Discuss Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Proposal’ as a one – act play

Q: Discuss Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Proposal’ as a one – act play.

A:        A one – act play is a comparatively modern form of drama which became popular towards the end of the nineteenth century. It has a small canvas. It generally concentrates on a single episode or situation and characters are limited in number.

          ‘The proposal’, originally written in Russian, is a famous one – act play by Anton Chekhov. Here he concentrates on a single issue of the marriage proposal of Lomov to Natalya, Chubukov’s daughter. Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov are the only three characters. The play advances rapidly and ends abruptly.

           Chekov presents a single point of satire in a genial tone. There is no complication on plot. The focus is on situation, specially the marriage proposal. There is no story to plot, no climax to be reached and no final unraveling of the plot. To make a point Chekhov uses comedy and through laughter highlights the absurdity of a prevalent practice. Hence, ‘The Proposal’ is a perfect one – act play.

Comment on the appropriateness of the title of ‘The Proposal’

Q: Comment on the appropriateness of the title of ‘The Proposal’. OR, Discuss the marriage proposal in the one – act play ‘The Proposal’.

A:       Anton Chekhov’s one – act play ‘The Proposal’ is a play where farce is used to laugh at the society that believed marriage would bring about economic stability. All the characters are influenced by the marriage proposal.

          Lomov, aged about 35, is desperate for a wife. Natalya is unable to find her man and Chubukov wants Natalya, his daughter, to be married soon. Hearing lomov’s proposal Chubukov is overwhelmed. But before direct proposal to Natalya, Lomov allows himself to be side – tracked into arguments with Natalya over land and their hunting dogs. Later, after listening about Lomov’s proposal Natalya demands her father to get Lomov back and eventually the proposal was successfully complemented.

          Marriage during Chekhov’s time is only a convenient business deal more than anything else. It really does not matter if the two individuals involved ars of different temperaments or held different opinions or loved each other. Lomov comes to ask for Natalya’s hand in marriage but later he admits that he is not in love with her but he wants to marry her for economic and social stability. Chubukov is the business like father who considers his daughter a liability and wants her daughter’s maximum gain through marriage.

          Hence, marriage proposal is the central theme of the drama and the title is appropriate.

Discuss the role of Lomov - The Proposal

Q: Discuss the role of Lomov.

A:    Lomov is one of the central protagonists in Anton Chekhov’s one – act play ‘The Proposal’. He is in mid – thirties and desperate for a wife. Lomov, a neighbor of Chubukov, is large and hearty but very suspicious landowner.

          Lomov is an interesting character. He feels society’s pressure to get married and is not marrying because he truly loves Natalya. He also thinks that he has several illness – most of them are imaginary. He is nervous too. He spends sleepless nights owing to insomnia.

          Lomov is egoistic. Although he comes to propose marriage, he allows himself to be side – tracked into arguments over land and their hunting dogs. He is unpredictable in his decision and ridiculous in his decision but he is successful to achieve his goal.

Discuss the character of Natalya - The Proposal

Q: Discuss the character of Natalya. OR, Discuss the role of Natalya.

A:    Natalya is one of the three characters in Anton Chekhov’s one - act play ‘The Proposal’.

          Natalya Stepanovna, the 25 year old daughter of Chubukov is good looking, well educated and accomplished in household works. She is a love - sick cat and marriageable daughter who is in search of her man.

          Before proposal, when Lomov becomes argumentative with Natalya over a land, she suspects that Lomov has come to talk about Oxen Meadows. So she becomes furious and finally turns Lomov out.

          Later Natalya learns from her father that Lomov came to beg her hand in marriage and being hysteric she forces her old father top fetch Lomov.

          Later Natalya indulges her in another dispute with Lomov over the superiority of Squeezer to Guess. Love - sick yet materialistic, Natalya ultimately unites with Lomov through a hasty marriage.

What were the answers to the three question of the Tsar? - Three Questions

Q: What were the answers to the three question of the Tsar?

A:    Once a certain Tsar wanted to know three question to be successful in life. He wanted to know the most important time; the most important person and the most important thing to do. He proclaimed reward for getting answers. All learned men came to the Tsar but none of them gave satisfactory answers. So the Tsar disguised himself and went to a hermit renowned for his wisdom to get answer.

          After reaching there, he asked the hermit all three questions. But the hermit gave no answer. The Tsar even dug two seed beds for the frail hermit and repeated the questions but got no reply. Then the sudden turn of events took place. A man, injured and bleeding, rushed up to the Tsar who attended to his wounds and recovered him with the help of the hermit. Finally, it was discovered that the wounded man was the Tsar’s enemy and wanted to kill him. But he became a friend of the Tsar as he had saved his life.

          Before leaving the hermit’s hut, the Tsar prayed him for the last time to get his answer. Then the hermit declared that the most important time was the present; the most important person was one with whom he was right then; and the most important thing was to do him good. Thus the hermit satisfied him.  

The Poetry of Earth - Substance

Q: Write the substance of the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’. OR, Discuss ‘The Poetry of Earth’ as a sonnet.

A:     Sensuous romantic poet Keats, in his sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’ has used music as a symbol of poetry. The music of the earth never ceases. It is a continuous celebration through the cycle of seasons.

          In the octave, Keats presents the music of summer in the voice of Grasshopper. In summer, when the birds become exhausted owing to the scorching rays of the sun and take rest in the shadowy trees, a song is still heard. The song runs from hedge to hedge in the meadow, where the grass has been newly cut. It is the Grasshopper, who takes the lead in summer enjoyment. His delight never comes to an end. Having been tired of playing he rests beneath some pleasant grasses.

          But the song of nature never ceases. In the sestet, he presents the music of winter in the song of the Cricket. On a quiet evening of winter, when the frost has silenced other voices of the country – side, from behind the fire – place there sounds the chirping of the cricket. To one who is sitting over the fire, half asleep, it seems to be a continuation of the Grasshopper’s song on the grassy hills.

“She was completely blind.” – Explain the irony - The Eyes Have It

Q: “She was completely blind.” – Explain the irony.

A:       In an irony there is a difference between reality and appearance.

          The above line was cited by a new co – passenger to the narrator in Ruskin Bond’s short story ‘The Eyes Have It’.

          A girl got into / entered the train at Rohana during his train journey. The narrator was totally blind at that time and his eyes were sensitive only to light and darkness. He felt her presence through hearing voice and even the sound of her slippers.

          Then the narrator started to converse with the girl concealing his blindness in every possible way as he thought that the girl had a normal eyesight. The narrator pretended to study the landscape. He gave an account of lovely scenic beauty of Mussoorie and remarked about the interesting face of the girl. After the departure of the girl at Saharanpur, the narrator came to know from a new co – passenger that the girl was totally blind. It was the ironical situation as it was the opposition of reality and appearance. 

What was Kalam’s father’s response to his son’s query about prayer and spirituality? - Strong Roots

Q: What was Kalam’s father’s response to his son’s query about prayer and spirituality?

A: Dr. Kalam, at his young age, asked his father Jainulabdeen about the relevance of prayer and spirituality.

He told Kalam that there was nothing mysterious about prayer. It made possible a communion of the spirit between people. According to him, at the time of prayer, one transcends his body and become a part of cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, caste or creed.

Kalam’s father conveyed complex spiritual concepts in very simple down – to – earth Tamil. He looked upon every human being as a specific element wiyhin the whole of manifest divine being. He thought adversity always presents opportunities for introspection. He also printed out the two fold vision of destiny. (Those are the fundamental truths revealed by Kalam’s father to him.)

This attitude to spirituality had a great influence on young Kalam. It gave him strange energy and enthusiasm. In his layer life when Kalam faced adversities, he did never give in. He tried to overcome the failure with a great faith and confidence learned from his father.

What does the poet compare the young person to? - Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day

Q: What does the poet compare the young person to? Identify at least three qualities that make the person superior to the simile.

A: William Shakespeare, in his Sonnet 18, compares his young friend to summer. But he declares that his young friend is superior to summer.

The poet’s friend has some striking qualities. First of all, his friend is more lovely and temperate than summer.

Secondly, summer is not always pleasant. Sometimes it becomes too hot and sometimes it becomes overclouded. The rough west wind destroys the darling buds of May.

Thirdly, the poet’s friend’s beauty is eternal whereas the summer’s beauty is transient since Nature grants summer a short and limited span of life. Hence the summer is subject to chances and changes.

All these qualities of the poet’s friend make him superior to summer.

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? - Substance

Q: Write the substance of the poem ‘Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?’.

A:      Shakespeare in his ‘Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?’ pays a tribute to the beauty of his young friend. At first, the poet is not sure how to describe his friend’s beauty adequately. According to the poet, it would be inapt to compare the beauty of his friend to a summer’s day because his beauty is more moderate and lovely. 

          Moreover the beauty of his friend is not without blemishes. The sweet buds of May are blown down by rough winds. The summer is short lived too. The sun sometimes shines too hot and sometimes it is overclouded. So the summer is subject to chances and changes and is deprived of adornment.

          Every beautiful thing or human being is subject to death, decay and destruction. The loss may occur about by an accident, nature’s neglect or with the passage of time. But the poet wants to immortalize his friend’s beauty. So he thinks of a literary immortality through his verse. Eternal lines of his verse would make eternal summer of the poet’s friend’s beauty denying Death and Time. The poet considers that the youth’s beauty, captured in the poem, will remain forever as long as the poem is read.   

Discuss Shakespeare’s Time and Love theory in reference to Sonnet No. 18

Q: Discuss Shakespeare’s Time and Love theory in reference to Sonnet No. 18.

A:      Shakespeare, in his Sonnet 18, ‘Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?’ captures forever the beauty of his young friend in the very form of poem. In this sonnet, he explores the ravages of time, the brevity of life, beauty and love and the timelessness of poetry.

          Time devours all. It can strike the darling buds of May. Summer too is very short. Summer with which the poet’s friend’s beauty is compared, also fleets with the passage of time. Even, every fare thing is subject to death, decay and destruction. So, the poet’s friend’s beauty would also decrease. But Shakespeare wanted to immortalize his friend’s beauty. So he thought of a literary immortality through his verse.

          In the third quatrain of Sonnet 18, he bestows ‘unchangeability’ to the young friend through poetry. In the couplet, the poet underlines eternal beauty of the young man through the eternal beauty of the young man through the eternal lines of his verse. Since his friend’s beauty is captured in the poetry, it will only grow through poetry rather than vanish in the shadow of death.

Thus Shakespeare triumphs over the agonizing consciousness of Time by a convincing assertion of Time by poetic creativity.

On Killing a Tree - Substance

Q: Write the substance of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’.

A:       Gieve Patel’s ‘On Killing a Tree’ can be read at two levels: the first, of the meticulous task of killing a tree; the second, the perversity and tragedy of the action, that man should systematically destroy the environment.

          A sense of irony is established at the very outset of the poem indicating that killing of a tree is not a very simple task. Only knife’s jab is not enough to serve that purpose as the tree has grown slowly getting its nourishment from the earth, absorbing sunlight, air and water for years.

          Hacking, chopping or much pain would not be able to kill the tree as the bleeding bark would heal again and curled green twigs and miniature boughs would expand again to former size if it is unchecked.

          In order to kill a tree, the firm roots have to be entirely pulled out from the earth – cave by roping and tying. The total destruction of the roots will ensure the killing of the tree because nourishment being cut off, the living tree dries up, the cells gradually die and it is dead. Thus the systematic destruction of the tree is accomplished.

Asleep in The Valley - Substance

Q: Write the substance of the poem ‘Asleep in The Valley’.

A:    Arthur Rimbaud, the boy poet, in his antiwar poem ‘Asleep in The Valley’ has depicted the pity of war by using the sonnet form. In a perfect lyric, the poet has set up a picture – perfect background. A slow stream flows in a small green valley leaving silvery shore on the bright grass. The sun beams from the mountain top fill the hollow place.

          A young soldier is sleeping having been open – mouthed. He has kept his hand on a fern – pillow stretching his body on bushes and plants. He is looking pale in his green sun soaked bed.

The child like innocent soldier is sleeping blissfully keeping his feet among the flowers. Nature is keeping him warm else he may catch cold.

          The humming insect will not disturb him in his eternal sleep as the soldier is actually dead, having been killed by bullet.

Thus the whole poem comes to the end with a rude shock expressing the futility of war.