IGNORANT

 

          IGNORANT

            An ignorant person lacks knowledge or information about something. He is seldom liked anywhere.

There are lots of pleasant and unpleasant synonyms of the word ignorant. Some of these are: unaware of, unfamiliar with, unconversant with, unacquainted with, unconscious of, uninformed about, unenlightened about, inexperienced in , blind to, naïve about, uneducated, illiterate, stupid, ill-mannered, crude, vulgar, insensitive, etc.

            All said and done, it is not a virtue to be ignorant. An ignorant man is uncomfortable in every society. He may create occasions for anger, hatred, repulsion, quarrelsomeness and even bloody fight.

            The English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616) said: Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. “

 It is another way of saying knowledge is power.

An other thinker claims that it is better to be a beggar than ignorant; for a beggar only wants money, but an ignorant person wants humanity.

            According to the English poet Alexander Pope 1688-1744 “There never was any party, faction, sect, or cabal whatsoever, in which the most ignorant were not the most violent; for a bee is not a busier animal than a blockhead. “

            Pope also said in one of his maxims: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Finally, one of the most positive quotes about ignorance  by the English poet and classical scholar Thomas Gray (1716-1771) reads as follows :

”Where ignorance is bliss ‘tis folly to be wise. “

                                                **********

G.R.Kanwal

10 September 2024

 

BRAVERY

 

          BRAVERY

‘Bravery’ is both a physical and moral trait. If you show the strength  to fight with your opponent or enemy physically, you display physical bravery. But if you fearlessly expose a dishonest man that he is dishonest and get him arrested legally, you express your moral courage.

Some synonyms of bravery are: courage, daring, fearlessness, fortitude, gallantry, grit, heroism, mettle, spirit, valour, boldness, audacity, guts, nerve, etc.

A brave person is one who is willing to do things which are difficult, dangerous and painful and is not afraid of the consequences.   

The phrase “Brave New World’ is used to refer, often ironically, to a new and hopeful period in history resulting from major changes in society.

In the famous classic of the English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)  Brave New World  (Pubished in 1932) “individuality is forbidden and the World State revolves around science and efficiency. In this new society emotions and individuality are conditioned out of children at a young age and there are no lasting relationships”

French General Francis de La Noue (1531-91) said: The bravery founded on hope of recompense, fear of punishment, , experience of success, on rage, or on ignorance of danger , is not common bravery, and does not deserve the name,--True bravery proposes a just end; measures the dangers, and meets the result with calmness and unyielding decision. “   

Finally, this famous quote: One man with courage makes majority.

G.R.Kanwal              **********

9^th September 2024

 

HUMILITY

 

HUMILITY

Humility is defined as the quality of not thinking that you are better than other people.  It is also the quality of thinking that you are not as important as others.

Some common synonyms of humility are ---- modesty, meekness, self-effacement, unpretentiousness and unobtrusiveness.

Humility is a spiritual virtue. It generates love and affection, companionship and friendliness. Arrogance becomes the cause of estrangement  and repulsion.

Humility wins friends; arrogance loses them.

It is true to say that to be humble is to make a right estimate of one’s self. The French critic Nicolas Boilleau (1636-1711) said: There is but one road to lead us to God ----humility; all other ways would only lead astray; even   were they fenced in with all virtues.“

According to the English clergy William Mountford (1816-1885) : It is from out of the depths of our humility that the height of destiny looks grandest. Let me truly feel that in myself I am nothing  and at once , through every inlet of my soul , God comes in , and is everything in me.

The Persian poet Sheikh Saadi Shirazi (12o9/10---1291/92?)  thinks that the beloved of the Almighty are the rich who have the humility of the poor , and the poor who have the magnanimity of the rich.

Finally, some of the best quotes on the subject are: “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” True humility is intelligent self-respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be, “  

                                    ************

G.R.Kanwal

8^th September 2024  

 

A V A R I C E

A V A R I C E

‘Avarice’ is defined as extreme desire for wealth. Its exact or approximately exact synonyms are: greed, acquisitiveness, covetousness, materialism, selfishness, self-interest, meanness and miserliness. Whereas greed is difficult to control , avariciousness is almost impossible to get rid of. Consequently, it is dangerous. It goes on becoming limitless.

Fictional stories bearing the title : How Much Land Does A Man Need and   The Golden Touch are a couple of examples  of stupid and fatal greed.   

            It is not only individuals whose greed-based desires get enhanced with age but also whole countries and nations. The Acquisitive Society Published in 1950 and written by R.H.Tawney is a classic in which the author criticizes the selfish individualism of modern industrial societies. According to editorial reviews of this book R.H.Tawney argues that capitalism corrupts via the promotion of economic self-interest, leading to aimless production in response to greed and insatiable acquisitiveness.

            According to the English poet Abraham Cowley (1618-67)  : “Poverty wants some things, luxury many, avarice all things.”

Another English author Daniel Defoe (1661-1731) says: “All the good things of the world are no further good to us than as they are of use; and of all we may heap up we enjoy only as much as we can use, and no more.”

The Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.) has this to say  : “Avarice, in old age, is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to  increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey’s end? “

               Finally, here is a great quote to remember:  There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontentment. And there is no greater disaster than greed.

G.R.Kanwal

7 September 2024                                                 *******

 

 

FUNCTIONS OF TEACHERS

 

FUNCTIONS OF TEACHERS

There is nothing which lies outside the functions of teachers. Their domain consists of imparting knowledge, cultivating skills, forming attitudes, developing values, building character, providing enlightenment, producing wisdom, etc.

Mothers are the first and incomparable teachers of children all over the world.

Teaching is the profession of educationists and education is not stagnant. Its scope, methodology and infrastructure change and expand rapidly.

Teachers are not totally free to adopt their functions. By and large, they are bound by the curricula and techniques formulated by their societies or states.

In one of his Unpopular Essays published in1950,, British mathematician, philosopher and public intellectual Bertrand Russell says: “In former days a teacher was expected to be a man of exceptional knowledge or wisdom, to whose words men would do well to attend. In antiquity, teachers were not an organized profession, and no control was exercised over what they taught. It is true they were punished afterwards for their subversive doctrines. Socrates was put to death and Plato is said to have been thrown into prison, but such incidents did not interfere with the spread of their doctrines. “

In modern times, education has become one of the biggest professions with an astounding number of schools, colleges and universities with all sorts of general and professional subjects all over the world.

Finally, according to Russell, in modern times : “Teachers are more than any other class the guardians of civilization. They should be intimately aware of what civilization is., and desirous of imparting a civilized attitude to their pupils.”                            *********

G.R.Kanwal

6 September 2024

 

  

TEACHERS DAY

 

TEACHERS DAY

            Today is 5^th September. It was on this day that Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in 1888. His death occurred in 1975. He was an Indian statesman, distinguished author, great philosopher of comparative religion and pre-eminent academic.  He served as the second President of India from 1962 t0 1967. Bharat Ratna was one of the many awards he received in India and abroad. It was he who suggested to his students that his birthday should be dedicated to honouring all the teachers.     

            Quoted below on this occasion is  A LETTER FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON’S TEACHER. The writer was then the President of America (1861-1865). What he has written in this letter is the summary of an ideal teacher’s functions  which are relevant for centuries to come.

“My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that notably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.

….teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. ….Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with people, tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can ---how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give him time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tell him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowds when everyone else  is doing it. ………

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind and God.

Abraham Lincoln closes his letter with the following words:

“This is the order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.”

                                                            ***********

G.R.Kanwal

5 September 2024

FATE

 

                    FATE

‘Fate’ is defined as the power that is believed to control everything that happens and that cannot be stopped or changed. Since fate refers to future events, it cannot be known in advance. The English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744) says: Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate. Followers of several religions believe that the fate or destiny of every person is pre-written at the time of his birth. Astrologers make horoscopes about it, be they correct or incorrect.

Mythologically, there are Three Fates: Lachesis (that assigns a person’s destiny), Clotho that spins the thread of life) and Atropos (that cuts he thread of life).

Synonyms of fate are listed as: Providence , God’s will, nemesis, luck , pre-destination, pre-determination, chance, astral influence, one’s lot in life; the stars.

Karma theory believes in “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Science believes in cause and effect theory.

Some poets declare that man is the architect of his own fate.

The English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) has this to say about fate: “Our wills and fates do so contrary run, that our devices still are overthrown; our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own.”

Literary critics find that fate does not play a similarly critical role in the tragic conclusion of each play written by Shakespeare.

Finally, here are three famous quotes about fate:

1.“Fate is not the ruler, but the servant of Providence.—Edward George -Bulwer-Lytton, English novelist (1803-73).     

2.“ Fate is the friend of the good, the guide of the wise, the tyrant of the foolish, the enemy of the bad. –W. R. Alger, American clergy (1822-1905).

3. 2.A strict belief in fate is the worst kind of slavery; on the other hand there is comfort in the thought that God will be moved by our prayers, ---Epicurus, German philosopher (342-270 B.C..

                                                            ***********

G.R.Kanwal

4^th September 2024

 

EARLY RISING

 

          EARLY RISING

Early-risers are gainers; late-risers are losers. The formers are healthy, wealthy and wise; the latter are not equally so. There is a centuries old proverb: The early bird catches the worm.” This proverb is also abbreviated as “An Early Worm.” It means that someone will have an advantage if he/she does something immediately or before other people do it.

            The minimum benefits of early rising are: availability of fresh air which is essential for disease-free health; increased work output; mental alertness; lower stress and opportunity for offering prayers to God.

            Those who rise early get time to watch natural beauties.  These are the blowing of un-polluted air, the spotless sky, the chirpings of birds, the scene of sun- rising, the rare silence of the new day, and the opportunity for morning walk which is essential for good health.

            The English poet laureate Robert Southey (1774-1843) said : “Whoever has tasted he breath of morning, knows that the most invigorating and delightful hours of the day are commonly spent in bed, though it is the evident intention of nature that we should profit by them.”

            According to the English cleric , writer and collector Charles  Caleb Colton (1780-1832) : “Early rising not only gives us more life in the same number of years, but adds, likewise, to their number; and not only enables us to enjoy more of existence in the same time, but increases also the measure.”

            Finally, this short quote: Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it,” --- English academic Richard Whately (1787-1863).

                                                            *************

G.R.Kanwal

3^rd September 2024

 

              

EXPECTATIONS

 

                   EXPECTATIONS

‘Expectations’ are future hopes, prospects, speculations, calculations, presumptions, beliefs, assurances, assumptions, conjectures, etc. They are always there. Whatever we do, we do with one or more expectation. In this sense, expectations are motivators. We won’t like to do any piece of work which is void of worthwhile expectations.

It is possible that our expectations are miscalculated. They are more than they can be actually realized. Sometimes they turn out to be fewer than their pre-calculated number.

Un-realized expectations disappoint and depress us, yet we want to do nothing without imagining hopeful expectations.

Life without expectations is futile. It will de-motivate us and make us idle. It will be like planting a fruitless tree with great labour. Our nature is to look forward to encouraging results from our actions. Every action is yoked with solitary or multiple expectations.

Somebody has rightly said that we part more easily with what we possess, than with the expectation of what we wish for; and the reason of it is that what we expect is always greater than what we enjoy.

Whereas every religion says we have to reap what we sow, Lord Krishna’s Bhagwad Gita preaches rewardless action. It says we have the right to perform actions, but no right to expect their reward.

Finally, here is a popular quotation: When you have expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointments.

                                                *******

G.R.Kanwal

2^nd September 2024

 

SUPERSTITIONS

 

          SUPERSTITIONS

A superstition is a belief that particular events bring good or bad luck. It cannot be be explained by reason or science. In his essay on “An Outline Of Intellectual Rubbish” the British philosopher, logician and mathematician  Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) says superstitions about lucky and unlucky days are almost universal.

Each country has its own unlucky days. It may be Tuesday, Friday or Saturday. No.13 is unlucky in almost all the countries. There are some other superstitions like sneezing, crossing the way by a cat, knocking on wood, breaking a mirror,  walking under a ladder, quarrel with somebody before starting a journey, itching in the palm, etc.

            Man is undoubtedly a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.

            There are several causes of superstitions. The most important is the lack of modern education . The spread of scientific temperament is the best way to lessen, if not, to abolish superstitions.

            The English writer Henry Fielding (1707 -1754)  said: “Superstition renders a man fool, and scepticism makes him mad.”

            According to the German writer and philosopher Johan Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) : “ Superstition is the poetry of life. It is inherent in man’s nature; and when we think it is wholly eradicated, it takes refuge in the strangest holes and corners, whence it peeps out all at once, as soon as it can do it with safety.”

              Finally an anonymous superstition quote: “A fool’s brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry.

                                                            ******

G.R.Kanwal

1^st September 2024

 

 

 

 

 

     

L E A R N I N G

 

          L E A R N I N G

One of the definitions of learning which I found somewhere was like this: the process of acquiring new understanding , knowledge, behaviour, skill, value, attitude, ability, methodology, etc.

And these were the learning quotes which impressed me:

1.Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and l learn.  2.In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn. 3. The more you read, the more things you will know.

           

To put it briefly,  a man of learning is scholarly, knowledgeable, cultured, intellectual, studious, pedantic, sage, wise, highbrow, etc.

           

            The American poet and author Mrs. Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791-1865)  said: The true order of learning should be : first, what is necessary; second, what is useful ; and third, what is ornamental. To reverse the arrangement is like beginning to build at the top of the edifice.

 

            According to the  American clergy and poet Ray Palmer (1808-87) : Learning, if rightly applied, makes a young man thinking, attentive, industrious, confident, and wary; and an old man cheerful and useful, It is an ornament in prosperity, a refuge in adversity, an entertainment at all times; it cheers in solitude, and gives moderation and wisdom in all circumstances.  

 

Finally, an observation by the English poet and translator Alexander Pope (1688-1744): A little learning is a dangerous thing ! drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring; there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.

 

* In Greek mythology, the Pierian Spring of Macedonia was sacred to the  Pierides and the Muses.Muses were mythological goddesses that presided over the arts and sciences.

                                                *********

G.R.Kanwal

30 August 2o24

K I N D N E S S

 

                K I N D N E S S

‘Kindness’ is defined as generosity, benevolence, warm-heartedness, humanitarianism, fellow-feeling, compassion, good-will, cordiality, graciousness, mercifulness, gentleness, etc.  

            Kindness  is one the most admirable virtues. One can call it a spiritual quality. Those who are kind-hearted believe in mercy, pity, toleration and forgiveness.

English chemist Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1828) said : “Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually , are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort.“

German poet and philosopher Goethe (1749-1832) believed: “Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.”

English clergy and novelist  Charles Kingsley (1819-75)  suggests: “Make a rule, and pray to God to help you to keep it , never, if possible, to lie down at night without being able to say: I have made one human being at least a little wiser, or little happier, or at least a little better this day.” This suggestion cannot be implemented  by any person without being kind-hearted.

            Finally, a reference to a poem written by the American poet and critic James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) . Its title is Yussouf who is an Arab Lord  known for his great hospitality and kind-heatedness . His tent is  always open day and night  for the needy and unsheltered.

One night a stranger Ibrahim  who had been abolished  from  his society and was a runaway, comes to Yussouf’s tent, receives Yussoufs”s plentiful  hospitality and while departing with a gift of gold disclose to  Yussouf the heart-rending truth that he is the murderer of his first-born son.

 Yussouf does not become furious and revengeful. He tells Ibrahim:

“Take thrice the gold;  but leave the desert, never to return. My one black thought shall ride away from me.

He also adds: Thou are avenged, my first-born, sleep in peace.

 Lowell closes the poem with these words:

 As one lamp lights another, nor grows less,

So nobleness enkindleth nobleness.

 

                                    ********

G.R.Kanwal

27 August 2024              

 

 

 

THE FLUTE PLAYER OF BRINDABAN

 

 

                                    THE FLUTE PLAYER OF BRINDABAN

“The Flute Player of Brindaban” is a devotional poem by the Indian poetess and politician Sarojini Naidu who was born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad and passed away on 2^nd March 1949 in Lucknow.

The flute player in the poem stands for Lord Krishna . He was born more than 5,000 years ago, as we find him in his divine song The Bhagwad Gita where he inspires Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

This year his birthday is being celebrated on 26 August 2024, though according to the Christian calendar his date of birth is July 21, 3228 B.C.

A literary opinion describes  Saojini Naidu’s poem as highly devotional,   belonging to the Indian Bhakti tradition in which a devotee expresses his/her true love for God.

In the text of the poem which is given below Naidu is expressing her everlasting love for Lord Krishna who is popularly known among his devotees   as The Flute Player.  

Why didst thou play thy matchless flute
'Neath the Kadamba tree,
And wound my idly dreaming heart
With poignant melody,
So where thou goest I must go
My flute-player with thee?

Still must I like a homeless bird
Wander, forsaking all
The earthly loves and worldly lures
That held my life in thrall,
'And follow, follow, answering
Thy magical flute-call.

To Indra's golden-flowering groves
Where streams immortal flow,
Or to sad Yama's silent Courts
Engulfed in lampless woe,
Where'er thy subtle flute I hear
Belovèd I must go!

No peril of the deep or height
Shall daunt my wingèd foot;
No fear of time-unconquered space,
Or light untravelled route,
Impede my heart that pants to drain
The nectar of thy flute!                                             

                                  *******

G.R.Kanwal

26 August 2024

 

 

 

 

JOHN DONNE AND LORD KRISHNA

 

                JOHN DONNE AND LORD KRISHNA

In his divine song The Bhagavadgita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna who had refused to take up arms against his kith and kin because he did  not want them to die :

“Never was there a time when I was not, nor thou, nor those lords of men, nor will there ever be a time hereafter when we all shall cease to be.”  

Speaking about the difference between the perishable body and the immortal soul therein, the great Lord says: “The dweller in the body of every one, is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore thou shouldst not grieve for any creature.”

The English metaphysical poet John Donne (1573-1613) has a poem on almost the same theme of human immortality. The title of the poem is : Death Be Not Proud. It reads as follows:

Death be not proud, thou some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not soe,

For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.

From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,

Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings and desperate men

 

And dost with poison, warre, and sickness dwell,

And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,

And better than thy stroke, why swell’st thou then?

One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,

And death shall be no more, death, thou shall die.

                                    ***********

G.R.Kanwal

25 August 2024

 

 

                       

A NOTE ON CRIME

 

A NOTE ON CRIME

Crime is a violation of rules, regulations, laws, codes, ordinances, legal instructions, administrative customs and traditions sanctioned by the legislative powers of a society or country.

            To commit crime is human tendency. There is no crimeless society or state in the world. That is why there are police stations, courts, jails and prisons.

What shocks the members of a society and the citizens of a state is the excess of crimes, so they protest and demand for more preventive measures, speedy trials and deterrent punishments.

            The best way to reduce or prevent crimes is the provision  of moral education at every possible level and  the exhibition of perfect ethical behaviour by political, social, religious, administrative and commercial leaders.

            Prisons should be used as reformative institutions. Mere punishments do not decriminalize wrong doers, offenders, and law breakers.

            The causes of rising crimes can be many like poverty, unemployment, starvation, social discriminations and communal hatreds. Their eradication should be given top priority in reformative measures.

            Somebody has rightly said that crime is not punished as an offence against God, but as prejudicial to society.

            Finally, a well-kown important quote: “History provides us with numerous examples of people who were convinced that they were doing the right thing and committed terrible crimes because of it.”

                                                ************

G.R.Kanwal

24 August 2024    

 

IN PRAISE OF NATURE

 

          IN PRAISE OF NATURE

It is impossible for even an ordinary, uneducated man not to be impressed by the beauty of nature. The English poet John Keats (1795-1821) says in the beginning of his poem Endymion :

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Its loveliness increases. It will never pass into nothingness; but will keep a bower quiet for us, and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. Therefore, on every morrow, we are wreathing a flowery band to bind us to the earth, spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth of noble natures, of the gloomy days, of all unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits.

To the question where do we find such shapes of beauty, he mentions the sun, the moon, trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon for simple sheep; such as daffodils with the green world they live in; and clear rills that for themselves a cooling covert make ‘gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake, rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms.

Keats is not a famous lover of nature  like William Wordsworth  (1770-1850) whose deep love for the beauteous forms of the natural world began even when he was a child. The extract given above is particularly in praise of nature.

Before conclusion, here is a good quote from the writings of the German philologist and statesman Karl Wilhelm Humboldt ( 1767-1835) : Natural objects themselves, even when they make no claim to beauty, excite the feelings, and occupy the imagination. Nature pleases, attracts, delights, merely because it is nature. We recognize in it an infinite power.

                                                **********

G.R.Kanwal

23 August 2024

 

 

    

OF STUDIES (AN ESSAY BY FRANCIS BACON}

 

                                    OF  STUDIES

                             (AN ESSAY BY FRANCIS BACON}

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. He was also a famous writer and had massive interest in scientific subjects.  

His favourite language was Latin but finally he succeeded in adopting good English prose in which his most important work consists of a series of Essays, first appeared in 1597 with ten essays, and later with additions  in 1612 and 1625.  

The extracts which are given below are from 1625 edition.

I.Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business.

 

II. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them, for they teach not their own use; for that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.

 

III. Read not to contradict and confute, not to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider.

 

IV.  Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested, that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read , but not curiously; and some to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.

 

V. Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.

 

VI. Histories make men wise, poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral , grave: logic and rhetoric, able to contend.

                                                *********

G.R.Kanwal

22 July 2024  

A POET’S LOVE OF NATURE

 

                A POET’S LOVE OF NATURE

“Nature” is defined as the phenomena of the physical world which includes plants , animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations.

The phrase “Mother Nature” stands for natural resources, the world, the universe, the cosmos, landscape, scenery, etc. Lovers of nature are called naturalists.

Being in nature has positive effects on people’s physical, mental, moral,  emotional, religious and spiritual health.

In English literature William Wordsworth (1770-1850) is  most famous  for the poetry of nature. He found the delightful and enlightening  beauty of nature everywhere ----in flowers, meadows, woods, mountains, stars, the setting suns and the glories of various seasons.

As the following extract from his poem Tintern Abbey indicates in Nature he found the anchor of his purest thoughts.

“A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,      

And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still

A lover of the meadows and the woods

And mountains ; and of all that we behold

From this green earth ; of all the mighty world

Of eye, and ear, both what they half create

And what perceive ; well pleased to recognise

In Nature and the language of the sense

The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,

The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul

Of all my moral being.

                                                ********

G.R.Kanwal

21 August 2024