English Literature & Theology

 The Darkling Thrush" by Thomas Hardy  I leant upon a coppice gate  When Frost was spectre- grey,  And Winter’s dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day.  The tangled bine- stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres,  And all mankind that haunted nigh  Had sought their household fires. The land’s sharp features seemed to be The Century’s corpse outleant,  His crypt the cloudy canopy,  The wind his death-lament.  The ancient pulse of germ and birth  Was shrunken hard and dry,  And every spirit upon earth Seemed fervourless as I. At once a voice arose among  The bleak twigs overhead In a full-hearted evensong Of joy illimited;  An aged thrush, frail, gaunt and small,  In blast-beruffled plume,  Had chosen thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom. So little cause for carolings  Of such ecstatic sound  Was written on terrestrial things  Afar or nigh around,  That I could think...

  Bertolt Brecht THE BREAD OF THE PEOPLE Justice is the bread of the people Sometimes is plentiful, sometimes it is scarce Sometimes it tastes good, sometimes it tastes bad. When the bread is scarce, there is hunger. When the bread is bad, there is discontent. Throw away the bad justice Baked without love, kneaded without knowledge! Justice without flavour, with a grey crust The stale justice which comes too late! If the bread is good and plentiful The rest of the meal can be excused. One cannot have plenty of everything all at once. Nourished by the bread of justice The work can be achieved From which plenty comes. As daily bread is necessary So is daily justice. It is even necessary several times a day. From morning till night, at work, enjoying oneself. At work which is an enjoyment. In hard times and in happy times The people requires the plentiful, wholesome Daily bread of justice. Since the bread of justice, then, is so important Who, friends, shall bake it? Who bakes the oth...

  My Last Duchess  BY ROBERT BROWNING FERRARA That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall, Looking as if she were alive. I call That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands Worked busily a day, and there she stands. Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said “Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read Strangers like you that pictured countenance, The depth and passion of its earnest glance, But to myself they turned (since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you, but I) And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough For calling up that spot of joy. She had A heart—how shall I sa...

Principles of effective speech and presentation PRINCIPLES of speech and presentation.   1ST Principle: ARTICULATION   •This refers to the speaker’s skill in pronouncing the words of the speech since clear diction effectively transmits the message. This also means the act of vocal expression ;utterance or enunciation.   2nd Principle: VOICE MODULATION   •This refers to the speaker’s ability to adjust or manipulate the resonance and timbre of one’s voice. This also means the fine-tuning of the pitch or tone of voice that helps the audience clearly hear and understand the lecture, presentation, and speech delivered by a speaker.   Proper modulation gives life to a talk, stirs emotions, and motivates to action. Lack of modulation may give the impression that you have no real interest in your subject.   3rd Principle: STAGE PRESENCE   •This refers to the speaker’s ability to “own” the stage, filling it with one’s personality and...

 I, Too BY LANGSTON HUGHES I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America. Short summary and analysis  * “I, Too” is a poem by Langston Hughes. First published in 1926, during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, the poem portrays American racism as experienced by a black man. * “I, Too” is a cry of protest against American racism.  * Its speaker, a black man, laments the way that he is excluded from American society—even though he is a key part of it. * In the poem  the speaker argues that , black people have persevered—and will persevere—through the injustices of racism and segregation by developing a vibrant, beautiful, and independent cultural tradition, a cultural tradition so powerful t...

 Ozymandias  BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.”  Short summary and analysis  * The title “Ozymandias” refers to an alternate name of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. * In the poem, Shelley describes a crumbling statue of Ozymandias as a way to portray the transience of political power and to praise art's ability to preserve the past. * The poet narrate...

The Laboratory BY ROBERT BROWNING Now that I, tying thy glass mask tightly, May gaze thro’ these faint smokes curling whitely, As thou pliest thy trade in this devil’s-smithy— Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?    He is with her, and they know that I know Where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear Empty church, to pray God in, for them!—I am here.    Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste, Pound at thy powder,—I am not in haste! Better sit thus and observe thy strange things, Than go where men wait me and dance at the King’s.    That in the mortar—you call it a gum? Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come! And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue, Sure to taste sweetly,—is that poison too?    Had I but all of them, thee and thy treasures, What a wild crowd of invisible pleasures! To carry pure death in an earring, a casket, A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree ...

 Snake BY D. H. LAWRENCE A snake came to my water-trough On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat, To drink there.   In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob tree I came down the steps with my pitcher And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough             before me.   He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over             the edge of the stone trough And rested his throat upon the stone bottom, And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness, He sipped with his straight mouth, Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, Silently.   Someone was before me at my water-trough, And I, like a second-comer, waiting.   He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do, And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do, And flickered his two-f...

  Thou art indeed just, Lord,  BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS Thou art indeed just, Lord, if I contend With thee; but, sir, so what I plead is just. Why do sinners’ ways prosper? and why must Disappointment all I endeavour end?     Wert thou my enemy, O thou my friend, How wouldst thou worse, I wonder, than thou dost Defeat, thwart me? Oh, the sots and thralls of lust Do in spare hours more thrive than I that spend, Sir, life upon thy cause. See, banks and brakes Now, leavèd how thick! lacèd they are again With fretty chervil, look, and fresh wind shakes Them; birds build – but not I build; no, but strain, Time’s eunuch, and not breed one work that wakes. Mine, O thou lord of life, send my roots rain. Short summary and analysis  * The poem begins with the speaker using a line from the Bible, specifically Psalm 119. Through this passage, he asks God why everything he does comes to nothing, but that which nonbelievers do is successful. * "Thou art indeed just, Lord, if ...

 How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43) Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. Short summary and analysis  * “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” is a sonnet by the 19th-century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It is her most famous and best-loved poem, having first appeared as sonnet 43 in her collection "Sonnets from the Portuguese" (1850).  * The poem “How Do I Love ...

 Death be not proud  By John Donne  Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou'art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. Short summary and analysis  * In this poem the speaker directly addresses a personified death, telling it not to be arrogant just because some people find death scary and intimidating but according to the poet - death is neither of these things because people don’t really die...

  Developing Vocabulary Vocabulary refers to the collection of words that a person knows and uses. Vocabulary development is the process of acquiring new words.   Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary   1. Develop a reading habit : Vocabulary building is easiest when you encounter words in context. Seeing words appear in a novel or a newspaper article can be far more helpful than seeing them appear on vocabulary lists. Not only do you gain exposure to unfamiliar words; you also see how they’re used.   2. Use the dictionary and thesaurus : Online dictionaries and thesauruses are helpful resources if used properly. They can jog your memory about synonyms that would actually be better words in the context of what you’re writing. A full dictionary definition can also educate you about antonyms, root words, and related words, which is another way to learn vocabulary.   3. Play word games : Classic games like Scrabble and Boggle can function as a fun way ...

  Intonation   & Voice modulation Voice Modulation is one of the most important aspects of public speaking. It is the act of adjusting the pace, pitch, highlighting important words (emphasis), pausing, and intonation to convey the intended message with impact.   It can be the difference between sounding confident and sounding nervous. When you're speaking in front of an audience, you want to project confidence. This means speaking with a clear, strong voice, but you also don't want to sound like you're shouting. That's where voice modulation comes in.   Here are a few different ways to modulate your voice:   1. Pace : “Pace” is an important element of public speaking. It can be used to control the flow of information and the overall tempo of your presentation.   When you are speaking in front of an audience, it is important to be aware of the pace of your delivery. If you speak too quickly, you may lose your audience's attention. On th...

  Use of persuading words Free : If you think "free" is sleazy and overused, think again. People love free, plain and simple. You can give practically anything away for free, no matter how small, and you'll grab people's attention.   2. Exclusive : Everyone want to be in the "in" crowd. When you make your product exclusive -- only available to a select group -- you make people want it even more. You can exchange the word exclusive with other words or phrases -- members only, invitation only, first, insider -- everyone will still want in.   3. Easy : People will grab more when they are persuaded that the usage of the product is easy.   4 . Limited : When the products are announced with the tagline “limited” there will be another level of crowd.   5. Guaranteed : With so much fraud in the world today, authenticity is a legitimate concern your customers have. Using the right words can give them the reassurance they need to pull the trigger.

  Polite sentences  & words Politeness is having or showing behavior that is respectful and considerate of other people. Please : This one is a no-brainer for most of us, as it's typically one of the first words we learn. It's central to good manners and should be used all day, every day. Need someone to pass the gravy? Please. Requesting a response or making a request? Please. Using this word regularly is etiquette rule number one.   Thank You : If not tied for first place, "thank you" is certainly etiquette rule number two. Beyond expressing gratitude, it's also a nice way to soften a "no" when declining anything from a passed hors d'oeuvre to an informal invitation. Plus, there are also self-serving benefits to practicing gratitude (which is inseparable from using the phrase "thank you"): It's scientifically proven to be linked to better mental health.   I'm Sorry : This shouldn't be a default replacement for ...

Fluency & Etiquettes Fluency is a habit : The skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are nothing more than habits formed over time. The problem is that most learners develop habits that stop them from becoming strong communicators. One such habit is listening to unnatural-sounding dialogues on English language learning TV and radio programs. Another is studying lists of vocabulary words.     Learn like natives : Most students learn English though their native language. This is why they often have to translate in their heads before speaking. To understand native English speakers and speak automatically, start by consuming native English content that’s appropriate for your ability level.   Culture is essential : A language is more than nouns, verbs and adjectives. If you do not also understand a community’s myths, pop culture references, stories and jokes, you will miss much of what’s being said.   Study words together : English phrases –  – are...