Studying literature offers a wide range of intellectual, emotional, and cultural benefits. While individual motivations for studying literature may vary, here is discussed why study of literature is singularly important. Why study literature? For many among us, literature is mainly a medium of entertainment, rather old fashioned today, being fastContinue Reading

In the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer follows the tradition of medieval estate satire to portray the characters. Following the tradition, Chaucer both relies on and exploits the medieval social and hierarchal stereotypes. In order to achieve the purpose of estates satire, Chaucer offers an ideal example of each estate andContinue Reading

Although the genre of the Canterbury Tales as a whole is a “frame narrative,” the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is an example of “Estates Satire,” a genre which satirizes the abuses that occur within the three traditional Estates into which medieval feudal society was traditionally divided. Referring to the hierarchal structure of the medieval society, theContinue Reading

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400) was an English poet, author, and diplomat, often called the “Father of English Literature.” He is best known for The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury. Written in Middle English, it showcased Chaucer’s skill in character development,Continue Reading

The development of Jane Eyre’s character is central to Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre. The novel charts the growth of Jane, the first-person narrator, from her unhappy childhood with her nasty relatives, the Reeds, to her blissful marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. Reading, education, and creativity are all essential componentsContinue Reading

The Full Text of “Kubla Khan”                                 Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment. 1   In Xanadu did Kubla Khan 2   A stately pleasure-dome decree: 3   Where Alph, the sacred river, ran 4   Through caverns measureless to man 5   Down to a sunless sea. 6   So twice fiveContinue Reading

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is one of the greatest luminaries in the literary firmament of India and Bengal. He was a novelist, poet, Essayist and journalist. He was the author of Vande (or Bande) Mataram, which inspired the freedom fighters of India, and was later declared the National Song of India.Continue Reading