The City Night Piece – Oliver Goldsmith

 

The City Night Piece – Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith, an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, poet, novelist, and playwright. The essay “The City Night Piece” is from his collected work The Citizen of the World’. He speaks through a Chinese traveler. The Chinese traveler going around the city at two o’clock mid-night witnesses wicked and terrible happenings. In this essay he records all the details of London city during mid-night. The ugly side of mid-night is revealed by him in a realistic way.

The candle lights have gone off and the night watchman on duty is found sleeping. The labourers are sleeping after their hard work. He finds only four classes of people who are awake at mid-night are the meditative, the guilty, the revelers and the desperate. The ever changing excessive pride of the riches that showed its manifestations during the day time is now found sleeping like a wayward child. Gloom hangs all around the city. The dead silent atmosphere is terrible for the traveler. On the way, he finds a dilapidated senate house where poisonous reptiles live. At some distance, he also finds the destroyed temples and drama theatres in a heap of ruins. He comes to the conclusion that all those past glory might have fallen for luxury and the greed of the then rulers.

The traveler’s eyes fall on the homeless wretches who sleep in the open streets. They are too humble to seek any remedy to overcome their poverty. There are a few to show mercy on them. The poor people have no proper covering on their body and some of them are very thin and afflicted with diseases or others. Most of them are almost naked and suffering from hunger. He notices the pathetic condition of females who were once flattered for their beauty by rich men are lying at the doors of their betrayers. The wretched villains are insensible to the distress of the women. It is clear that no relief will be provided to the destitute. The poor are born to bear the tyranny and suppression of the rich, says the philosophical author.

Finally the author reveals his own sensitive nature. His tender heartfelt much more wretched when it comes to understand that it has no capacity to relieve the poor from their sufferings. The author’s condition was also similar to the poor people of London when he wrote the essay. The autobiographical element runs throughout the essay.

Of Adversity - Francis Bacon

 

Of Adversity

Bacon begins the essay on adversity with a quotation from the Roman philosopher and tragedian, Seneca. In a memorable speech, Seneca expatiate that all good things like happiness, wealth etc. In one’s fate must be joyfully and gratefully received and enjoyed. At the same time, sorrows and sufferings dispensed by fate should also be accepted gracefully and with equanimity. During times of adversity, miracles do happen to completely neutralize the agony and angst caused by the mishap. It is God’s hand that brings the suffering, and it is His hand that brings the deliverance from it. Humans are powerless before Him.

     He cites the case of the great hero Hercules who released Prometheus from his chain. Prometheus was bound to Mt. Caucuses for stealing fire from Heaven and giving it to mankind. It was Hercules who liberated him. How much he must have suffered before he was able to release Prometheus. Greatness and Sufferings go together.

Prosperity and adversity come hand in hand in life. Through prosperity, we attain material comfort. But it is adversity that generates in us patience and fortitude which are essential for hero. He points out that while the Old Testament speaks of the rewards of pleasure and happiness promised by god to the faithful. In the New Testament, Christ praises the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor and suffering. Both are the gifts of God: Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament, and adversity is that of the New Testament.

 The sweetness tasted in adversity is certainly more to be welcomed than the misery experienced in prosperity. Bacon compares this to a bright needlework on a dark background which is more striking than a dark embroidery on a bright surface.

Finally, Bacon compares the happiness produced under the pressure of adversity to the fragrance that comes when a flower is crushed. Thus, Bacon asks us to face adversity with courage and  hopefulness.

The Pasture - Robert Frost

 

The Pasture  -  Robert Frost

The Pasture is a short poem written by Robert Frost, an American poet. The poem was published in 1914. The poem is about a farmer who invites his close companion to join him in the pasture for some chores. The poem delivers a powerful message about rebirth and the cyclical nature of life.

The farmer begins the poem by telling his intention to the companion that he is going to clean the pasture spring. It is spring time, and it is one of the many chores that he has to do. He also tells the companion that he going to rake the leaves away and to watch the water clear. He asks the companion to come along with him to see how he works.

In the next stanza, the farmer says that he is going to fetch the little calf which is out in the field with its mother. It is so young and totters when the cow licks it. He repeats the refrain that was used at the end of the first stanza at the end of the second stanza. He tells the companion that’ he shan’t be gone long’ and that the companion can ‘come too’.

These tasks feel to be quite peaceful and simple. They are also suggestive of the life that the farmer lives on the farm and his struggles and pleasures.

Of Truth – Francis Bacon

 

Of Truth – Francis Bacon

Introduction

Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) was an essayist, philosopher, scientist, orator and statesman. He is known as the ‘father of English essays’. He adapted the essay genre developed by Montaigne, a French writer who is regarded as the father of the Essay. His essay ‘Of Truth’ was first published in 1625, in “Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral”. This edition consists of 58 essays. The writing style of Francis Bacon is aphoristic. Bacon never includes his own life experience and observation. As a result, his essays are impersonal.

Bacon starts his essay with a reference to the crucial question of Pilate to Jesus Christ: “What is Truth?”  Pilate meant that truth is a term that cannot be precisely defined and so, as a judge he could not act upon the claim of Jesus that his mission was to propagate truth. While this is the real position, Bacon does not go into the question of truth at any depth. He merely observes that truth can be religious or speculative truth and civil truth which concern our everyday life. He points out that people in certain walks of life tell lies for achieving their goals. Poets tell lies to provide intellectual pleasure. Business men utter lies for material gain. But why do ordinary people choose lie? Because they are corrupt and developed a depraved taste for the lie.

Bacon compares truth to daylight and falsehood to candle light.  The first is clear but harsh. The second is vague but delightful. He also compares truth to a pearl which shines by daylight. He compares falsehood a diamond which glitters in multicolored lights.

Bacon emphasizes that enquiring into truth, is like making love, knowing the truth is like attaining the presence of the beloved and believing the truth is like enjoying the company of his beloved. He next points out that God first created the physical light which we perceive with the senses. His last creation was endowing man with the light of reason.

Bacon is aware that in certain occasions telling lies is unavoidable. Telling lies occasionally is like mixing copper with gold to make precious metal adaptable. He also compares falsehood to a snake that crawls crookedly on its stomach instead of standing foursquare like other animals. He quotes Montaigne who says that a liar is a coward towards other men and brave towards God. Bacon says that liars will be ultimately punished, because the Bible tells us that the Second Coming of Christ will be necessitated when people give up truth altogether. Thus Bacon presents both sides of the picture without any bias.