attached to a particular moment in life can never be enjoyed anymore. Right actions at the tiny moments constitute what is happiness in life. All our actions of yester years become our past and what we plan and intend to do in coming years become our future. There is no history without actions. Thus righteousness also is a determinant of the happiness of a person’s life and history. Piety or unchanging belief also is a faculty desirable, which the happy man would be in possession of in plenty. He regrets not a moment in his life, and therefore, has no anxiety in the passing of time. Therefore he can unconcernedly observe the passing of time, in health of body and peace of mind. His is the perfect attitude towards Time.

Withdraw stealthily from the world: Let not even a stone tell where one lies.


06. Who can unconcernedly watch time passing away.

The nights of the happy man would be spent on sleeping sound. His daytime activities do not leave room for horror-filled dreams during nights. His day time would be devoted to a recreation-like studying, which is everyone's dream. It must be remembered here that not all are blessèd with a successful books-publishing career and heavy royalties from published books as the poet. But a thirty percent book reading, ten percent life experience and the rest sixty percent travel would make any man perfect. Study and ease, together mixed, is a sweet recreation, which is the poet's formula for life. The happy man's innocence, his perfection and his meditative traits make him pleasing to the world.


Books are real monuments for a poet, taking him to eternity.


07. Books are real monuments for a poet.

Like a truly happy man, the poet wishes to live unseen and unknown like a nonentity, and die unlamented. He wishes to withdraw stealthily from this world and pleads that not a stone be placed over his grave to tell the world where he lies. He wishes perfect, undisturbed Solitude. Conversely, this poem is the real epitaph for this poet. It teaches the world lessons.

Brilliant success and sweet revenge of a poet.

08. Alexander Pope's villa in Twickenham on the Thames.

For people who idealize perfect life, especially for poets, it would be impossible to achieve success in normal circumstances. So it would be interesting to note how this poet, hunted by his society, took his sweet revenge on those who excluded him and his people from London’s social and literary circles. Pope considered thousands of lines in Shakespeare’s works not original, and contaminated by stage actors’ speeches to please and thrill audience. So, he completely edited and recast them in clean poetic form and published a Regularized New Edition of Shakespeare in 1725. He translated Odyssey as well. These, and his major works in later years, gained him universal fame, were translated into many languages including German, and caused him to be considered as a philosopher. But the epic feat of this unmarried poet was done in the very early years of his literary career. Like Keats, Pope was an admirer of Greek Poetry from his boyhood. His dream was, translating the Iliad into English, which he did in six books during the six years from 1715. Even the severe Samuel Johnson called it ‘a performance beyond age and nation’. Coming from Johnson, it was indeed praise. Publication of this monumental work brought him instant fame in England and abroad and also a fortune for his wallet. With this immense wealth, the poet bought him a home in Twickenham on the Thames which he decorated with precious stones and intricate mirror arrangements. He made the subterranean rooms resound with the pleasant noise of an underground stream. Because mermaids could not be purchased, he did not equip one.

Bloom Books Channel has a video of this poem.

09. Solitude Of Quiet Life Video Title. http://youtu.be/L66GcSKH6j8

A primitive prototype rendering of this song was made in a crude tape recorder decades earlier, in 1984. In 2014, a home made video of this song was released. In 2015, a third version with comparatively better audio was released. The next version, it's hoped, would be fully orchestrated. It's free for reuse, and anyone interested can develop and build on it, till it becomes a fine musical video production, to help our little learners, and their teachers.


You Tube Link: http://youtu.be/L66GcSKH6j8

10. Article Title 2 Image & Graphics By Adobe SP

First Published: 07 March 2011
Last Edited: 25 September 2015

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Pictures Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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Picture Credits:
 

01. Article Title 1 Image & Graphics By Adobe SP
02. Portrait of Alexander Pope 1727. By Michael Dahl.
03. Happy to breathe his native air in his own ground. By Robert.
04. A day's labour blesses us with a night's sleep 1887. By Изображён сенокос и косцы.
05. Herds and woods for milk and firewood. By Rvgeest.
06. Who can unconcernedly find time passing away. By Ian Paterson.
07. Books real monuments for a poet. Dunciad Book II Illustration 1760. Artist F. Hayman, Engraver C. Grignion.
08. Alexander Pope's villa in Twickenham on the Thames 1759. By Samuel Scott.
09. Solitude Of Quiet Life Video Title. By Bloom Books Channel.
10. Article Title 2 Image & Graphics By Adobe SP
11. Author profile of P S Remesh Chandran By Sahyadri Archives.


About the Author P. S. Remesh Chandran:

11. Author Profile of P S Remesh Chandran By Sahyadri Archives.

Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Author of several books in English and in Malayalam. And also author of Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book. Born and brought up in the beautiful village of Nanniyode in the Sahya Mountain Valley in Trivandrum, in Kerala. Father British Council trained English teacher and Mother University educated. Matriculation with distinction and Pre Degree Studies in Science with National Merit Scholarship. Discontinued Diploma studies in Electronics and entered politics. Unmarried and single.

Author of several books in English and in Malayalam, mostly poetical collections, fiction, non fiction and political treatises, including Ulsava Lahari, Darsana Deepthi, Kaalam Jaalakavaathilil, Ilakozhiyum Kaadukalil Puzhayozhukunnu, Thirike Vilikkuka, Oru Thulli Velicham, Aaspathri Jalakam, Vaidooryam, Manal, Jalaja Padma Raaji, Maavoyeppoleyaakaan Entheluppam!, The Last Bird From The Golden Age Of Ghazals, Doctors Politicians Bureaucrats People And Private Practice, E-Health Implications And Medical Data Theft, Did A Data Mining Giant Take Over India?, Will Dog Lovers Kill The World?, Is There Patience And Room For One More Reactor?, and Swan, The Intelligent Picture Book.

Post: P. S. Remesh Chandran, Editor, Sahyadri Books, Trivandrum, Padmalayam, Nanniyode, Pacha Post, Trivandrum- 695562, Kerala State, South India.

Tags

Alexander Pope, British English Poets, English Poem Essays, Free Student Notes, Ode On Solitude, Poem Appreciations Reviews Essays, P S Remesh Chandran, Quiet Life, Sahyadri Books Trivandrum, Solitude,  


Identifier: SBT-AE-001. Solitude. Alexander Pope Poem. Appreciation By P S Remesh Chandran.

Articles English Downloads Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Editor: P S Remesh Chandran
 
Comments

Rathnashikamani
31st Mar 2011 (#)

PSRemeshChandra,
I'm enjoying your extraordinary literary contributions.
Thanks for sharing your expositions.

PSRemeshChandra
11th May 2011 (#)

Does anyone remember which book by which author is shown in the picture above? It is The Dunciad.



Download this article free at
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7UyS8upcOFAYndyMWl4MEk4VGc


Handmade Literature 1. How Many Handwritings Can You Have? P. S. Remesh Chandran

037.

How Many Handwritings Can You Have? P. S. Remesh Chandran

Editor, Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum
 

14th Oct 2011. Short URL http://nut.bz/171xjcty/ First Posted in Wikinut; Humour, Puzzles & Brain Teasers


When a person writes or draws, thought from his brain flows through his hands and fingers and spreads on the paper. Just as face is the index of feelings, handwriting is an index of habits as well as of character. Character of the person can be analyzed from his works on paper. Sometimes lines and words will supplement each other and special sense will be needed to assess such creations. A few hand made specimens from the Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum are included here.

Windows into the character and history of a person which is an open book in his native land.

The few hand crafted documents here include cartoons, posters and poems prepared during the past years by the author for various purposes. They are not meant as literary creations but just as specimens of the Editor’s handwriting. They are intended to serve as windows into the character and history of the person concerned which is anyway an open book in his native land. Anyone who has a rudimentary skill in hand writing analyzing can read them well and evaluate the editor. Since photos of the Editor are unable to be made available, this is supposed to be a clear-cut way to familiarize with the Editor.

The famous Love Songs Of Tagore translated into English from Bengali and recast in the true poetic form.


A Cover for The Love Songs of Tagore, in English

The musician in Tagore created so many beautiful songs in Bengali language but this gifted writer never bothered to write them either in English or to translate them. A few songs which already had been translated into English by Mr. Rabindranath Chowdhury were in prose though beautiful. A few of them were recast in the true poetic form by the Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. The most beautiful among them was Udbodhan, meaning Awakening in English. The above picture was created as a cover for this proposed book, 'The Love Songs Of Tagore.'

Lines and words may supplement each other.


Whoever Goes After A Serpent Shall Loose Its Nail And Will Have To Grieve

Lines and words supplement each other and sometimes common sense enough would be needed to to see through and understand the overall meaning and message of such combinations. Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books has put together a book including a hundred of such creations. It is titled 'Swan, The Intelligent Picture Book', a collection of single line drawings meant as a Brain Testner Series, assumed to be the first of its kind in the world. Pictures like these are meant as specimens to test a person to see how many things he can see at a glance. In whichever way the letters are styled or positioned, there certainly are quite a number of persons who can read everything within seconds.

Therefore I will sing at your door step, director.


Therefore I will sing at your doorstep, Director

Here is a Malayalam song, depicting the leisurely life in contemporary government service. Names of any persons, places or references to any incidents are purely fictitious, originated from the pure imagination of the author. They have no connection with any real incidents, characters or persons living or dead. This song is from the Malayalam musical album ‘The Hospital Window.’

A hand crafted song for a Malayalam Musical Album.


A song in the letter format in Malayalam

And here is another Malayalam song from another imaginary arena. Names of any persons, places or references to any incidents are purely fictitious. They are in no way connected to any real incidents, places or persons. If somebody finds any such allusion it is only incidental.

How can you analyze the handwriting of a person if he has many?


Advertisement for a Malayalam Book

Sometimes dozens of styles of handwritings can be and may be used in a single article. The above is a portion from such an article, actually a complaint, which was never used.

Pictures can cross barriers of nations and languages easily.


 

Please don't take things seriously. From Picture Book 'The Swan'

Do not take the things seen in these pages seriously. They are just meant to be laughed at and laughed about, to ease mind at times of distress and disinterest. They are used to serve as light diversions to serious literary criticisms published at this venue. A picture can suggest multiple things, often contrasting, sometimes absurd and at times thought-provoking. Pictures cross the barriers of nations and languages easily and do not need interpreters generally. Moreover they are the pleasantest form of recording history.

Corruption, and Bribery: The Asian Lubricants.


Song from Malayalam album Hospital Window. Page 1

Many years back a book titled ‘Corruption In India’ was published in which Bribery was described as the ‘Asian Lubricant.’ As years went by, quality and integrity of officers recruited into government service began to deteriorate considerably and government finally became quite incapable of making corruption impossible. In fact, more and more top-level government personnel, political power heads and bureaucratic echelons began to be put in prisons for corruption. Now it is even considered making some illegal income in addition to salaries is respectable. Those government officers who are committed to people and who keep back from involving in any kind of corruption are hunted by government and their subordinates like dogs in the manger. When politicians suddenly turn attention to a government institution, everyone now knows that great money is coming to that institution for some scheme. There are thousands of such examples in the government sector, a few of them horrible. Those who steal hundred thousands from public treasury are openly promoted as officers and those who remain loyal to principles are trampled down like worms.

It is only flies and bees that get entangled in the net of law. If an elephant falls on the net, it will go down with the net.



Song from Malayalam album Hospital Window. Page 2

Central governments in the Asian countries spend millions of public money on good schemes but the life of poor people in the states remains still miserable. Even when great scams and thefts are brought to day light by central investigation agencies and auditing agencies, the money lost is never recovered. It was recently estimated that petrol could be sold in India for 20 Rupees with the money involved in a single scam. A simple person who stands watching this for decades will be forced to tell things and that is what the person in the book 'The Hospital Window' does. He is casually lying in a hospital bed observing things there. It is when we have no money in our pockets that diseases come to us. And that is when we see the horrible face of bribery. And that is exactly when we wish to shatter and break this citadel of wrong doings.

Some films will never reach the silver screen.


Advertisement for the film The Lotus Band

Some films will never reach the silver screen for various reasons; the real story of why they did not reach the screen would most often be more thrilling than the actual story of the film. These two film posters and a few songs are what remain of such an unproduced film.

Jalaja Padma Raji means A Collection of Water-Born Lotus or 'The Lotos Band'.

 

A poster for the unproduced film The Lotos Band 

Jalaja, Padma and Raji are Malayalam girls' names. Jalaja means 'water born'. Padma means 'the Lotus'. Raji means 'a collection'. But 'Jalaja Padma Raji' combined in Sanskrit means 'a collection of water born lotus' or 'The Lotus Band'. When the name of this film was conceived someone asked who these Jalaja, Padma and Raji were and whether they were acting. The story of the book was brought out as a book in English as The Lotus Band and the songs were included in a musical album.

Which is the Question mark, which is the Ohm and which is the Placenta?


Which is the Question Mark, and which is the Ohm?

This picture is a page from 'Swan, The Intelligent Picture Book' which is a collection of similar simple single-line drawings. The viewer is asked to identify which is the Question mark, which is the Ohm and which is the Placenta and is expected to answer within a reasonable time.

What is the charge for publishing this advertisement?

 

What is the charge for this advertisement?

The above is a letter to a newspaper requesting to publish an advertisement. The line in Malayalam means: 'A beautiful advertisement. What is the charge for this advertisement may please be intimated to the address mentioned'.

So, do not take things seriously and laugh if you can.

 

When And How The World Began Just A Few Years Ago

So, perhaps you might have thought that the above pictures, posters and poems might be something into which have went some serious thoughts. Please don’t be misled. They are products from a kindergarten.




This page will continue through other little hand made articles.


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Pictures are from the archives of Sahyadri
Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum
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Tags

Art Works, Brain Teasers, Brain Tester Pictures, Brain Testers, Hand Crafted Articles, Hand Made Literature, Handwriting Analyzing, How Many Handwritings Can You Have, Jalaja Padma Raji Posters, P S Remesh Chandran, Pictures, Puzzles And Mysteries, Sahyadri Books And Bloom Books Trivandrum, Sahyadri Picture Syndicate, The Intelligent Picture Book, The Lotus Band, The Swan,



About the Author P. S. Remesh Chandran: 

Editor of Sahyadri Books & Bloom Books, Trivandrum. Author of several books in English and in Malayalam. And also author of Swan: The Intelligent Picture Book. Born and brought up in the beautiful village of Nanniyode in the Sahya Mountain Valley in Trivandrum, in Kerala. Father British Council trained English teacher and Mother University educated. Matriculation with distinction and Pre Degree Studies in Science with National Merit Scholarship. Discontinued Diploma studies in Electronics and entered politics. Unmarried and single. 

Author of several books in English and in Malayalam, mostly poetical collections, fiction, non fiction and political treatises, including Ulsava Lahari, Darsana Deepthi, Kaalam Jaalakavaathilil, Ilakozhiyum Kaadukalil Puzhayozhukunnu, Thirike Vilikkuka, Oru Thulli Velicham, Aaspathri Jalakam, Vaidooryam, Manal, Jalaja Padma Raaji, Maavoyeppoleyaakaan Entheluppam!, The Last Bird From The Golden Age Of Ghazals, Doctors Politicians Bureaucrats People And Private Practice, E-Health Implications And Medical Data Theft, Did A Data Mining Giant Take Over India?, Will Dog Lovers Kill The World?, Is There Patience And Room For One More Reactor?, and Swan, The Intelligent Picture Book. 

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/psremeshchandra.trivandrum
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSRemeshChandra
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+PSRemeshChandran
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bloombooks/videos
Blog: http://sahyadribooks-remesh.blogspot.com/
Site: https://sites.google.com/site/timeuponmywindowsill/
E-Mail: bloombookstvm@gmail.com
 
Post: P. S. Remesh Chandran, Editor, Sahyadri Books, Trivandrum, Padmalayam, Nanniyode, Pacha Post, Trivandrum- 695562, Kerala State, South India.