AGE OF CHAUCER N CANTERBURY TALES

HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE PART 1

OF TRUTH by Bacon

OF TRUTH: A CRITICAL APPRECIATION

“OF TRUTH” is the indicative of the greatness of Bacon's mind and art. Having philosophic and pragmatic bias of mind, Bacon shares with us the astonishing aspects of truth. In this essay, Bacon has presented the objective truth in various manifestations. Similarly, Bacon shares with us the subjective truth, operative in social life. “OF TRUTH”, reveals Bacon in different light because he shows his moralistic leaning than his prudential attitude. However, the tone of this essay is Bacon's usual tone, authoritative.

“OF TRUTH” is Bacon's masterpiece that shows his keen observation of human beings with special regard to truth. In the beginning of the essay, Bacon rightly observes that generally people do not care for truth as Pilate, the governor of the Roman Empire, while conducting the trial of Jesus Christ, cares little for truth:
"What is truth? Said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer."

Advancing his essay, Bacon explores the reasons why the people do not like truth. First, truth is acquired through hard work and man is ever reluctant to work hard. Secondly, truth curtails man's freedom. More than that the real reason of man's disliking to truth is that man is attached to lies which Bacon says "a natural though corrupt love of the lie itself." Man loves falsehood because, Bacon says, truth is as if the bright light of the day and would show what men, in actual, are. They look attractive and colourful in the dim light of lies. In this respect, Bacon rightly observes:

"A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure."

It is a fact that man prefers to cherish illusions, which make his life more interesting. With a profound observation of man's psychology, Bacon states that if deprived of false pride and vanities, the human mind would contract like a deflated balloon and these human beings would become poor, sad and ill. However, poetic untruth is not gone unnoticed by Bacon's piercing intellect. He says though poetic untruth is a wine of the Devil in priest's eyes, yet it is not as harmful as the other lies are. Bacon being a literary artist illustrates this concept with an apt imagery that the poetic untruth is but the shadow of a lie.

Proving himself highly moralistic person, Bacon deems the inquiry of truth as the highest good of human nature as he observes:
".... the inquiry of truth, which is the lovemaking or  wooing of it, knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it and the belief  of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign good of human nature."

The enquiry of truth, knowledge of truth and belief of truth are compared with the enjoyment of love. Such a comparison lends the literary charm to this essay.

Bacon further says in “OF TRUTH” that the last act of creation was to create rational faculty, which helps in finding truth, is the finished product of God's blessing as he says:

"... The last was the light of reason...is the illumination of his spirit."

Bacon's moral idealism is obvious when he advancing his argument in favour of truth asserts that the earth can be made paradise only with the help of truth. Man should ever stick to truth in every matter, do the act of charity and have faith in every matter, do the act of charity and have faith in God. Bacon's strong belief in truth and Divinity is stated thus:

"Certainly, it is heaven upon earth, to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in Providence, and turn upon the poles of truth."

From the objective truth, Bacon passes judgment, to the subjective truth, which he calls "the truth of civil business". It is the compelling quality of truth, Bacon observes, that the persons who do not practice truth, acknowledge it. Bacon's idealistic moral attitude is obvious in these lines when he says: "..... that clear and round dealing is  the  honour  of  man's  nature; and that mixture of falsehood is like alloy in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work better, but it embaseth it."

Bacon further asserts that the liars are like a snake that goes basely upon the belly and not upon the feet. Imagery comprising comparison is apt and convincing. Moreover, Bacon refers to Montaigne who is of the view that "a lie faces God and shrinks from man". Bacon adds that falsehood is the height of wickedness and as such will invite the Judgment of God upon all human beings on Doom's day. Therefore, Bacon concludes his essay with didacticism with a tinge of Christian morality.

In the essay, “OF TRUTH”, there is no digression. All the arguments in the essay pertain to the single main idea, truth. Bacon's wide learning is clearly observed when he refers to Pilate (history), Lucian (Greek literature), Creation, Montaigne (a French essayist). “OF TRUTH” is enriched with striking similes and analogies, such as he equates liars as a snake moving basely on its belly, mixture of falsehood is like an alloy of gold and silver and many more.

The essay “OF TRUTH” is not ornamental as was the practice of the Elizabethan prose writers. Bacon is simple, natural and straightforward in his essay though Elizabethan colour is also found in “OF TRUTH” because there is a moderate use of Latinism in the essay. Economy of words is found in the essay not alone, but syntactic brevity is also obvious in this essay. We find conversational ease in this essay, which is the outstanding feature of Bacon's style. There is a peculiar feature of Bacon i.e. aphorism. We find many short, crispy, memorable and witty sayings in this essay.    

Therefore, Bacon's essay “OF TRUTH” is rich in matter and manner. This is really a council 'civil 
and moral'. This essay has to be read slowly and thoughtfully because it is extremely condensed and it is a model of succinct and lucid prose.

POETRY 1 SUPPLIMENTARY PU LAHORE 2017/S

POETRY 1 SUPPLIMENTARY  PU LAHORE 2017/S

Q1.      Explain with reference to the context any three of the following.

a)         Meanwhile the winged Heralds, by command

            Of Sovran power, with awful ceremony

            And trumpet’s sound throughout the host proclaim

            A solemn council forthwith to be held

            Of Satan and his peers.

b)         And yet he was but easy of dispense

            He kept that he was in pestilence

            For gold in physic is a cordial

            Therefore he loved gold in special

c)         He spoke; the spirit from the sails descend

            Some third the mazy ringlets of her hair;

With beating hearts the dire event they wait,

Anxious, and trembling for the Birth of Fate

d)         More subtle than the parent is

            Love must not be, but take a body too,

And therefore what thou wert, and who,

I bid love asked, and now

e)         It was no dream, for I lay broad awaking,

But all is turned now, through my gentleness,

Into a bitter fashion of forsaking

And i have leave to go of her goodness

Q2.      Chaucer’s characters are medieval as well as modern. Discuss with reference Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.

Q3.      Milton deals with the complex theme of bringing a balance between good and bad with reference to your reading Milton.

Q4.      Is done a misogynist? Give your opinion.

Q5.      “To make a trivial episode into a epic theme and to treat the social customer of England with an assumed epic seriousness is the hallmark of Pope as a poet in mock” Do you agree? Elaborate your answer.

Q6.      Discuss the thematic concerns in Wyatt OR Surrey.

Q7.      Write a critical appreciation of the following poems.

PROSE PU LAHORE SPECIAL EXAM RIYADH 2017

PROSE     PULAHORE SPECIAL EXAM RIYADH 2017

Q1.         Critically evaluate “Of Friendship” in Bacon.

Q2.         Swift is a misanthrope. Prove or refute the statement.

Q3.         What, according to Russell, is the future of mankind and how can it be improved?

Q4.         Discuss the binary of “us” and “them” is said.

Q5.         How, according to Heaney, can poetry redress?

Q6.         Discuss Bacon’s views on Superstitions.

Q7.         Discuss the prose style of Russell.

PAST PAPER PROSE 2017/A N SUPPLEMENTARY 2017

PAST PAPER  PROSE 2017/A N SUPPLEMENTARY 2017

PROSE 2017/A

PROSE 2017/S

PAST PAPER PROSE 2017/S

PAST PAPER PROSE 2017/S

PAST PAPER POETRY 2 A/2016

PAST PAPER POETRY 2  A/2016

https://literaturesheikh.blogspot.com/2018/07/past-paper-2016-annual-poetry.html

HEART OF DARKNESS SIGNIFICANCE

RAPE OF THE LOCK text line 445 onwards in urdu/hindi

HEART OF DARKNESS SIGNIFICANCE

LETS LEARN QURAN WITH GRAMMAR PART 3

LETS LEARN QURAN WITH GRMMAR IN AN EASY WAY PART 1

Canterbury tales, Quotes

"Where there are monk and priest there is adultery and beating"
"The mullahs and monks they must worship you instead of empty room0
"A monk was a fair for the moistre ,an outridere that lovede venerie(hunting)"
"Weakness of attitude become weakness of characters"
About prioress" wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe that no drop ne fille upon.her breast"
About monk"Darkness is a kind of visual silence and monk love it"